Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Beyond the tick and flick: Leveraging enduring benefits from IMS surveillance in Western Australian ports to sustain engagement

Introduced Marine Species (IMS) are known to cause negative physical, social and economic impacts to natural environments and industries such as commercial ports. However, there are few long-term IMS surveillance programs in ports worldwide. Western Australia (WA) Port Authoritie...

First Serological Evidence of Exposure to Japanese Encephalitis Virus in Feral Pigs and Sentinel Chickens in Western Australia

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) emerged across mainland Australia in 2022, causing substantial impacts on public health and the pig industry. Its emergence raised concerns regarding potential spread into Western Australia (WA). This study aimed to determine JEV activity in WA w...

Larger and more abundant legal-sized targeted fish inside ‘no take’ areas of a subtropical marine park over a 12-year period

Context Multiple-use marine parks vary spatially in how they are managed, which may influence ecological response over time. Aims We surveyed four key targeted species (snapper, Chrysophrys auratus; pearl perch, Glaucosoma scapulare; venus tuskfish, Choerodon venustus; grey morwo...

Search for sociality in white sharks: investigation of the co-occurrence of juvenile white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) using passive acoustic telemetry data

Context Social network analysis (SNA) as a quantitative measure of animal grouping and social behaviours has been increasingly used to study the group dynamics and potential sociality of elasmobranch species. Aims Despite their mainly solitary swimming and hunting behaviours, whi...

Floral Trait Influence on the Foraging Decisions of a Fly Pollinator

ABSTRACT Flies foraging for floral resources provide important ecosystem services through the pollination of myriad angiosperms, including many crop species. However, the specific floral cues used by fly pollinators to locate and discriminate among floral rewards and the preferen...

Spatial heterogeneity in exposure to Brucella suis and pathogenic leptospires in feral pigs across New South Wales

Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are important reservoirs for zoonotic and livestock pathogens in Australia, but robust information on the spatial distribution of pathogens in pig populations remains limited. We analysed serological data from a systematic, state-wide surveillance program...

Environmental conditions shape the movement patterns of a marine ambush predator on homogeneous soft sediment habitat

Abstract Background Quantifying the patterns and drivers of animal movement is critical to the effective conservation and management of species across all ecosystems. Despite their importance for global commercial and recreational fisheries, the movement patterns of marine soft s...

Revealing the species behind the label: DNA testing of cooked shark fillets in Western Australia

Context Poor labelling of shark products is a global problem that hampers sustainable fisheries and limits consumer choice. Aims We conducted a detailed assessment of mislabelling and species composition in cooked ‘shark’ products from Western Australian fish and chip shops. Meth...

Land degradation decision trigger points to minimise soil erosion in rangelands

Predicting when vegetation cover (the sum of photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic vegetation) drops below soil erosion protection thresholds is vital for reducing land degradation. This study developed a potential for land degradation (PoLD) framework to identify decision-trigge...

Rice Flowering Date Retrieval from Sentinel-2 and Planet Fusion Imagery

Abstract Estimating the timing of rice flowering is useful for predicting maturity, which subsequently informs management decisions such as field drainage and harvest timing that optimize yield and quality. This study utilized satellite-based remote sensing to identify the highes...

Two major floods affect fish, invertebrates and marine habitats within a temperate estuary

Context Severe flooding can cause physiological stress and mortality for marine organisms within estuaries through reduced salinity, increased turbidity and sedimentation, and the delivery of nutrients, organic matter and contaminants. Aims The Port Stephens estuary in Australia...

Management, demographic and dietary insights from 7 years of aerial shooting of feral pigs in an agricultural landscape

Context Feral pigs are one of the most destructive invasive vertebrate species in Australia. Aerial shooting is considered one of the most effective methods for causing a rapid reduction in feral pig density at a landscape scale. Aims We aimed to assess the effects of 7 years of...