Putting the behavior into animal movement modeling: Improved activity budgets from use of ancillary tag information
By: Bestley, Sophie, Ian Jonsen, Robert G. Harcourt, Mark A. Hindell, and Nicholas J. Gales. Ecology and Evolution 6, no. 22 (2016): 8243-8255. | Find with Google Scholar »
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Dear all,
The end of the year approaches fast – formal department meeting done, Christmas Party enjoyed by all, and holidays beckon! Yay! Thanks so much to all the people (too numerous to name, too many to mention but you know who you are!) who helped to make the Christmas Party a great success. We’ve had a busy year but a good one – the new curriculum is rolling out well, we’ve had lots of research successes and new collaborations developed, we’ve made three new academic appointments, our HDR student numbers are good, our school partnership program is well underway and our systems are generally working well. We can give ourselves a well-deserved break! I’m away until 19 January but the department will be in the good hands of the Exec Team.
Have a great Christmas and all the best for 2017!
Michelle
Save the Date
This coming week 12th – 16th December
Tue/Wed 13-14th: Macquarie Minds showcase; Macquarie University.
Thurs 15th: Farewell morning tea for David Nipperess; 10.30am; Biology tearoom
Thurs 15th: Drinks at the U-Bar with David, from 4.30pm
Following week 19th – 23rd December
Not much…Take a few days off and don’t forget to do the leave request via HR online!
Coming up
2017
Feb 21st: E8A Digital Teaching Lab Induction; 9am – 12:30pm; E8A-120 (Red Lab).
Feb 23rd: E8C Digital Teaching Lab Induction; 9am – 12:00pm; E8C-106.
Feb 24th: F7B Digital Teaching Lab Induction; 9:30am – 11:00am; F7B-108 (and 105).
General News and Announcements
Faculty Awards 2016
Biological Sciences did very well at the Faculty awards announced at the end-of-year function! Congratulations to:
Dr Chris Reid – Excellence in Early Career Research
Prof Simon Griffith – Excellence in Research
Marita Holley – Outstanding Service (Professional Staff)
Farewell to David Nipperess
As you may or may not know Dave Nipperess will no longer be teaching for the Department of Biological Sciences next year. To show our appreciation for his many years of service the department would like to hold a morning tea in his honour. So please come along to wish Dave well is his future endeavours.
WHEN: Thursday 15th Dec 10.30am
WHERE: Biology E8A Tearoom,
For those of you who would also like to “Give that man a beer!” we will also be having Thursday after work drinks
WHERE: U Bar at the Hub
WHEN: 4.30pm till wheneva!!!
Exciting Grant Success this Week with Seaworld Outcomes
Michelle Power and Rachael Gray (USyd) were awarded Sea World Rescue and Research Foundation grant to study parasite diversity and disease risk in the little penguin Eudyptula minor
Biological Sciences Christmas Party
It was good, as this collage shows (thanks to Prasanth Subramani for not only taking the excellent photos, but making this highly stylish collage too)!
Prizes were: The Admin Team for outstanding support to the Department which couldn’t function without you; The Technical Team for outstanding support to the Department for all things technical; Dr David Nipperess for outstanding contribution to the Master of Conservation Biology and for being an all-round great bloke; Dr Kate Barry for outstanding contribution to BIOL260 Science of Sex and all round great colleague; Dr Julia Raftos for outstanding contribution to academic advising and always being available; A/Prof Nathan Hart for outstanding effort in their first year of teaching achieved with a minimum of fuss; Dr Kath McClellan for outstanding effort in making the whole department proficient in iLearn and making us all look good; the 2016 Media Tart Award jointly awarded to Prof Michael Gillings, Prof Rob Harcourt & A/Prof Culum Brown for outstanding effort in promoting the department by many and various means through the media.
Seminars are back in 2017!
The 2017 Seminar Series will be hosted by Alex Carthey and Rachael Gallagher. We’ll kick off the first week of March and run seminars throughout the teaching period (and outside where special seminars are required).
We are calling on you to please send us the names of colleagues that you’d like to take part in the seminar series who’ll be passing through Sydney/Australia. We would also like information on the big conferences in your field which are taking place in Australia this coming year. We will use these conferences to try and attract high profile speakers who are passing through. You are also welcome to directly suggest a speaker you’d like to bring in, but the budget for this will be modest.
We look forward to hosting a stimulating array of visitors within the department in 2017!
New Textbook!
Genetic Management of Fragmented Animal and Plant Populations textbook has been delivered to Oxford University Press – after almost 6 years work!
The authors are Frankham, Ballou, Ralls, Eldridge, Dudash, Fenster, Lacy & Sunnucks. Four of the authors have Macquarie Biology connections, Dick Frankham, Mark Eldridge (an undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoc with us), Paul Sunnucks was (a postdoc here with Dinah Hales), & Jon Ballou (who had a sabbatical with us in about 2001).
The book is an advanced textbook/research monograph that aims to provoke a paradigm shift in the management of small isolated population fragments of animals and plants.
OUP has targeted book launch at the International Congress for Conservation Biology meeting in Colombia, South America in July 2017.
The same team is also contracted to OUP to write a shorter simpler A Practical Guide to Genetic Management of Fragmented Animal and Plant Populations.
Get Some Help
With summer upon us, there are lots of projects going on that may need an extra pair of hands. It is timely, then, that the latest version of the Biological Sciences Volunteers list (for December) is available. Please email Ray Duell <ray.duell@mq.edu.au> if you’d like access to the file.
Lizard Lab Needs Your Help
The lizard lab is collecting used newspapers to use during husbandry. Right now they are running low on newspapers and are asking people to not throw their papers away after they are done reading but keep them and bring them to Macquarie so they can collect them. This would be a great help and will be greatly appreciated by their animals.
Also, they are currently looking for wild eastern bluetongue lizards to participate in a non-invasive study looking into predator avoidance and tongue colour. They would like to find out who knows where to find one or has a bluetongue lizard in their garden and if it is ok if we come and collect it (we have the appropriate ARA approval and collection permit). People can contact Sergio Naretto <narettosergio@gmail.com> (0406264491) and we will organise the collection.
If you need any more details, please feel free to contact Brigit Szabo <birgit.szabo@gmx.at> at any time!
Seminars and Gender Equity
Culum has conducted a quick survey of gender inequity in Dpt seminars this semester.
The average attendance was 27.58 people at each seminar, 14.5 were male, 13.08 were female and there was no significant differences in attendance between sexes (T-test; P = 0.259).
When it came to question time, males asked more than twice as many questions (4.75) than females (2.16) (T-test;P = 0.004).
Australian Plant Society Val Williams Scholarship in Botany
Applications for the Val Williams Scholarship, an award funded by the North Shore Group of the Australian Plants Society (APS), are welcomed from Honours, Masters or PhD students from the institutes specified (of which, Macquarie Uni is one!).
The project must contribute to the knowledge of the ecology, conservation, or propagation of native plants in the Sydney and surrounding region; must be carried out within this region; and the applicant must be attached to an Australian research institute.
For more information (and there is a lot of it), please see attached files.
vws-application-form-2017 word
End-of-Year Party Fundraisers
We raised $140 in the ‘Golden Toss’ competition! The money will go to the United Nation Syrian Refugee crisis appeal. If you want to add to the donation, please see Rosie in the HOD office. Congratulations to the ‘Golden Toss’ winners, Kawsar and Ben!
Joint PhD Scholarship with University of Exeter
We have a joint PhD agreement with the University of Exeter, so if you have a student for this scheme, there are now international scholarships available at Exeter. Applications have to be in by January 15! http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/money/fundingsearch/awarddetails/?id=2461
New Publications
Composition of diatom communities and their contribution to plankton biomass in the naturally iron-fertilized region of Kerguelen in the Southern Ocean
By: Lasbleiz, Marine, Karine Leblanc, Leanne K. Armand, Urania Christaki, Clément Georges, Ingrid Obernosterer, and Bernard Quéguiner. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 92, no. 11 (2016): fiw171. | Find with Google Scholar »The relationship between diet and body mass in terrestrial mammals
By: Pineda-Munoz, Silvia; Evans, Alistair R.; Alroy, John PALEOBIOLOGY Volume: 42 Issue: 4 Pages: 659-669 Published: NOV 2016 | Find with Google Scholar »On a conservative Bayesian method of inferring extinction
By: Alroy, John PALEOBIOLOGY Volume: 42 Issue: 4 Pages: 670-679 Published: NOV 2016 | Find with Google Scholar »Cross-linking of lens crystallin proteins induced by tryptophan metabolites and metal ions: implications for cataract development
By: Tweeddale, Helen J., Clare L. Hawkins, Joane F. Janmie, Roger JW Truscott, and Michael J. Davies. Free Radical Research 50, no. 10 (2016): 1116-1130. | Find with Google Scholar »Into the wild: developing field tests to examine the link between elasmobranch personality and laterality
By: Byrnes, Evan E., Catarina Vila Pouca, Sherrie L. Chambers, and Culum Brown. Brill (2016). | Find with Google Scholar »In the Media
Nathan Hart contributed to The Conversation.
Associate Professor Nathan Hart from the Department of Biological Sciences contributed the piece ‘Not just nets: how to stop shark attacks without killing sharks’ to The Conversation.
Lesley Hughes spoke to 702 ABC Sydney Mornings and Radio National’s The World Today
Distinguished Professor Lesley Hughes from the Department of Biological Sciences spoke to 702 ABC Sydney Mornings and Radio National’s The World Today on the latest report from the Climate Council of Australia that reveals the cost of bushfires to New South Wales and the ACT is likely to more than double by 2050. See page 1 of report.
Louise Tosetto spoke to 2SER Breakfast
Louise Tosetto from the Department of Biological Sciences spoke to 2SER Breakfast about her new study which has uncovered how microplastic pollutants accumulate in the food chain and their impact on fish behaviour.
Culum Brown provided comment to New Scientist
Associate Professor Culum Brown from the Department of Biological Sciences provided comment to New Scientist on research which found how baby Japanese flatfish push both eyes to one side of its body.
Michael Gillings was featured in Gardening Australia
Professor Michael Gillings was featured in Gardening Australia this month,
“From Pool to Aquatic Haven” about converting unused swimming pools into ponds.
Gardening Australia Dec 2016 pp 46-49.
James O’Hanlon was featured in Science Daily
James O’Hanlon from the Department of Biological Sciences featured in Science Daily in regards to his research which has found that female mantises masquerade as flowers to attract pollinating insects to eat, but that they do not sit on flowers.
Culum Brown, Jane Williamson, and Louise Tosetto contributed the article in The Conversation.
Associate Professor Culum Brown, Associate Professor Jane Williamson and Louise Tosetto from the Department of Biological Sciences contributed the article ‘How microplastics make their way up the ocean food chain into fish’ to The Conversation.
Lesley Hughes spoke to 774 ABC Melbourne’s Morning program
Distinguished Professor Lesley Hughes from the Department of Biological Sciences spoke to 774 ABC Melbourne’s Morning program about the threat of climate change to the Great Barrier Reef, in light of a new UNESCO Report in to the future of the reef. See page 9 of the report.