Division of Environmental and Life Sciences

News From the Deane
The weekly update from the Dean of Division, Prof Liz Deane

Watching Migrating Whales - how sustainable is it?
Rob Harcourt and Luciano Moller's new ARC Linkage project

Opportunities
- Fresh Science, nominations now open for this award scheme for early career scientists
- For Women in Science, new Australian prize
- The TAP Environmental Art Award

Events
- Free public talk on epilepsy research
- Biological Sciences Seminar: by Dr. Ian Blair, ANZAC Research Institute
- Free Public Lecture by Nobel Laureate Professor Carl Wieman
- ELS Seminar Series

News from the Dean

Dear Colleagues,

As you will know the Academic Review process has started and a number of you have been invited to participate in focus groups. In addition to this there is a web facility for you to individually make submissions/comments. Please make use of this opportunity at: :

http://www.mq.edu.au/provost/reports/academicstructure.html .

A number of opportunities have come across the desk this past week....

1. Australian-Israel Scientific Exchange Foundation Postgraduate Fellowship - $5,000 for 6 months collaboration http://www.swinburne.edu.au/hosting/aisef//index.html

2. NH&MRC Clinical Studies Fellowship. There are a number of these in different areas www.nhmrc.gov.au/nics

3. 2008 Endeavours Programme Scholarships. This programme brings researchers to Australia and vice versa www.endeavour.dest.gov.au

4. Conference on Science & Engineering Skills for Australia's Future. 28-29 June, Marriot Hotel, Sydney www.informa.com.au/science

A note for the diary - the ELS end-of-semester BBQ is on Friday 22 June at 12:30 pm in the Biology garden (E8A).

Enough to keep everyone busy!

Till next week,

Liz

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Watching migrating whales: ensuring the sustainability of a growing whale watch

A/Prof Rob Harcourt; Dr Luciano Moller

ELS recently congratulated its successful ARC linkage grant recipients. Here is one of the interesting new projects to be undertaken using ARC Linkage grant.

Whale-watching is a significant global business, with a worldwide income estimated to be worth $1 billion annually, with more than 9 million participating tourists (Hoyt 2001). Hoyt observed that whale-watching was growing at a faster rate than other forms of ecotourism, increasing by 12.1% per year. In Australia too whale-watching is becoming increasingly popular. In 2003, whale watching here was estimated to be directly worth $29 million per annum, with an indirect value of nearly $300 million, and 1.5 million participants. In fact, during the past five years the Australian industry has grown at a faster rate than the global average, increasing by 15 % per year (IFAW 2004) and the country has become one of the leading proponents of global whale protection. Australia has supported delegations to the IWC on whale watching impacts including participation in the Workshop on the Science for Sustainable Whale-Watching, endorsed by the IWC, in Cape Town from 6-9 March 2004

The aim of this proposal is to assess the impact of the whale watching industry on migratory whales. A key outcome will be the development of best practice guidelines for whale tourism. We will use the results of this study to inform policy on the sustainability of the whale-watching industry at both State and Federal levels, and, through the Australian membership of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), our data will contribute to the development of international wildlife policy and practice. Ultimately this will ensure the long-term sustainability of this increasingly valuable industry in Australia and elsewhere.

In collaboration with Sydney's whale-watching industry, we propose to test many of the assumptions that underpin Australia's current whale-watching guidelines and based on this research, we will make policy recommendations to NSW Department of Environment and Conservation, and to the Federal Department of Environment and Heritage. Using a combination of observer work and active intervention, we will 1) measure the effect of recreational and commercial vessels on whales as they migrate past Sydney; 2) investigate industry compliance with current measures; 3) test impacts of side-scan sonar on whales; 4) quantify the current northern and southern migration routes off Sydney in relation to oceanographic features, and 5) undertake an economic analysis of the Sydney whale-watching industry.

Photos courtesy of ELS marine photographer extraordinaire, A/Prof Rob Harcourt.

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Biotechnology Research at Macquarie

Biotechnology is one of the fastest growing fields in science and so Macquarie University living up to its motto of "Australia's Innovative University" has developed various specialised laboratories in this discipline to further advance our position as a leader in science research.

One such centre of research is the Macquarie University Centre for Analytical Biotechnology (MUCAB) which is a biotechnology laboratory that provides various groups within the university access to instrumentation and resources used in the study of biomolecules and natural products. This facility caters to many users including academics, research groups and post graduate students and provides equipment required for processes such as liquid chromatography (including HPLC), the study of biomolecular interactions, mass spectrometry, circular dichroism and fluorescence.

MUCAB is operated on a self user basis with training provided and is open to all research groups and post graduate students within the university.

For further information please visit the MUCAB website: www.chem.mq.edu.au/mucab/ or contact Kieran Morgan at kmorgan@cbms.mq.edu.au

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Opportunities

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Fresh Science

Are you a scientist who was awarded a PhD less than five years ago? Do you have interesting results that have not received any publicity? Why not enter Fresh Science and tell your story? Macquarie University's Craig O'Neill did in 2006 and ended up being one of the winners. Read about his research on diamonds: http://www.scienceinpublic.com/sciencenow/2006/craig.htm

Craig and 15 other early career scientists flew to Melbourne where they participated in a boot camp of science communication. They talked to government, business, school students and the media over the week-long event. Their stories received wide media coverage in Australia and some overseas.

For more information about Fresh Science visit http://www.freshscience.org.

Call for nominations now open, closing Friday 15 June 2007.

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For Women in Science - new Australian prize

L'Oreal Australia is calling for applications for the inaugural For Women in Science Fellowships.

Three Fellowships are open to doctoral or post-doctoral researchers (within 5 years of completing a PhD) in the areas of life sciences, material sciences, mathematics and engineering. Prizes of A$20,000 each are to be used to further scientific research or alternatively, can be used to cover child care costs.

Applications will open on 21 May 2007 and close 29 June 2007 and applicants must be Australian nationals or Australian permanent residents to apply.

A jury of inter-disciplinary scientists will review all applications and select the three Fellowships to be announced in September.

The Australian National Commission for UNESCO and the Australian Academy of Science are partners of the For Women in Science Fellowships. For further information please contact Megan Ryan at mryan@au.loreal.com.

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THE TAP ENVIRONMENTAL ART AWARD

In conjunction with World Environment Day, TAP Gallery annually holds the Environmental Art Award. We aim to highlight problems and solutions for looking after this amazing planet of ours.

First week of June

Entry fee: $25 per work per metre.

30% commission on sales [15% of which goes to an environmental organisation of the artist's choice]

Theme: The Environment.

Prize: $1000 in prizes.

More information: http://www.tapgallery.org.au/index.html

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Events

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Free public talk on epilepsy research

With epilepsy affecting over one million people in Australia, and with nearly one third of them not responding to current medications, there are some big questions that need to be answered.

The public is invited to hear a talk by Dr Phil Robinson of the Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI) about current research. His lab has made a discovery that opens the path to a truly new treatment for epilepsy.

Dr Robinson has found a new opening into the control of brain excitability, a major factor in epileptic seizures.

Many of today's treatments for epilepsy target similar aspects of the brain and some cause side effects such as slowed thought processes and a general 'fuzziness.' Dr Robinson's research holds enormous potential for future improved treatment of epilepsy.

Join Dr Robinson for an evening lecture about the research behind this new discovery and how it may one day be used to development treatments for epilepsy, schizophrenia and mood disorders.

There is also an opportunity to take a "back-stage" look into the CMRI's state-of-the-art research facilities and hear from a world-leading scientist. Evening refreshments will be provided to sustain you through the lecture and tour program.

This program is part of National Science Week, an initiative of the Australian Government.

Where: The Children's Medical Research Institute, 214 Hawkesbury Rd Westmead

When: Friday 8 June 2007, 6:15 for a 6:30 pm start

Cost: FREE

Bookings: Ruth Hardman or Jane Fleming 9687 2800

Please RSVP: Monday 4 June

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Biological Sciences Seminar

"Investigating the molecular genetic basis of motor neuron disease".

by Dr. Ian Blair, ANZAC Research Institute

Wednesday 6 June, 1:00-2:00 pm, in E8A, room 290

Abstract: The motor neurons extend from the brain to the spinal cord and muscles and provide the stimulus through which we move, breathe, eat and drink. Unlike other cells of the body, motor neurons are not  
replaced when they die. The motor neuron diseases (MND) are a group of related neurodegenerative diseases that cause progressive death of motor neurons. 70% of MND patients die within 3-5 years of the onset of symptoms. While some environmental agents have been implicated, the only proven causes of MND are gene mutations. However, known MND genes only account for about 2% of all cases. The aim of our research is to gain a better understanding of MND through identification of genes that cause or confer risk to the disease among the remaining cases.

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Free Public Lecture by Nobel Laureate Professor Carl Wieman

Friday 29th June 2007, 6:00pm - 7.00pm

Introduced by Wilson da Silva (Editor-in-Chief, COSMOS Magazine)

No bookings necessary

Sir John Clancy Auditorium (C24), UNSW

"Quantum weirdness at the Lowest Temperature in the Universe"

In 1924 Einstein predicted that a gas would undergo a dramatic transformation at a sufficiently low temperature (now known as Bose-Einstein condensation or BEC). In 1995, my group was able to observe this transformation by cooling a gas sample to the unprecedented temperature of less than 100 billionths of a degree above absolute zero. The BEC state is a novel form of matter in which a large number of atoms lose their individual identities and behave as a single quantum entity, the "superatom". This entity is the atom analogue to laser light, and, although large enough to be easily seen and manipulated, exhibits the non-intuitive quantum behaviour normally important only at much tinier size scales. The study and use of the curious properties of BEC has now become an important subfield of physics. I will discuss how we create BEC and some of the subsequent research we have done on it. Interactive applets as a tool for teaching science will be demonstrated in the presentation

Professor Carl Wieman (Univ of Colorado-Boulder) is the 2001 Physics Nobel Laureate and 2004 Council for Advancement and Support of Education and Carnegie Foundation National Professor of the Year. Professor Wieman contributed $250,000 of his Nobel Prize award to launch the creation of the Physics Education Technology project (PhET) which provides interactive physics instruction on the World Wide Web.

Prof. Wieman's visit is sponsored by the UNSW Faculty of Science in collaboration with the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

Info: www.unsw.edu.au - Rachelle Carritt, Science Marketing r.carritt@unsw.edu.au or phone (02) 9385 7307.

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ELS Seminar Series

Departments in ELS host seminars covering a wide range of topics associated with ongoing research projects and other areas of interest. The seminars are delivered by academics, research staff, and students from within the Division, as well as guest speakers from other institutions and industry. Details of times, dates, locations and topics of seminars to be held over the next few weeks are listed here.

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Snippets

Hospital admissions on the rise
A new report shows that hospital admissions are on the rise, with 7.3 million public and private hospital admissions in 2005-06.

Parasite a new fish killer
Scientists have identified a new species of parasitic amoeba as the cause of a common salmon disease, rewriting 20 years of research.

Aussies 'unready' for Asian innovation
A leading Australian education analyst has questioned whether Australia is ready for the coming Asia-Pacific century in education and research.

Soil saviour: reducing greenhouse gas
The huge potential of agricultural soils to reduce greenhouse gases and increase production at the same time has been reinforced by new research findings.

Corals reveal land use damage
Using the corals on the Great Barrier Reef as a history book, researchers have linked land use along the coast to decades of declining water quality and poor coral health.

Sleep deprived kids struggle
A new study shows that school children between the ages of 10 and 15 years are averaging at least 30 minutes less sleep than children of the same ages did more than 20 years ago.

Bee vision breakthrough
A study has demonstrated how accurately bees see colour and shape; close up bee shape vision is almost as accurate as human sight.

Cancer curse lingers on
New research reveals that cancer survivors continue to struggle with physical, emotional and psychological problems well after the disease has left them.

Indian Ocean warmed by climate change
The signature of climate change over the past 40 years has been identified in temperatures of the Indian Ocean near Australia. 

Cane toads may adapt and spread
The introduced cane toad, currently impacting Australia's northern ecosystems, may migrate further south than previously thought because of its ability to rapidly adapt to climatic conditions.

Women impacted by casual work
The rise in flexible working arrangements is having a particularly adverse impact on women.

Battle against bullying
Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd have both talked publicly about the need to stamp out bullying in our schools, but why does it occur and what can be done about it?

Hunt for faulty cancer genes
Results of a world-first, large-scale study of faulty genes and breast cancer were released in the May 28 edition of Nature.

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