Tracking the fidelity of Atlantic bluefin tuna released in Canadian waters to the Gulf of Mexico spawning grounds
Wilson, S. G., I. D. Jonsen, R. J. Schallert, J. E. Ganong, M. R. Castleton, A. D. Spares, A. M. Boustany, M. J. W. Stokesbury, and B. A. Block. 2015. Tracking the fidelity of Atlantic bluefin tuna released in Canadian waters to the Gulf of Mexico spawning grounds. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 72:1700-1717. | Find with Google Scholar »
|
Dear all,
It’s been relatively quiet around the corridors while a flurry of marking and end of year processing has been happening. This Week at MQ featured Mark Westoby as one of 29 staff who celebrated 40 years service to Macquarie – you can see it here. The university is launching an Early Career Researchers program to support ECRs across the university – Rachael Gallagher will be one of the two Faculty representatives on the program so please talk to her for an update. Next week many of the ecologists will be at the Annual Ecological Society Meeting in Adelaide (including me) and Grant and Melanie will be holding the fort. Meanwhile Lesley will be heading to Paris for the UN Climate Change conference – you can follow her activities via the Climate Council website or twitter.
Finally – the department’s 2014 annual report is now published and is a great read – many thanks to Mariella and Anne Marie for all their hard work putting this together. Use it to spread the word about the department eg for recruiting HDR students! See link below.
cheerio
Michelle
General News and Announcements
Department Marks Meeting
The resolution of S2 marks will happen Tuesday, December 1st in the Biology tea room (E8A 280) from 2-3PM. This is a formal department meeting and all staff are required to attend. If you are unable to attend please send your apologies to Anne Marie. Please see the minutes of the previous formal department meeting of 01/07/2015 here.
official photo of marking at Hogwarts
End of the year – it’s PDR time!
Yes it’s the time of the year when you get to sit back and reflect on your great achievements throughout the year. After reflecting, why not log in to your 2015 PDR and quickly complete it for year’s end? You can log on to Talent at https://talent.mq.edu.au. Your supervisor will then be able to sign off electronically and you can relax and enjoy your holidays!
Bugs Wanted
Two bug-related requests:
1. A request for your citrus bugs. No doubt if you have citrus plants in your yard you are being visited by the bronze orange citrus bugs at the moment. If so I am interested and would love to come and visit your citrus plant. Science can be done in your backyard and in return we will remove the little beasties. If you have relatives or friends in northern or southern NSW faced with the same problem I would really really like to speak with you!
2. If you have legumes in your garden I would also like to visit with the aim of trying to find some brown bean bugs (aka pod sucking bugs) which are out and about at the moment – potentially munching on your beloved seed pods. These bugs may not be obvious and so you may not know they are there.
Just contact me via matthew.bulbert@mq.edu.au
2014 Annual Report
Our 2014 Annual Report is now available! Check out the full PDF here.
Temporary Office Relocations
Due to the E8C Level 2 lab renovations, some of us have temporarily moved offices to the EMC2 building on Innovation Road. As a consequence there will be fewer people whose names start with ‘R’ in the building until March/April next year.
Robert Lanfear – G231
Rachael Dudaniec – G232
Renee Catullo – G233
Changing from Gmail to Outlook & Office 365
The D-day approaches for the move to Outlook and the Office 365 suite of products (Monday 14 December). Don’t get caught out – make sure you go to one of the training sessions or at least have a look at the info on the wiki.
Keep up-to-date: Support, training and FAQs
How to Update Your Staff Page
Here is a handy guide from Ray on how to update your staff pages. Remember that as a scientist your professional reputation and being contactable/recognisable at Macquarie is important. Please update your staff entry with a recent picture and what you’ve been doing.
Also, as you know there have been a lot of changes to the MQU website lately and there are more to come. If you have questions or feedback get in touch with Ray Duell <ray.duell@mq.edu.au>.
Photos
As the holidays approach and we’re all out at events taking lots of photos don’t forget there are prizes to be won for sharing your photos with the Department. Just drop an email to Biology Department Photos <fse.bio-photo@mq.edu.au> to be in the draw.
Please Don’t Leave Dishes in the Sink
Please make sure you wash AND put away the dishes you use.
Travel Scholarships
The National Adaptation Network for Natural Ecosystems is offering four travel scholarships valued at $500 for students, early career researchers or practitioners to attend conference events in 2016.
Each $500 travel scholarship can contribute towards:
• Conference registration fees
• Expenses associated with domestic travel (eg. airfare, transport and accommodation).
Scholarships are open to network members currently enrolled in full time or part time post-graduate study or working in an environment related field. Travel must be relevant to the aims of the network and applicable to biodiversity/natural ecosystems and climate change adaptation. Successful applicants will be asked to develop a short article for the Network newsletter within 1 month of returning from the conference.
To apply, please submit an application form by Monday 4 January 2016.
People’s Climate March
Will you join us for the People’s Climate March? Our anthem for climate action and hope ‘You’re the Voice’ will be performed LIVE on stage for the first time ever at the Sydney march this Sunday, 29th November between 1 and 2 pm! See here for more information.
Volunteer with Pint of Science in 2016
Are you interested in sharing science with the public? Do you enjoy relaxing with friends at the pub? If the answer to both is YES, then Pint of Science Australia is for you!
Pint of Science is an international festival that aims to showcase the amazing research of local scientists to the general public in the relaxed venue of the local pub. In 2015, the Pint of Science Australia festival expanded to include Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane, hosting fantastic events over 3 nights.
For 2016 – we want to expand even more to include more themes and even more cities across Australia – and we need you!
Events in 2016 will take place from 23-25 May, and will incorporate the following themes: Beautiful Mind (neurosciences), Atoms to Galaxies (physics, chemistry) Our Body (life sciences) Planet Earth (ecology, biology, geosciences) and Tech MeOut (engineering, computer science, mathematics).
We are looking for volunteers for various roles: city coordinators, team coordinators, social media reps and fundraisers. Each team will source out a venue, speakers and activities for the night.
This is an incredible opportunity to be a part of our ever growing festival so if you are interested in getting involved, please register your interest here or email contact@pintofscience.com.au with what you’re keen to do, tell us a little bit about yourself and how we can best reach you.
Plat of the Week: Trochocarpa montana
from Antarctic Beech forests of north-eastern NSW, brought to you by Roger Hiller and Wade Tozer
Bonus Plant of the Week: Flannel Flower – Actinotus helianthi
brought to you by Leanne Armand and Nicole Vella
Bear Cull in Florida
Springer Protocols Product Review
The library have another product being reviewed that requires the Department’s input. The Springer Protocols content is now being reviewed prior to the end of its current licencing contract. As part of the evaluation we would like to know why and how the Department uses this products and if there is any other content or platform that could replace this product that you may know of for your purposes.
- who uses Springer Protocols?
- why or in what context do they use Springer Protocols?
- would they be able to use any other product/resource to achieve a similar objetive? and
- do they know of any other product on the market (other than Springer Protocols) that could achieve a similar function?
Please send your responses to Jo Hardy <jo.hardy@mq.edu.au>.
New Publications
Becoming less tolerant with age: sugar maple, shade, and ontogeny
Sendall, K. M., C. H. Lusk, and P. B. Reich. 2015. Becoming less tolerant with age: sugar maple, shade, and ontogeny. Oecologia 179:1011-1021. | Find with Google Scholar »Not all sawsharks are equal: species of co-existing sawsharks show plasticity in trophic consumption both within and between species
Raoult, V., T. F. Gaston, and J. E. Williamson. 2015. Not all sawsharks are equal: species of co-existing sawsharks show plasticity in trophic consumption both within and between species. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 72:1769-1775. | Find with Google Scholar »The modelling and assessment of whale-watching impacts
New, L. F., A. J. Hall, R. Harcourt, G. Kaufman, E. C. M. Parsons, H. C. Pearson, A. M. Cosentino, and R. S. Schick. 2015. The modelling and assessment of whale-watching impacts. Ocean & Coastal Management 115:10-16. | Find with Google Scholar »Ecological effects of extreme climatic events on riverine ecosystems: insights from Australia
Leigh, C., A. Bush, E. T. Harrison, S. S. Ho, L. Luke, R. J. Rolls, and M. E. Ledger. 2015. Ecological effects of extreme climatic events on riverine ecosystems: insights from Australia. Freshwater Biology 60:2620-2638. | Find with Google Scholar »Heterogeneous flows foster heterogeneous assemblages: relationships between functional diversity and hydrological heterogeneity in riparian plant communities
Lawson, J. R., K. A. Fryirs, T. Lenz, and M. R. Leishman. 2015. Heterogeneous flows foster heterogeneous assemblages: relationships between functional diversity and hydrological heterogeneity in riparian plant communities. Freshwater Biology 60:2208-2225. | Find with Google Scholar »Phenology Spring greening in a warming world
Keenan, T. F. 2015. Phenology Spring greening in a warming world. Nature 526:48-49. | Find with Google Scholar »Genomic approaches to selection in outcrossing perennials: focus on essential oil crops
Kainer, D., R. Lanfear, W. J. Foley, and C. Kuelheim. 2015. Genomic approaches to selection in outcrossing perennials: focus on essential oil crops. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 128:2351-2365. | Find with Google Scholar »Burn or rot: leaf traits explain why flammability and decomposability are decoupled across species
Grootemaat, S., I. J. Wright, P. M. van Bodegom, J. H. C. Cornelissen, and W. K. Cornwell. 2015. Burn or rot: leaf traits explain why flammability and decomposability are decoupled across species. Functional Ecology 29:1486-1497. | Find with Google Scholar »Cultural traditions across a migratory network shape the genetic structure of southern right whales around Australia and New Zealand
Carroll, E. L., C. S. Baker, M. Watson, R. Alderman, J. Bannister, O. E. Gaggiotti, D. R. Groecke, N. Patenaude, and R. Harcourt. 2015. Cultural traditions across a migratory network shape the genetic structure of southern right whales around Australia and New Zealand. Scientific Reports 5. | Find with Google Scholar »Paradiopatra Ehlers, 1887 (Annelida: Onuphidae) from southwestern Europe with the description of a new species and new ultramorphological data for the genus
Arias, A., and H. Paxton. 2015. Paradiopatra Ehlers, 1887 (Annelida: Onuphidae) from southwestern Europe with the description of a new species and new ultramorphological data for the genus. Zootaxa 4040:149-168. | Find with Google Scholar »A more precise speciation and extinction rate estimator
Alroy, J. 2015. A more precise speciation and extinction rate estimator. Paleobiology 41:633-639. | Find with Google Scholar »Elevated carbon dioxide is predicted to promote coexistence among competing species in a trait-based model
Ali, A. A., B. E. Medlyn, T. G. Aubier, K. Y. Crous, and P. B. Reich. 2015. Elevated carbon dioxide is predicted to promote coexistence among competing species in a trait-based model. Ecology and Evolution 5:4717-4733. | Find with Google Scholar »Migrating humpback whales show no detectable response to whale alarms off Sydney, Australia
V Pirotta· D Slip · ID Jonsen · VM Peddemors · DH Cato · G Ross · R Harcourt. 2015. Migrating humpback whales show no detectable response to whale alarms off Sydney, Australia.· Endangered Species Research. | Find with Google Scholar »Dealing with uncertainty in landscape genetic resistance models: a case of three co-occurring marsupials
Dudaniec, R. Y., Worthington Wilmer, J., Hanson, J. O., Warren, M., Bell, S. and Rhodes, J. R. 2015. Dealing with uncertainty in landscape genetic resistance models: a case of three co-occurring marsupials. Molecular Ecology. doi:10.1111/mec.13482 | Find with Google Scholar »In the Media
Rob Harcourt was interviewed on ABC Radio National’s The World Today on the latest moves by the NSW Government to control the shark population on the coast line, including the installation of drum lines.
Read more »
Siobhan Dennison was interviewed on 2SER’s Breakfast program on different types of eyes in the animal kingdom
Read more »
Recent Completions
PhD – Saskia Grootemaat: Plant traits and their effects on fire and decomposition
Supervised by Ian Wright