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Category Archives: Science, Surveys & Monitoring
Ships Ahoy! Research to Focus on Cruise Tourism
Cruise tourism has witnessed unprecedented growth rates amidst greater interest in terms of new destinations and ships with an impressive array of features. There is some agreement within industry that the sector is likely to continue its growth trajectory given that many cruise tourists are sold to the idea of all-inclusive and value-based pricing strategies employed by many operators. (more…)
Monitoring K’gari’s Weather
FIDO has just installed a second online weather station on K’gari at Eurong as part of an ongoing FIDO program to capture weather data from a broader area to assist in environmental monitoring. Through FIDO’s website, anyone in the world with access to the internet can see the temperature, barometric pressure, wind direction and rainfall at both Happy Valley and Eurong in real time and for the previous 14 days. FIDO also feeds the data to Weather Underground and the Bureau of Meteorology, where it can also be seen. They also add FIDO’s weather station input to their permanent storage.
Mibir (turtle) nesting and hatching on K’gari
Marine turtle season is coming to an end. The adult courting males and nesting females have returned to their home areas from hundreds of kilometres abroad, and hatchlings are emerging from their underground incubation period to embark on their life journey. Only 1 in 1000 make it to maturity, around 35–50 years old.
North Fraser Island (K’gari) has a small turtle rookery with a seasonal night driving curfew, where green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) court and breed, and females deposit their precious cargo of eggs into the dunes before leaving the young to their fate. These eggs (over 70%) also provide seasonal food resources for wildlife, including dingoes. (more…)
The First K’gari BioBlitz
From 28 November to 4 December 2016, a multidisciplinary team of experienced scientists and enthusiastic amateurs based at the University of the Sunshine Coast’s (USC) Dilli Village Research and Education Centre carried out the first of what are hoped to be regular BioBlitzes to better document the wide range of both plant and animal species on Fraser Island (K’gari).
(more…)Fraser Island Fauna Survey
Since departing Fraser Island 16 years ago, it was great to get back there earlier this year to renew acquaintanceships with old friends and make some new ones. I was over to assist a good friend and retired herpetologist, Harald Ehmann, to look for the endangered Fraser Island endemic, the Fraser Island Sand Skink Coggeria naufragus. I was on the island from the 8-13 February this year and Harald three days longer.
Fraser Island to be BioBlitzed by Scientists
Led by FIDO, a huge Fraser Island (K’Gari) BioBlitz from 28 November to 4 December will bring together experts from many areas of biology to carry out a stocktake of the natural resources of the World Heritage island.
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National Standards for Ecological Restoration
The National Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration in Australia have just been released by the Society for Ecological Restoration in Australia (SERA) board’s Principles and Standards Reference group in close collaboration with partners and advisors.
(more…)New Research Alert!
Several papers were published recently (2016) that may be of interest to FINIA readers including a review of coastal dunefield evolution in SEQ, Ground Penetrating Radar observations in the Great Sandy National Park (including Moon Point),patterns of phylogenetic diversity in subtropical rainforests, and the diet and body condition of Fraser Island dingoes. Details and links are provided below. (more…)
A BioBlitz for Fraser Island
A BioBlitz on Fraser Island (K’gari) has moved a few steps closer to reality with FIDO setting the proposed dates for the Blitz as 28 November – 4 December 2016.
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Call for Survey Takers – Iconic Dingo Project
The University of the Sunshine Coast’s DSITIA-funded ‘Iconic Dingo project’ is very keen to secure the views and perspectives of all FINIA members as they finalise the data-gathering stage of their project. Essentially we are a small team of humanities and social science scholars who are exploring how different stakeholders perceive the dingo and the stories they hold. (more…)
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