Thermal Imaging Reveals Changes in Body Surface Temperatures of Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) during Air Exposure
By: Wosnick, Natascha, Carlos Navas, Yuri Niella, Emygdio Monteiro Filho, Carolina Freire, and Neil Hammerschlag | Find with Google Scholar »
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Hi all
We had a very busy Open Day on Saturday – many people contributed but thanks in particular to Jenny Ghabache, Jenny Donald, Kath McClellan, the Scoop-a-Poop and invertebrate display people, Masood, Prasanth and all our student volunteers.
The next few weeks will have intense activity on curriculum design for all our courses. We discussed this at the department meeting on Tuesday and the L&T committee will be meeting weekly for the next few weeks. Please provide any suggestions or feedback to Drew Allen as soon as possible.
cheers,
Michelle
Save the Date
This coming week 20th – 24th August
Wed 22nd: Department Morning Tea – Welcome 2 new Post-Docs in Ian Wright’s lab, Dr Ning Dong and Andrea Westerband; 10.30am – 11.00am; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Wed 22nd: Departmental Seminar – Dr Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney; 1.00pm – 2.00pm; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Wed 22nd: “The Second Cure” Margaret Morgan in conversation with Michael Gillings; 6.30pm; Harry Hartog Bookstore, Macquarie Shopping Centre.
Thu 23rd: aaRgh – R drop in session; 3.00pm – 4.00pm; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Thu 23rd: 3 minute thesis heat; 4.00pm – 4.30pm; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room
Thu 23rd: Maurizio Benelli completion seminar; 4.30pm – 5.00pm; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room
Thu 23rd: Biology Social Club; 5.00pm – 7.00pm; Biology Courtyard or Tea Room if wet.
Following week 27th – 31st August
Wed 29th: Department Morning Tea; 10.30am – 11.00am; The Hill.
Wed 29th: Departmental Seminar – Professor Simon Griffith, MQU; 1.00pm – 2.00pm; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Thu 30th: Wear It Purple BBQ; 11.00am to 2.00pm, Wally’s Walk outside MUSE.
Thu 30th: R User Group Meeting; 3.00pm – 4.00pm; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Future Events
Sep 10th: REP Workshop ‘Is The Mainstream Account of Evolution Satisfactory?’; 10.00am – 12.00pm; 7WW (E6B) 149 Briefing Room.
Sep 19th: Biology ECR Research Showcase; 9.30am; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Sep 19th: Biological Sciences Graduation Ceremony; 2.30pm; Great Hall, MQU.
Sep 21st: Frank Mercer Garden 40th Anniversary; 12.00pm – 2.00pm; Frank Mercer Garden, behind Biology Courtyard.
Oct 2nd: REP Workshop ‘Conserversation Conversations: Saving Our Smallest Species’; 9.00am – 11.00am; 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Oct 10th: Faculty Safety Day; 10.00am – 2.00pm; Biology Courtyard.
General News and Announcements
SUPERSTARS OF STEM – applications open NOW!
The search is on for the next 60 Superstars of STEM! Applications are already open! Science & Technology Australia are particularly keen for articulate and passionate women to apply: the aim is to make sure as many STEM disciplines as possible are represented on the program. Each of the participants will be equipped with the skills, contacts and opportunities to become confident public spokespeople for their work, their discipline, and their sector. They will meet decision makers at all levels of government, media, business and academia, and we will provide them with opportunities to connect with thousands of students across Australia. Applications due 23 September 2018.
NSW Threatened Species Committee – The NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee is currently seeking nominations from university academics for membership of the committee. The committee is an independent scientific body under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act that assesses nominations of species and ecological communities for listing as threatened with extinction. Appointments are by the Minister for the Environment and are for three years. Both Lesley Hughes and Michelle Leishman have been past members and Chairs of the committee and Rachael Gallagher is a current member. If you would like to be nominated by the university please let Michelle know.
Wear it Purple BBQ! Thursday 30 Aug the university is hosting a BBQ & cake stall for Wear it Purple Day; supporting students who identify as LGBTIQ+. On at 11am to 2pm, Wally’s Walk outside MUSE.
Train Station Closure 30th Septermber 2018! With the Macquarie University train station closure on 30 September 2018, this website offers information about bus options from your closest train station. http://www.mysydney.nsw.gov.au/stationlink It will be the first place to look for information and will be continually updated .
Indoor Plant Workshop – Want to have an office or living room like Rekha and Mariella, but don’t know where to start, or need a little motivation? Rekha and Masood are offering to run a workshop on creating a beautiful indoor plant display. All materials and tools provided. Minimum of 10 people required to run the workshop. There is only one workshop, but 4 possible dates (11, 12 or 13 Sept, or 3 Oct). Register your interest, so we can select the best date: https://doodle.com/poll/38fhcg2tbistc69a
COMINGS AND GOINGS
Meet Masoomi! “I am from Ardabil located in northwest of Iran. After finishing high school, I started my undergraduate in agronomy and plant breeding at University of Mohaghegh Ardabili. Dealing with various courses related to plant biology, I found out my interests were in discovering more about plant genetics. So, I selected agricultural biotechnology for my masters at University of Guilan. After graduation, I joined a research group in Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII) to get involved in crop improvement projects.To continue the field in higher degrees, I joined the lab of Professor Brian Atwell as a PhD student. In recent years, global climate change has adversely affected crop production and predicted to be a catastrophe in future. So, developing drought and heat tolerant varieties may have crucial importance in breeding challenging researchers in the field. We are going to use novel genomics and proteomics tools to identify specific proteins that are more likely to be responsible for the heat tolerance in cotton. We will exploit genetic variation in wild Australian cotton species as valuable sources of genes responsible for stress tolerance.”
Please make him feel welcome!
Dr Andrea Westerband will join Ian Wright’s group Monday 20 August, as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow. Andrea’s area of work focuses on how plants adapt to living in resource-limited environments.
Seeking Accommodation – A/Prof Sofia Riboliera is a visiting researcher from the University of Copenhagen and Natural History Museum of Denmark. She will arrive on 17 September for a month and is looking for accommodation. She will be working with Grant Hose. Please let Grant know <Grant.Hose@mq.edu.au> if you know of anything that is available.
RESEARCH STORIES, OUTCOMES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Seeking Early Career Marine Scientist for Scientific Advisory Committee – The MNF are seeking expressions of interest from an early career marine scientist to support the functions of their Scientific Advisory Committee. The definition and eligibility of an early career marine scientist:
- Candidates must have a PhD conferral date of ≤ 10 years – excluding allowable periods of career interruptions (please contact the MNF for clarification).
- The position is not restricted to postdocs.
Please also note, that as a committee member you will be unpaid, although expenses associated with attendance are reimbursed. If you are a motivated, early career marine scientist interested in enhancing your career development through this opportunity, then please click here for further information.
Biology ECR Research Showcase – Wednesday September 19th. The Early Career Researcher (ECR) Showcase is just around the corner on Wednesday September 19th. Please put it in your diary. The organisers (Ajay N, Rachael D, Jonas W) are busy collating a schedule of fascinating talks for your intellectual tastebuds, and also organising some carefully considered catering for your real ones. The ECR showcase is an annual mini-conference organised by our ECR committee, with the aim to promote and expose the great research being conducted in our department by our ECRs, while enabling networking across the department. All Department members (e.g. ECRs, Academics, Professional Staff and HDR students) are warmly invited to attend. Thank you so far to everyone who has volunteered to give a talk. Schedule to follow.
Would you like the opportunity to sail on the R.V. Investigator?! CAPSTAN – Chief Scientist, Trainers and Student Participant Applications are now open! The 2nd CAPSTAN voyage is scheduled to depart from Hobart, Tasmania 29th April, arriving in Fremantle, Western Australia, 9th May, 2019 and it is time to crew the voyage! The following positions are now available.
Trainers – Applications open 15th of August, close 30th of September 2018. Student participants – Applications open 15th of August, close 30th of September 2018. For more information visit our website: https://goto.mq/6g nquiries: <fse.capstanenquiries@mq.edu.au>.
LEARNING AND TEACHING
Need help with unit development or anything L&T? Talk to our friendly Faculty L&T team contact – Natalie Spence (x1943, <natalie.spence@mq.edu.au>).
The 3 Minute Thesis is coming up at Macquarie University! Come along and show your support to our PhD students! Cast your vote the all-important people’s choice award.
Biology Dept heat: Thursday 23rd August 4:00 pm in E8A 280 (Biol tea room);
Faculty of Science and Engineering finals: Monday 27th August 11:30 am – 2:30 pm in Australian Hearing Hub lecture theatre 1; Macquarie University finals: Monday 17th September 1:30 – 3:30 pm in Macquarie Theatre.
3MT is a serious test of research presentation skills. Quick rules: Single, static Powerpoint slide, and no sounds or props, and 3 minutes maximum to speak.
Biology Dept heat: Thursday 23rd August 4:00 pm in E8A 280 (Biol tea room);
Faculty of Science and Engineering finals: Monday 27th August 11:30 am – 2:30 pm in Australian Hearing Hub lecture theatre 1; Macquarie University finals: Monday 17th September 1:30 – 3:30 pm in Macquarie Theatre.
3MT is a serious test of research presentation skills. Quick rules: Single, static Powerpoint slide, and no sounds or props, and 3 minutes maximum to speak.
See more info, and recordings of previous winners’ talks here: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-research-program/3-minute-thesis-competition
The Biology and Environment Society, BAES, is hosting a careers night for undergraduate students on the 17th of September to showcase the potential career pathways and experiences on offer after graduation. They are looking for a variety of speakers from different career stages and backgrounds to come give short 10-15 minute talks about what they do, how they got there and potentially give some sage advice.
Ideally, we would like 1 academic, 1 early career researcher & 1 PhD student. We are also looking for someone with a non-academic background (e.g. private sector or government). So, if you’re interested in helping out or have some recommendations please contact BAES at <bio.enviro.socmq@gmail.com>
BLOGS AND OTHER THINGS OF INTEREST
Plant of the Week
This week – Plectranthus neochilus – a blue-flowered succulent plant from southern Africa.
When we think about the mint family, Lamiaceae, we firstly tend to think about the many traditional herbs from the Mediterranean, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, for example. Next our thoughts probably turn to Australian mints, the mint bushes and coastal rosemaries. We rarely consider the vast array of genera and species of Lamiaceae that come from southern Africa such as Plectranthus neochilus.
From The Ryde Hunters Hill Flora & Fauna Preservation Society – Coming soon are two days of guided bushwalks in the Field of Mars Reserve:
- Saturday 25 August: History and Features of the Field of Mars Reserve, and
- Sunday 6 October: Bird Walks
Details of booking requirements and walk departure times are in the attached flyer. RHHFFPS Guided Bushwalks August – October 2018
Ally Training provides participants with an overall understanding of why LGBTIQ inclusion is important to the Macquarie University community and explores challenges often faced by people who identify as LGBTIQ and the impact of Homophobia, Transphobia & prejudice. Participants who complete the training will be able to join the MQ Ally Network if they so wish.
Key Takeaways:
- Introduction to the diversity of identities within the LGBTIQ+ community
- Gain an understanding of discrimination and bias that affect people in the LGBTIQ+ community
- Know what the Ally Network is and what it takes to be an active and effective Ally.
- Develop your skills to actively speak out against Homophobia, Transphobia and prejudice
- Learn to refer people to appropriate local resources, support services & assistance
If you’d like to attend Ally training please complete this poll so that we can find an appropriate time. https://doodle.com/poll/qpzsmvaq4enu5n45 Each session will run for approximately 2 hours. For more information or if you have any questions please contact <workplacediversityinclusion@mq.edu.au>.
SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS
Biological Sciences Weekly Seminar
Date/Time/Venue: Wednesday, 22nd August 2018, 1 – 2pm, 14EAR (E8A) 280 Biology Tea Room.
Speaker: Dr Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney. Title: Macroecological insights on the drivers of global biodiversity loss. More information at https://goto.mq.edu.au/biologyseminar2018-abstracts
MolSci Weekly Seminar
Date/Time/Venue: Tuesday, 28th August 2018, 1 – 2pm, 4WW (F7B) 322 Seminar Room.
Speaker: Dr Tom Williams, CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Fellow, Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University. Title: Engineering and Evolution of Yeast Metabolism for a Sustainable Bio-economy. More information at https://goto.mq/6q
REP Workshop ‘Is the Mainstream Account of Evolution Satisfactory?’ – Monday 10 Sept (10am – 12-noon), 07 Wally’s Walk (E6B) 149 Briefing Room. Organised by David Wells, Jemma Geoghegan, Michael Gillings, Catherine Grueber (USyd) and Mark Westoby. Chaired by Grant Hose.
The broad aim of this workshop is for participants is to think over our knowledge of evolutionary biology, especially the question whether standard or mainstream accounts of Darwinism should be regarded as somehow unsatisfactory or incomplete. The question for participants to think about beforehand is: If you were redesigning an intro-to-evolution course or a standard evolution textbook, what changes would you make as top of your priority list? These changes could be new topics added, or existing topics handled in a new way, or some sort of rearrangement of the overall layout of material. At the workshop five panel members will put forward their own ideas in response to this question (David Wells who initiated the workshop, Jemma Geoghegan, Michael Gillings, Catherine Grueber, Mark Westoby.). Then discussion will move to the floor.
Click here to register for ‘Is the mainstream account of evolution satisfactory?’
Living Seawalls Project Workshops –
A team of researchers from the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales are working on the ‘Living Seawalls Project’. The Living Seawalls Project involves trialing new approaches to ‘greening’ seawalls such as attaching 3D structures to existing seawalls to provide more space and habitats for marine plants and animals. One of the goals of the project is to assess stakeholder opinions of proposed new methods and designs for ‘greening’ seawalls. The team is hosting two 3-hour workshops to assess stakeholder opinions. During the workshops the new research initiatives will be explained and participants will have the opportunity to provide their opinion through group and individual activities, which involve brainstorming some of the benefits and risks of these and rating alternative approaches. Responses to these activities will remain anonymous, as per the requirements of the workshop approval we have received from Macquarie University.
To accommodate schedules, we have two workshops planned at a central City location for the end of August: Tuesday 28 August 9:30-12:30 in the morning and Thursday 30 August 5:30-8:30 in the evening (see below). Using the link, please select and register for the workshop you would like to attend by Friday 24 August.
Workshop Details & Registration: DATE: Workshop 1 Tuesday 28 August 9:30-12:30 OR Workshop 2 Thursday 30 August 5:30-8:30
VENUE: Macquarie University City Campus, Room 2414; 123 Pitt Street (Angel Place) Sydney, NSW. COST: FREE
TO REGISTER: Please use the following links to register for either Workshop 1 or Workshop 2.
Workshop 1 Tuesday 28 August 9:30-12:30 https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/greening-seawalls-stakeholder-workshop-1-tickets-48786397428
Workshop 2 Thursday 30 August 5:30-8:30 https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/greening-seawalls-stakeholder-workshop-2-tickets-48786925006
QUESTIONS: email <SydneyLivingSeawalls@gmail.com>.
aaRgh (ask an Rgeek for help) – Second Thursday of every month 3 – 4pm, Biology Tearoom – 14EAR (E8A) 280. Frustrated? Having an R-related problem? We will also run regular afternoon tea sessions where you can get one-on-one help, or just introduce yourself and chat. Snacks provided!
REP Workshop ‘Conservation Conversations: Saving Our Smallest Species’- Tuesday 2nd October (9-11am), Room 280, 14 Eastern Road (Biology Tea Room). Organised by Lizzy Lowe.
Almost all animals are invertebrates, yet their vital role in maintaining the health of our environments and providing essential ecosystem services is systematically undervalued. These “other 99%” are under threat from a range of human activities but the need for their conservation is virtually ignored. In order to save our smallest species, we need increased public engagement, new ideas and improved collaboration between interest groups.
This workshop will involve a morning of “conservation conversations” to explore the future of invertebrate conservation in Australia and New Zealand. Invited speakers will express their views on the current state of invertebrate conservation and share their innovative research. We will then have an open session (over tea and biscuits!) to facilitate the sharing of ideas among attendees.
Everyone with an interest in conservation and/or invertebrate research is welcome to attend.
Click here to register for ‘Conservation conversations: saving our smallest species’
Department Writing Workshops for HDRs and ECRs – Running weekly for most of the year: Fridays 2-4pm in room E8B 111. Those interested in attending a session should email Ken Cheng <ken.cheng@mq.edu.au> by Wednesday 12:00-noon, preferably with a draft attached of what they are working on and some indication of what they especially need help with.
Peer Writing Assistance Session – Are you a HDR? Need help with your writing? Unsure how to structure your argument? Want advice on how to handle HDR life? If you answered yes to any of these questions then come along to a Peer Writing Assistance session! Peer Writing Assistants are current PhD students and HDR Mentors at Macquarie University that are a ‘fresh pair of eyes’ to look over your work and provide constructive advice. We are also available to talk aboutanyaspectof the HDR experience. Sessions can be booked on the HDR workshops page.
Writing Workshops – Running weekly for most of the year: Fridays 2-4pm in room 6SR (E8B) 111. Convened by Ken Cheng.
These writing workshops are meant for HDR students and early-career researchers. In these face-to-face encounters, writing at any stage of any genre is welcome, from first draft to final polish, from empirical paper to literature review to popular news story. Ken envisages personal feedback linked perhaps with rounds of revisions on selected passages during the session. The aim is not just to get stuff written, but to write everything well. Those interested in attending a session should email Ken Cheng <ken.cheng@mq.edu.au> by Wednesday 12:00-noon, preferably with a draft attached of what they are working on and some indication of what they especially need help with.
SUSTAINABILITY
Recycle Nook – books books books! The Recycle Nook has been rearranged so that academic texts are on the top shelf and fiction and general interest are on the lower shelves. There are a number of recent and ‘historic’ texts on the top shelf, esp Microbiology, Zoology and HSC Science. Have a browse and see if these are of interest and value to anyone you know. Any text published prior to this century will be recycled on Friday 10th August (giving you 3 weeks of browsing pleasure). Also in the recycle nook are a number of printer cartridges, blank CDs/DVDs, and miscellaneous other items. These printer cartridges will be recycled on 10th August, if they have not found a new home.
ADMIN THINGS
Admin Alert! Admin workload is particularly high, so this is a reminder to submit your Absence on Duty early. Please give a minimum of 3 weeks before you travel domestically, and 6 weeks internationally, for approvals to be processed and bookings made for you. The more notice you give, the easier it is, and the better prices you can get. Any last-minute travel requests may not be processed.
Photo Competition – AUGUST 2018 – go into the draw to win a $100 Gift Card this month! This month’s theme is Landscape! Your images could be used on our Department website, this newsletter, on our social media and in other biology publications. A lucky person’s name will be drawn each month, and they will receive a $100 Gift Card! Criteria: you must provide caption information including details of what/where/who(names of people)/date & you must have taken all photos & the image must have been taken in the last five years. Please follow the dropbox file request link to submit your images.
Submission close: 31 AUGUST 2018. You can enter as many photos as you like – one entry to the draw per photo with caption info, good luck!
PURE Training – The PURE system is used to manage researcher profiles, outputs including publications, funding applications, awards, projects and reports. Do you feel like you could use some more PURE training? Please register your interest via an email to <jenny.ghabache@mq.edu.au>.
OUTREACH ACTIVITIES – Have you participated in an activity for Biology recently? Don’t forget to fill in the super-quick form here – ACCESS OUTREACH FORM HERE
Location-W (Fauna Park) Admin Support – Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 10am – 1pm in W19F.
Deliveries – You will notice that we have placed a red “transfer Box” in W19F, put anything in this box that needs to be delivered to the E8 area location. We also have a red “Transfer Box” in E8B Level 2 location, which is for goods to betaken to the W location. These boxes will be emptied every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10am. Deliveries from the main “MQ” store will be delivered daily. Any questions please contact Sharyon O’Donnell.
Building Name Changes – Cheat Sheet – If you are trying to identify buildings on campus with new names or old names, please use this link to convert them from old to new or vice versa.
Correct Method for Submitting to Department Matters
Department Matters submissions now have their own email address. Please send all future submissions to the newsletter to <fse.bionewsletter@mq.edu.au>!
Also, please see the following to correctly format your additions, and keep them rolling in!
You may have noticed that we try to keep all the articles to the same format for the Department Matters, however, rest assured, they do NOT all turn up in this format! To help keep your Department Matters looking as good as possible, when sending in additions to the Newsletter, please try to keep these formatting guidelines in mind.
- Please write in third person. The information is coming from the Newsletter, not directly from you.
- Do not use fancy text formatting. Bold heading, normal text, and only italics or bold to highlight. No font size changes will make it through, sorry.
- If sending via email, set your email output to basic. HTML output will add all sort of formatting that will have to be removed before your article can go into the newsletter.
Keeping to these guidelines will streamline your article’s addition to the newsletter. Thank you.
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New Publications
Variation in occupancy and habitat use of Mobula alfredi at a major aggregation site
By: Couturier, L. I. E., P. Newman, F. R. A. Jaine, M. B. Bennett, W. N. Venables, E. F. Cagua, K. A. Townsend, S. J. Weeks, and A. J. Richardson | Find with Google Scholar »Environmental correlates of relative abundance of potentially dangerous sharks in nearshore areas, southeastern Australia
By: Lee, K. A., M. Roughan, R. G. Harcourt, and V. M. Peddemors | Find with Google Scholar »Oxygen isotope analysis of the eyes of pelagic trilobites: Testing the application of sea temperature proxies for the Ordovician
By: Bennett, C.E., Williams, M., Leng, M.J., Lee, M.R., Bonifacie, M., Calmels, D., Fortey, R.A., Laurie, J.R., Owen, A.W., Page, A.A. and Munnecke, A. | Find with Google Scholar »In the Media
Vanessa Pirotta was interviewed on 7LA Tasmania Talks
Vanessa Pirotta from the Department of Biological Sciences was interviewed on 7LA Tasmania Talks about her research using drones to collect whale blow.
Michelle Leishman was featured on ABC Southern Queensland Mornings and ABC North West Queensland Breakfast
Professor Michelle Leishman from the Department of Biological Sciences was featured on ABC Southern Queensland Mornings and ABC North West Queensland Breakfast in relation to plants that can adapt to Australia’s rising temperatures.
Matthew Bulbert was featured in the Daily Telegraph
Dr Matthew Bulbert from the Department of Biological Sciences was featured in the Daily Telegraph regarding his talk at Sydney Science Festival about the “five-minute pet”
Michelle Leishman was interviewed on ABC Illawarra NSW Country Hour
Professor Michelle Leishman from the Department of Biological Sciences was interviewed on ABC Illawarra NSW Country Hour regarding experiments to find plants that can adapt to Australia’s rising temperatures.
Robert Harcourt provided comment to ABC News
Professor Robert Harcourt from the Department of Biological Sciences provided comment to ABC News about fur seal conservation.