Current activities
These are the projects the team is currently involved with.
Adaptation Pathways – working with people and species for long-term success
Adaptation pathways for threatened, endangered, and protected species are strategies aimed at improving the resilience and survival of species facing environmental changes, habitat loss, and other threats. These pathways involve a combination of management actions, policy interventions, and scientific research that evolve over time in response to new information and changing conditions.
- Flatback Futures (2018-2023) – Mapping outcomes and developing adaptation pathways for the NWSFTCP
- Developing adaptation pathways for albatross (2018-present)
Management Strategy Evaluation – Testing with model species Little Penguins
The TEPS project has a focus on developing monitoring tools and modelling approaches for seabird populations.
As part of these activities, the project has compiled data on dog attacks on penguin colonies and modelled their effect on viability of populations. More details are available here:
- Modelling dog attacks on Little Penguin Factsheet
- Blamey, L. K., C. M. Bulman, G. N. Tuck, E. J. Woehler, P. F. Marker and T. A. Patterson (2024). “Evaluating risks to seabirds on the urban–coastal interface: Modelling dog attacks on little penguin populations in Tasmania.” Aquatic Conservation: Marine And Freshwater Ecosystems: DOI: 10.1002/aqc.4113.
Testing adaptation options in response to climate change
In partnership with managers working for the Tasmanian conservation agency (DPIPWE), the TEPS project is developing and testing adaptation options to help the vulnerable Shy Albatross cope with climate change. The CSIRO Remote Autonomous Gigapixel System (CRAGS) is being used to collect data on how effective the adaption options are.
Integrated Conservation Strategies for Endangered species – Handfish
The TEPS project helps support the safeguarding of the critically endangered Spotted Handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus) by monitoring & habitat restoration. Our approach seeks to provide integrated assessment of the intervention outcomes.
Human – wildlife interactions in crowded coasts
Wildlife populations are expanding and shifting in response to environmental change and human-altered landscapes. Together with increased urbanisation, this is leading to growing conflict at the human-wildlife interface, with impacts on public safety, food security, infrastructure, and wildlife welfare.
Our research is developing and trialling innovative wildlife deterrent technologies to manage and minimise harmful interactions between native protected species and human industries and infrastructure.
Population estimation for difficult species: sharks & sawfish
CSIRO has been leading population research into various sharks and ray populations in Australian waters. Much of this is focused on the use of close kin mark recapture to estimate population sizes. We are also conducting research into eDNA approaches to detect these species and using satellite tagging to estimate post-release survival rates after entanglement in fishing gears.
The following links detail projects being lead in CSIRO Environment.
White shark
Grey nurse shark
Sawfish
- NESP Project 1.25 – Sawfish bycatch reporting in northern Australian fisheries
- Conservation hope for sawfish population (video)
- FRDC – Peeking into the secret lives of Sawfish
River sharks
- Rapid assessment of adult abundance and demographic connectivity from juvenile kin pairs in a critically endangered species
- Bycatch of a Critically Endangered Shark Glyphis glyphis in a Crab Pot Fishery: Implications for Management
Ecosystem monitoring with Artificial Intelligence
Marine Visual Technologies (MVT) are at the forefront of developing AIML technologies for monitoring the impacts of offshore activities on Threatened Endangered and Protected Species (TEPS).
Ningaloo Outlook