October 14 2014
Most people rarely think about what lives below the ground. If they do, they might think about rabbits and earth worms – or, if they’re in northern Australia, they may think of ants and termites. But these creatures are only a small and unrepresentative proportion of the vast collection of animal life that lives in the soil beneath our feet. It is literally crawling with an incredible array of tiny creatures – many of which look distinctly freaky.
October 4 2014
South Australia’s marine environment is unique. It has more diversity than the Great Barrier Reef, and about 85% of the organisms found there are found nowhere else (DEWNR 2013). Ocean upwellings, which bring nutrients to the surface, and deep canyons are important contributors to the biodiversity in this region (Nieblas et al 2009, Schmidt et al 2010, van Ruth 2010). There are also more than 100 offshore islands which are valuable conservation areas (Robinson et al 1996).
Some parts of South Australia’s marine ecosystem are stable and in good condition, but other parts are in poor condition and getting worse. This is partly due to pressure from fishing, aquaculture, shipping, and mining – all of which have management practices which could be improved (Government of South Australia 2012). Read the rest of this entry »