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The Australian Science Communicators are hosting the conference in collaboration with the World Federation of Science Journalists. |
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See Australia - site visits and toursWhy not take a few days either side of the conference to see a bit of the country? Take advantage of the Easter break and see some sites, meet some scientists. Listed here are some of the science sites around Australia, as well as a few tours which are being offered by science organisations. For all sites we have provided, where possible, a weblink and a contact person. Please contact the sites directly to arrange your visit. Organised tours - from 2 hours to 2 and 5 day tours on offerDefence Science and Technology Organisation (Melbourne) - Friday 20th April, 10am-12noonThe Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) is the Australian government's lead agency charged with applying science and technology to protect and defend Australia and its national interests. It delivers expert, impartial advice and innovative solutions for Defence and other elements of national security. DSTO Melbourne is the centre of expertise in technologies underpinning the concept development, maintenance and operation of military platforms for air and maritime environments. It also makes a significant contribution to land platforms and is a valuable source of expertise in relation to human sciences (such as physiology, psychology and nutrition) aimed at optimising the performance of Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel. It is also the centre for DSTO's chemical and biological warfare defence program. We are pleased to offer journalists from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America the opportunity to participate in a guided tour of the Fishermans Bend facilities. During the tour you will hear from renowned scientists and see first-hand some of the projects currently underway. The tour will include: An overview of DSTO; Tour numbers are strictly limited to a minimum of 10 and maximum of 20 conference delegates. Delegates will need to register by COB Monday 16 April and complete a security clearance form. Please note tour will not run if less than 10 delegates nominate.
Tour will commence and conclude at 506 Lorimer Street Fishermans Bend,
Melbourne
Contact: Australia's High Country: its people and their environment - 2 day tour: Monday and Tuesday 23-24 April
Join the director of the Institute, Professor Allan Curtis and leading scientists, on a two day tour which takes in Australia's spectacular Alpine environment at Falls Creek; Victoria's gold-mining towns of Beechworth and Yackandandah; Lake Hume, a major water storage for the Murray Darling Basin; an Indigenous "meeting place" on the banks of the Murray River, Mungabareena; the birdlife at Wonga Wetlands just out of Albury; Australia's native animals at night; and the University's unique ecologically sustainable campus at Thurgoona. As you visit these sites, scientists will give you an account of important research that the Institute is involved in including: The tour includes an afternoon seminar with 10 minuted presentations by the Institute's key researchers Dr David Roshier, Prof Nick Klomp; Dr Robyn Watts; Dr Ian Lunt; Dr David Watson and Prof Allan Curtis.
Day
One:
Day
Two: There will be a cost associated with this tour. For more information, please contact Margrit or Wes.
Australian Observatories - 5 day tour: Tuesday-Saturday 24-28 AprilTo book this tour, contact the Institute directly. There is a cost involved. Astronomy is one of Australia's strongest sciences. Join us to visit Australia's major optical observing site, at Siding Spring near Coonabarabran in New South Wales, and its two largest radio observatories, near the towns of Parkes and Narrabri. You'll be guided on this tour by an astronomer who has worked at these locations. Along the way we'll have a chance to sample the wines of central New South Wales and the Hunter Valley. This tour is limited to ten participants. Day 1: Leaving Sydney, we head west across the Blue Mountains, stopping at a scenic spot for morning tea. Lunch will be in the Central West town of Orange. We continue on to Parkes, where we'll visit the Parkes radio telescope for dinner and star-gazing (weather permitting). Then we'll stay overnight in the town of Parkes. Day 2: We tour the Parkes telescope in the morning, before heading up the road to Coonabarabran, stopping at a Dubbo vineyard for lunch. After checking in at our Coonabarabran motel we make a night-time visit to Siding Spring Observatory for a tour of one of the telescopes. Day 3: This morning we return to the observatory for a more extensive tour. After lunch we visit a nearby National Park, then head up the road to Narrabri. Day 4: A morning tour of the Australia Telescope Compact Array is followed by a barbecue lunch on site. We then head down the Hunter Valley, stopping in Cessnock overnight. Day 5: We visit a couple of wineries in the morning to do some wine-tasting. After lunch it's back on the bus and we're off to Sydney. Contact: Helen Sim Media liaison and public relations CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility and Anglo-Australian Observatory Ph: +61 2 9372 4251; M: +61 419 635 905 National Measurement Institute - Tuesday 24th April, 10am-1pmMarvel at the roundest object in the world ever. Watch the sparks fly in our high voltage laboratory. Be amazed at how sensitively we can detect tiny amounts of unwanted substances - from drugs in the urine of elite athletes to genetically modified organisms. These are just a few examples of the wide range of expertise at the National Measurement Institute (NMI) where we maintain Australia's standards for measurement. Talk to us about:
You'll be surprised at how everything depends on how well we can measure! Come for an eye-opening tour of some of the laboratories of NMI and see the measurement work that underlies many of the things that we take for granted in our every day lives. Sydney Tuesday 24th April 2007 10 am - 1 pm Contact: Yen Heng Communications Manager National Measurement Institute PO Box 264, Lindfield NSW 2070 Ph: +61 2 8467 3771; F: +61 2 8467 3756 M: 0418 616 118 Outback Alive - Field Day with a Research Edge, 27 April 2007
Beltana and Parachilna, neighbouring communities in the northern Flinders Ranges, are inviting visitors to celebrate Outback Alive at the Beltana Racecourse on 27 April. The event is an opportunity to experience the warm hospitality of outback Australia and to find out how remote communities can build strong futures. "Outback Alive is a field day with a difference," says Jan Ferguson, Managing Director of the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). "Research plays a big part in shaping the future of desert communities. Our nationwide research network has partnered with Outback Alive to present some exciting innovations," she says. "Our 21st Century Pastoralism project, for example, is coming up with some high-tech solutions that will save pastoralists time and money. We'll show an ingenious Walk over Weighing system for cattle and clever telemetry that can boost their bottom-line by cutting down on labour and fuel. Our WaterSmart project will present more efficient ways to manage water." She says researchers from the Sheep and Beef CRCs will join their colleagues from the Desert Knowledge CRC to demonstrate how they can beat the drought by managing their stock more effectively. The Desert Knowledge CRC will also show how its bush products research is strengthening the growing desert bush tucker industry and demonstrate a sturdy fire trailer custom made for remote communities. Outback Alive is a unique chance for tourism operators, pastoralists, equipment suppliers bush food growers and processors to explore with researchers how they can work together to make desert communities more sustainable. In the lead-up to Outback Alive the Desert Knowledge CRC will hold its quarterly research meeting at nearby Iga Warta, one of Australia's most successful Aboriginal-owned tourism businesses. "It's a great opportunity for research leaders from around Australia to experience local Adnyamathanha culture up close," says Ms Ferguson. "They are very keen to hear from local people what difference their work could make to northern South Australia. " A Taste of the Outback banquet at Parachilna's award winning Prairie Hotel will tempt food lovers with a delicious blend of traditional Aboriginal bush tucker and "Flinders Feral Foods" on the evening of April 27. The mouth-watering tastes of the Australian desert will add a bush flavour to prime meats courtesy of the Beef and Sheep CRCs. Media Contacts:
www.desertknowledgecrc.com.au Site visits:By State:
By field of interest:
CRCs - The Cooperative Research Centres AssociationThe Cooperative Research Centres Association has as its members all the Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) in Australia. The CRCs cover six industry sectors - Manufacturing technology, ICT, Mining & Energy, Agriculture and Rural-based manufacturing, the Environment and Medical Science & Technology. There are currently 57 CRCs in operation and they are spread right across Australia. To arrange visits it is best if contact is made directly with a particular CRC; contact details can be found in the section "CRCA members" on the CRC Association's web site www.crca.asn.au
VictoriaAustralian Animal Health Laboratory - happy and healthy animals: livestock management and infectious animal disease diagnosis and controlCSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) is a national centre of excellence in disease diagnosis, research and policy advice in animal health. It is a major facility of CSIRO Livestock Industries and plays a vital role in maintaining the health of Australia's livestock, aquaculture species and wildlife. AAHL celebrated 21 years of operation in 2006, the secure laboratory having been officially opened on 1 April 1985. Australian Animal Health Laboratory, 5 Portarlington Rd East Geelong VIC 3219 Australia Lisa Palu Manager, Public Affairs & Communication CSIRO Livestock Industries Bushfire Site Visit (Brisbane Ranges and Anakie) - fire and the Australian bush: a love hate relationshipVisit Anakie and the Brisbane Ranges National Park, which were badly burnt by bushfire early in 2006. Walk amongst Australian bushland with scientists talking about the research into prevention and suppression of bushfire, preparation of home owners, and regeneration of the bushland post-fire. Climate change, drought, conservation priorities, land management, urban growth, community emergency education, animals, insects, will also be discussed in relation to this.
David Bruce www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=7 CSIRO Aspendale - atmospheric and climate researchCSIRO's Aspendale laboratories undertake research into the atmospheric environment, including atmospheric pollution and the prediction of climate, weather and ocean processes. It houses about 150 staff with expertise in understanding modelling, monitoring and predicting changes in the atmospheric environment and climate system. Research facilities include the Cape Grim air archive, an ice analysis laboratory, a gas analysis laboratory and a wind tunnel. Additional research tools include a range of computer-based climate and atmosphere models, and atmospheric monitoring instruments. Areas of research include focusing on policies, actions and methodologies for the responsible use of the atmosphere, understanding and predicting climate change impacts, and climate processes and model development. Location: CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research - 107 - 121 Station Street, Aspendale VIC 3195 Australia www.csiro.au/csiro/content/standard/ps14d,,.html
CSIRO Enquiries *local call within Australia CSIRO Clayton - tissue engineering and medical textiles; wood products and composites; mining and minerals; better fuel cells and more...CSIRO is Australia's largest scientific research agency. Located adjacent to Monash University and the Australian Synchrotron, CSIRO's Clayton site is part of a growing research hub. Clayton is a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria and is about 25 km southeast of Melbourne city. More than 1000 staff members work at Clayton on projects designed to benefit the community and industries. Location: CSIRO Minerals - Clayton Bayview Avenue Clayton VIC 3168 Australia Box 312 Clayton South VIC 3169 Australia www.csiro.au/csiro/content/standard/psl3,,.html
CSIRO Enquiries *local call within Australia Howard Florey Institute - Australia's brain research institute: thinking about the brainThe Florey is Australia's largest brain research institute. Its scientists are working towards better treatments for brain and mind disorders. The Florey is now part of bold ambition to establish one of world's top 10 neuroscience centres in Melbourne. The Florey is amalgamating with the Brain Research Institute and National Stroke Research Institute to become Florey Neuroscience Institutes (FNI). The Mental Health Research Institute will also co-locate with the FNI and new facilities will be built at the University of Melbourne and at the Austin Hospital. This united effort will result in a critical mass of skilled researchers from different disciplines focused exclusively on the brain, which will accelerate discoveries to benefit those affected directly and indirectly by brain disorders in Australia and around the world. Some areas in which the Florey's scientists currently work include: For more information about the Howard Florey Institute visit www.florey.edu.au
Merrin Rafferty
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research: studying the immune systemThe work of the Institute covers cancer, genetics, malaria, autoimmune diseases, medicinal chemistry, drug discovery and translational research taking scientific discoveries from the laboratory to the clinic. The WEHI Biotechnology Centre, located in the La Trobe University R&D Park, provides laboratories for the commercial incubation of the Institute's discoveries, including the establishment of start-up biotechnology companies. The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research is located in Parkville, just north of Melbourne's CBD.
Brad Allan Living Cell Technologies Ltd (LCT) - Targeting Type 1 diabetes with xeno cell transplantsLiving Cell Technologies is an ASX listed advanced biotechnology company with a focus on market-driven encapsulated natural porcine cell transplants, for the treatment of type I diabetes and neurological disorders. LCT implants healthy cells to replace or repair damaged organs without the use of toxic drugs. LCT's main competitive advantage, apart from their unique biocapsule technology, is the source of biocertified cells - from a highly isolated Australasian pig herd located on the Auckland Islands south of New Zealand. With its corporate head office and its scientific panel based in Melbourne , Australia , LCT was formed in 1987 to research cell extraction and to develop procedures for advanced living-cell replacement therapies.
Melbourne Museum - DNA fingerprinting owls, the march of the crabs and other research programsExplore a rainforest. See Phar Lap. Touch a dinosaur bone. Walk onto a set of the TV show Neighbours. Live a lifetime in no time at all at Melbourne's award-winning museum. 11 Nicholson St Carlton, Victoria Open 10am-5pm daily www.melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au/ The Australian SynchrotronThe Australian Synchrotron will open in 2007. It will be a 3GeV third-generation synchrotron. Monash Centre for Synchrotron Science - better beams for breast cancer screening, protein crystal structure analysis and much more...The Monash Centre for Synchrotron Science was created to encourage and promote cross-faculty and interdepartmental research programs in synchrotron-related fields at Monash University.
Phillip Island Nature Park's Research Centre - studying Little Penguins, seals, seabirds, koalas in the ecosystem of Phillip Island.Phillip Island Nature Parks is an award-winning, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to international excellence in nature conservation and ecotourism. Welcome to the world-famous Penguin Parade, Australia's most popular natural wildlife attraction. Each night at sunset, the world's smallest penguins, the Little Penguins, emerge from the sea and waddle ashore to their sand dune burrows. This is a truly memorable natural wildlife experience.
Sally O'Neill Royal Botanic Gardens, MelbourneCranbourne Gardens - conserving native orchids and other threatened speciesThe Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, a division of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, is one of Victoria's most precious areas of native bushland and offers nature-lovers the chance to explore 363 hectares of untouched heath lands, wetlands and woodlands. These expansive natural gardens are also home to thriving bird and animal life, including several rare and endangered species. As the key scientific institution within Victoria focusing on the documentation of plant biodiversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens is an invaluable resource, underpinning plant science research and conservation throughout Victoria and significantly contributing to the management of the state's natural resources. Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne 1000 Ballarat Road (a 50 minute drive from Melbourne (via the South Gippsland Highway)). Cranbourne 3977
Eleanor Bridger 9am - 5pm daily www.rbg.vic.gov.au/rbg_cranbourne ScienceWorks - hands-on science for all ages: push it, pull it, spin it, bang it!Through hands-on exhibits, live demonstrations, tours, activities and shows, you'll find science has never been quite this much fun. You can have fun exploring the mysteries of science and technology. It's a great value day out for curious minds and active bodies.
10:00am - 4:30pm daily scienceworks.museum.vic.gov.au/ Zoo Victoria
Jill Rischbieth Melbourne Zoo - conservation programs in Australia and across the Pacific.Elliott Avenue, Parkville, VIC 3052 Healesville Sanctuary - native fauna and a platypus breeding program.Badger Creek Road, Healesville, VIC 3777 Australian Capital TerritoryAustralian Academy of ScienceThe Australian Academy of Science is a private organisation of Australia's leading scientists. It recognises research excellence, advises government, organises scientific conferences, publishes scientific books and journals, conducts international scientific relations, and fosters science education and public awareness of science and technology.
Australian National University - putting native compounds to good use; better treatments for aging brains; solving genetic mysteries with kangaroo and platypus genomes and insights into bee vision - just a taste of some of the research being done at the ANUThe Australian National University commands a magnificent position between lake and mountain in the centre of the nation's capital, Canberra. ANU is one of the world's foremost research universities and attracts leading academics and outstanding students from Australia and across the world.
Media Office http://info.anu.edu.au/mac/media Australian Institute of Sport - applied research centre improving athlete monitoring and performanceThe Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) leads the development of elite sport and is widely acknowledged in Australia and internationally as a world best practice model for elite athlete development. The AIS is a pre-eminent elite sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services.
Peter Logue
www.ausport.gov.au CAMBIA - life science for a better world: research and innovations, more patent transparency and seeking solutions for disadvantaged communities
CAMBIA is an international, independent, non-profit research institute. For more
than a decade, CAMBIA has been creating new enabling tools to foster innovation
and a spirit of collaboration in the life sciences. In Spanish and Italian,
CAMBIA means "change". This meaning is at the very heart of CAMBIA's mission.
www.bios.net/daisy/cambia/home.html CRC AssociationCSIRO Black Mountain - plant biotechnology, wheat breeding, insects and observing earth from spaceCSIRO is Australia's largest scientific research agency. Four of its research divisions are located at its Black Mountain laboratories in Canberra: CSIRO Plant Industry, CSIRO Entomology, CSIRO Land and Water and CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research. The site has extensive facilities to cater to a range of insect, plant, atmospheric, agronomic, land and water science. The site houses the National Insect Collection, the National Herbarium and CSIRO Discovery, an exhibition and education centre showcasing CSIRO's achievements. CSIRO Discovery is open to the public daily. Tours of the site and an opportunity to meet scientists are available for special interest groups.
Jane Kahler
www.csiro.au/plantindustry
CSIRO Gungahlin - historic buildings, sustainable agriculture, vertebrate pest control and the Australian National Wildlife CollectionCSIRO's historic Gungahlin Homestead serves as the head office for CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems and has offices for CSIRO Complex Systems Science and Environment ACT. The primary research focus at Gungahlin includes environment, sustainability and natural resource management science. The research encompasses conservation biology, ecology, biodiversity, systems modelling, natural resource management and agricultural systems. The site also houses the Australian National Wildlife Collection. Gungahlin Homestead Bellenden Street Crace ACT 2911 Australia
Ph:
1300 363 400*
www.csiro.au/csiro/content/standard/ps17k,,.html DFAT - Department of Foreign Affairs and TradeThe department's aim is to advance the interests of Australia and Australians internationally. R.G. Casey Building, John McEwen Crescent, Barton, ACT, 0221 Australia
Ph: +61 2 6261 1111
New South WalesAustralia Telescope National Facility - understanding the universeThe Australia Telescope National Facility is a division of CSIRO that operates and develops the Australia Telescope as a national research facility—that is, a facility that can be used by researchers from institutions around Australia and all over the world. The Australia Telescope is made up of radio telescopes at three observatories, near the towns of Parkes, Coonabarabran and Narrabri in New South Wales. These comprise a set of six 22-metre diameter dishes near Narrabri, called the Australia Telescope Compact Array (where the dishes work together as one telescope); a single 22-metre dish near Coonabarabran, known as the Mopra telescope; and the 64-metre Parkes telescope (affectionately known as "The Dish" and featured in the movie of the same name) near the town of Parkes. CSIRO is also applying its skills in radio astronomy technology to the development of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will be the world's largest and most powerful radio telescope.
Helen Sim www.csiro.au/csiro/content/standard/psqb,,.html IPS Radio & Space Services - monitoring space-weather and its impact on the earthIn December 2006 a series of massive solar flares disrupted long range radio communications and GPS navigation on earth and required protective measures be taken by power grid operators. These events are not rare."Ionospheric Prediction Service (IPS)"The Australian Government IPS Radio & Space Services operates the Australian Space Weather Agency which monitors solar activity and the resultant effects on the earth. IPS provides forecasts, alerts and warnings of imminent space weather effects to Australasia and the world as well as software for radio management, space weather data and advice. Groups that rely on our services include defence, emergency services, airlines, satellite operators, geophysical and mining industries and amateur radio enthusiasts. Support is also provided for regional and global research into the space environment. The skies of the Australian outback offer ideal viewing conditions for solar observatories. IPS operates an extensive network of solar observatories and atmospheric monitoring stations within Australia, PNG, the Pacific and Antarctica to gather information on the solar-terrestrial environment. IPS exchanges this information with similar organisations worldwide.
Dr Andrew McDonald CSIRO Information and Communication Technologies Centre - building the future now
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are not only becoming
fundamental to our home, work and leisure activities; they are also increasingly
essential to the advancement of science. CSIRO is developing key technologies
for the future in wireless communications, networking, robotics, information
engineering, and many related fields. They are applying these to solve problems
and improve outcomes in health, mining, telecommunications, the environment,
agribusiness and more. At the ICT Showcase at the Centre's head office in
Sydney, you will see demonstrations of many of these technologies and meet with
the innovators behind them. Mungo National Park - 40,000 years of continuous human occupation.
In 1981 the Willandra Lakes Region was inscribed on the World Heritage list
for outstanding natural and cultural universal values. The Willandra Lakes,
especially Lake Mungo, record more than 40,000 years of climate and landscape
change. Aboriginal people lived around the lakes throughout this time leaving a
near continuous record of their life in this changing landscape. The largest
fossil track way in the world was discovered at Mungo National Park. The
footprints, which are now completely covered over, have been dated to around
20,000 years old. Today, three
Traditional Tribal Groups look after the landscape and archaeological treasures
of the World Heritage Area, in partnership with pastoralists, scientists and government.
110 km from Mildura/Buronga: from Mildura, cross the bridge to Buronga and follow the Silver City Highway towards Broken Hill. As you leave Buronga you'll see Arumpo Road with a sign indicating Mungo National Park. Follow this road to its end. Road quality: unpaved sections.
www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/parks.nsf/ParkContent/N0049?Opendocument&ParkKey=N0049&Type=xo National Measurement Institute - measurements from nano to sports drugs (Tour - 24 April)Marvel at the roundest object in the world ever. Watch the sparks fly in our high voltage laboratory. Be amazed at how sensitively we can detect tiny amounts of unwanted substances - from drugs in the urine of elite athletes to genetically modified organisms. These are just a few examples of the wide range of expertise at the National Measurement Institute (NMI) where we maintain Australia's standards for measurement. Talk to us about:
You'll be surprised at how everything depends on how well we can measure! Come for an eye-opening tour of some of the laboratories of NMI and see the measurement work that underlies many of the things that we take for granted in our every day lives. Sydney Tuesday 24th April 2007 10 am - 1 pm
Contact: Yen Heng Communications Manager National Measurement Institute PO Box 264, Lindfield NSW 2070 Ph: +61 2 8467 3771; F: +61 2 8467 3756 M: 0418 616 118 Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour - marine science, whale research, plant geneticsSouthern Cross University is a leader in the fields of plant conservation genetics, cetacean research and marine science. The Lismore campus, in northern NSW and just 30 minutes from Byron Bay, is home to the Centre for Plant Conservation Genetics and the Australian Plant DNA Bank. It is also home to the Southern Cross University Whale Research Centre. The National Marine Science Centre is located at Coffs Harbour, two hours south of Lismore.
The Centre for Coral Reef Research - coral reef ecology, reproduction and effects of pollutionThe Centre for Coral Reef Research (CCRR) is a leader in research on subtropical and tropical coral reef ecosystems and their management. CCRR conducts research into coral reef ecology, reproduction, pollution effects on corals, coral bleaching, ecotoxicology and management and planning for conservation and marine protected areas. Research projects include: studies on mass coral spawning along the Great Barrier Reef; impacts of coral bleaching and temperature stress on tropical and subtropical reef coral communities; effects of natural and pollution stressors including oil pollution, oil dispersants, nutrients, trace metals, temperature and low salinity on coral reproductive success; coral larval settlement patterns and dispersal potential of coral larvae; effects of nutrient enrichment on coral tissues and growth responses; and long-term monitoring of the status of tropical and subtropical coral reefs. The CCRR works overseas with: Caribbean Reef Research Centre; United Nations, Kuwait; University of Perpignan, France; and has a major research project based at Moorea, French Polynesia. In Australia, it works with: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority; Museum of Tropical Queensland; other government agencies and Australian universities.
Dr Peter Harrison National Marine Science Centre (Coffs Harbour) - corals, whales, sea anemones and wetlandsThe National Marine Science Centre (NMSC), jointly developed and managed by Southern Cross University and the University of New England, is situated within the 71,100 hectare Solitary Islands Marine Park - a thriving and diverse marine habitat, home to over 280 species of fish, four species of turtle, 90 species of coral and large numbers of temperate and tropical marine invertebrates. The NMSC features its own aquarium, boat and scuba area, experimental aquaculture facility and research vessel. It has significant research capabilities in biodiversity of marine and estuarine habitats, patterns and biological processes in marine communities, and human-induced impacts on marine systems. Staff at the NMSC also undertake research in other marine environments, including the Indo-Pacific and Australia's subantarctic regions. School of Environmental Science & Management, Southern Cross University, Military Road Lismore NSW 2480 AUSTRALIA
Dr Peter Harrison www.scu.edu.au/schools/esm/index.php?page_id=59&menu=13_81 Southern Cross University Whale Research Centre (Lismore) - monitoring humpback whale population, genetic researchThe Southern Cross University Whale Research Centre (SCUWRC) was established in 2001 to undertake research into cetacean (whales and dolphins) populations in the Southern Hemisphere for the purpose of contributing to their conservation. Researchers, led by the Centre director Associate Professor Peter Harrison, are currently developing cutting-edge DNA research techniques to age whales. It will provide a model for determining the age structure of humpback whale populations in Australia and overseas using innovative non-lethal ageing techniques. In 2004 the Centre obtained the first known DNA samples of Migaloo, the world's only known white whale, and confirmed he was a male. The Centre is involved in numerous national and international research projects and has links with organisations such as the South Pacific Whale Research Consortium and The Oceania Project.
Dr Peter Harrison
www.scu.edu.au/research/whales/index.html
Centre for Plant Conservation Genetics (Lismore) - maintaining plant gene banks, analysing plant diversity and creating new plant traitsThe Centre for Plant Conservation Genetics (CPCG) at Southern Cross University is a world leading centre in the application of molecular methods to the analysis and manipulation of plant genomes for agriculture, forestry and food production. The CPCG has advanced facilities for high through-put plant DNA analysis including automated DNA extraction, seque | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
