Integrating microorganism and macroorganism dispersal: modes, techniques and challenges with particular focus on co-dispersal
By: Tesson, Sylvie V. M. ; Okamura, Beth; Dudaniec, Rachael Y.; Vyverman, Wim; Londahl, Jakob; Rushing, Clark; Valentini, Alice and Green, Andy J. | Find with Google Scholar »
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Dear all,
I hope you’re all enjoying the post-grading peace and quiet before S2 starts! Last week was a great week for our students who did the department proud at the ASSAB conference – well done all!
Applications have now closed for the Lecturer position in Conservation Biology – we have over 80 applications which is fantastic, so now comes the process of selecting the best.
Not happy with the new MQ website? Have your say here! I’ve completed it several times already.
Please put 10am 4th August in your diaries – we will be celebrating the commissioning of our new growth cabinets in the Plant Growth Facility with a splendid morning tea, with special guests DVC-R Sakkie Pretorius and Deputy Dean Bernard Mans. All welcome!
Finally, all S2 unit convenors who require tutors should make an appointment with Jennifer Rowland asap.
cheerio
Michelle
Save the Date
This coming week 18th July – 22nd July
Wed 20th; Department morning tea; 10.30am, E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).
Following week 25th July – 29th July
July 26th & 27th; G2G Outlook 2016; 9am – 5pm, W5C 320, 301 & 302.
July 27th: Advising day.
Digital Teaching Lab Inductions Semester 2: E8A – Mon 25th July, E8C – Thu 28th July, F7B – Fri 29th July.
Coming up
July 31st; Applications for international PhD scholarships due.
Aug 4th: Morning tea at the Plant Growth Facility to celebrate the commissioning of the new growth cabinets; 10am.
Aug 20th; Open Day.
Sept 19th: ECR research showcase day.
Sept 20th: Graduation for biological sciences, 10.30am-12pm.
Oct 31st: Applications for domestic (APA) PhD scholarships due.
General News and Announcements
At the recently concluded ASSAB 2016 conference at Katoomba, our Biology students did exceptionally well:
Best Student Poster
Darshana Rathanayake, Macquarie University
Deimatic behaviour of Australian praying mantids
Best Student SpeedTalk
Fonti Kar, Macquarie University
Social learning in a family-living lizard
Ravindra Palavalli Nettimi, Macquarie University
Is bigger always better? Behavioural implications of miniaturisation in ants
Best Student Talk
Julia Riley, Macquarie University
Early social environment affects behaviour of a family-living lizard
****REMINDER: Please submit talk titles for Biology ECR Research Showcase!*******
When? September 19, 2016
Where? Biology Tea Room
This is a friendly reminder to all ECRs to please send your talk titles or expression of interest by July 22nd to present at the ECR Biology Research Showcase on September 19th. More details below for those who have not yet seen the post:
We would like to invite all ECRs (includes post-docs and any self-nominated ECR’s) to participate in a 1-day mini-conference. This is a one-day event to communicate your current or future research plans to the department and to meet and hear from fellow ECRs in the Department. The aim of this day is to bring all ECRs and faculty together to showcase and discuss their research in an informal and supportive environment that will facilitate new and existing research networks. Talks may be on a particular case study, collection of studies, or plans for the future, while there is also scope for talking about your background and pathway to MQ. The talks will be open for everyone in the department to attend, including HDR students and faculty.
Talks will be 12-15 minutes in length, and the day will include refreshments and a social event afterwards in the courtyard!
Please send your talk title to either ajay.narendra@mq.edu.au or rachael.dudaniec@mq.edu.au before July 22nd.
The aim of Outlook is to bring together leading thinkers in diverse disciplines, spanning molecules to landscapes, across deep time frames, and from scientific, historical and social viewpoints. Our objective is to immerse participants in the advancing fronts of research in adjacent, and more distant disciplines.
The 2016 meeting is called Future Scoping in the Anthropocene, where speakers will present their ideas on what the future might hold for humanity and the planet. The overarching theme will be to examine how we might negotiate the challenges that have arisen as a consequence of our past and present activities.
Paper pitching sessions: The afternoon sessions will consist of presentations by selected Early Career Researchers, who will outline topics where they think there is an opportunity for publishing a Review, Perspective or Opinion piece. After these sessions, we encourage participants to join discussions with a presenter about how such a paper might be formulated, and to offer ideas, advice, or to actively help in drafting the paper. This is an opportunity to form new collaborations, and to participate in cross-disciplinary, potentially high impact papers.
Please let us know if you’d like to come along: g2g-admin@mq.edu.au
More Winners!!!!
Congratulations to Ina Geedicke for winning the Milthorpe Memorial Award in Plant Biology for her study on:
Impact of stormwater run-off on mangrove and saltmarsh communities
Also congratulations again to Ina Geedicke and equal winner Rene Heim for The Tony Price Award.
Rene Heim – Detecting and monitoring Myrtle Rust using unmanned aircraft systems and spectral vegetation indices.
Ina Geedicke – Impact of stormwater run-off on mangrove and saltmarsh communities
Winners are Grinners!!!!!
Round 2, Departmental Stratgeic Research Funding closes 29 July
A reminder to continuing academics that Round 2 of the Departmental Strategic Research Funding closes on 29 July, so start planning your applications now! Applications can be for up to $5000 for the activities listed in the attached Department of Biological Sciences Strategic Research Funding rules. The application process is not onerous (< 1 page). The scheme was under-subscribed in round 1, so chances are that if you propose something worthwhile, that conforms with the funding rules, you are likely to be funded! Any questions about eligibility should be directed to Melanie (melanie.bishop@mq.edu.au).
For rivers and water people
Professor Ellen Wohl and A/Professor Ian Rutherfurd will be visiting Macquarie University on Thursday 4th August. Professor Ellen Wohl is here on a Fullbright Visiting Fellowship.
If you wish to meet Ellen to discuss all things fluvial, or wish to be allocated an individual or group meeting time with her on the 4th, please let Kirstie Fryirs know (kirstie.fryirs@mq.edu.au ).
Biographies
Professor Ellen Wohl
Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, USA
Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, USA
Ellen’s research focuses on river form and process in diverse settings, including mountain streams, bedrock canyon rivers and, most recently, large river floodplains. Ellen has conducted field research on every continent but Antarctica. She is particularly interested in how physical and ecological processes interact in river corridors, and how management has altered rivers during the past few centuries.
In addition to research monographs and a fluvial geomorphology textbook, she has written several books about rivers for non-scientists, including Virtual Rivers (2001), Disconnected Rivers (2004), Of Rock and Rivers (2009), A World of Rivers (2011), Wide Rivers Crossed (2013), and Transient Landscapes (2015).
A/Prof Ian Rutherfurd
School of Natural Resource Management and Geography, University of Melbourne
School of Natural Resource Management and Geography, University of Melbourne
Ian recently completed five years working in the water and river management area at a senior level in the Victorian State government and has now returned to the University of Melbourne where his research id focusing on evaluation of environmental flows, understanding nutrient processes in sediments that lead to algal blooms, and optimization of stream management decisions.
In his time at the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment, Ian was the Director of River Health for the state (and latterly the acting Executive Director), working within the Office of Water. This position was responsible for management of the State’s rivers, estuaries and wetlands, as well as implementing an annual $40m program of investment in stream rehabilitation.
Plant of the Week – Kleinia ficoides – Blue Chalk Sticks
New Publications
Relationships between soil nutrient status and leaf traits in Brazilian cerrado and seasonal forest communities
By: Raquel C.; Wright, Ian J. and Batalha, Marco A. | Find with Google Scholar »In the Media
Tuohy speaks with Associate Professor Callum Brown, on 774 ABC Melbourne
Associate Professor Culum Brown from the Department of Biological Sciences spoke to 774 ABC Melbourne’s Evening program about the biology and behaviour of sharks.
Jack Jumper ants navigate for driverless cars
Ravindra Nettimi, PhD student, was interviewed recently on ABC on jack jumper ants navigate for driverless cars
Jumping Jack Ants find their way back to the nest whilst walking backwards, how they do it could have implications for driverless cars and a whole bunch of other technology.
Listen to it here
Collecting data to help protect Australia’s waters from toxic algal blooms
Dr Leanne Armand’s past PhD student Penny Ajani has written a short piece on the recently released Nature’s Scientific Data paper (Dr L. Armbrecht is a co-author on the latter) covering Australian phytoplankton records and records of toxic blooms, including her scientific hook to Hitchcock’s “The Birds” movie.
Read all about it here:
http://theconversation.com/collecting-data-to-help-protect-australias-waters-from-toxic-algal-blooms-61298