Blog archive:
AMRI

Australia is richly endowed with earthworm biodiversity, but of the 750 or so named species of earthworm in Australia, very few have been found in arid environments. The Broken Hill earthworm, a new genus and species, was a serendipitous find in an unexpected location. Find out more at the AM!

2021 was an unprecedented year for many: despite COVID-19 disruptions and restrictions, AMRI scientists discovered an unprecedented number of species, published at a new record, carried out fieldwork, and engaged with the public in our citizen science programs.

Each month, a selected blog from Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation (LIRRF) is featured at the AM. LIRRF supports scientific research & education at the AM’s Lizard Island Research Station on the Great Barrier Reef. For this month, we feature: Marine pollution research.

The Australian Museum is digitising its collections, including the historic and diverse Marine Invertebrate collection. We explain how the Museum is opening up its treasure trove of specimens to the world and the discoveries we are making along the way.

DigiVol, the World’s first citizen science website for digitising museum collections, turns 10! Today we celebrate our volunteers, staff and all the brilliant collections that make this project so unique.

There have been moments of excitement and moments of despair along the way, but six months after starting a zoo-based breeding program for two Critically Endangered land snail species from Norfolk Island, the population is stable and progressing well.

Hotter and drier summers in Australia bring with them massive fires, successive bleaching on coral reefs and widespread die-offs of our valuable kelp forests. Although all may seem doom and gloom in our oceans, some species are surprisingly resourceful and can even take advantage of warmer waters.

What did the “Beast of Huli" eat? The diet of this bizarre extinct marsupial, which had similarities to both giant wombats and pandas, has remained a mystery. PhD student Joshua White, with coauthors, examined the teeth of this species to help answer these questions.

Correctly naming an organism is fundamental – it is important for all subsequent studies on that species and yet a significant percentage of Australian marine species have not been described. Our scientists explain why we must name the nameless!

With the help of vital FrogID audio, two new species of frog, each with a call as loud and piercing as each other, are described as new to science.

Each month, a selected blog from Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation (LIRRF) is featured at the AM. LIRRF supports scientific research & education at the AM’s Lizard Island Research Station on the Great Barrier Reef. For this month, we feature: Outcomes of the Polychaete Workshop eight years on.

Invertebrates are essential in pollinating our rainforests – but how do climate change, fire, fragmentation, invasive species and destructive pathogens impact pollination networks? Dr Geoff Williams OAM, AM, explores how in this Second Edition of The Flowering of Australia’s Rainforests.

Are some spectacular tree frogs from China and Vietnam two, remarkably similar species, or only one? An international team of herpetologists, including the AM’s Dr Jodi Rowley, solves this mystery once and for all!

For effective conservation and fisheries management, we need data – but with limited funding and resources, there are gaps in our monitoring programs. This is where our fabulous citizen scientists come in! Our scientists, with CSIRO and NSW DPI, studied data from the Australasian Fishes Project.

Scientists from the Auckland Museum & Australian Museum have identified a new genus and species of pygmy pipehorse from Aotearoa, New Zealand. The new species was named in collaboration with the Ngātiwai – this is also the first species of syngnathid reported from New Zealand since 1921!