Getting the Message Across, Talking Science – SARDI Seminar series

The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) presents a seminar by Dr Paul Willis on Thursday 21st February 2013.

The talk is titled ‘Getting the Message Across, Talking Science.’ Dr Paul Willis is the Director of the Royal Institute Australia (RiAus) and will be talking about his early career and how he became the current Director of RiAus. From crocodile fossil student to scientist, communicator, teacher to museum curator. Dr Paul Willis is a respected leader in the science community, and will also share his views on the role of RiAus and how it may evolve and possible collaboration opportunities with various research institutes.

When: Thursday 21 February 2013Where: SARDI Aquatic Sciences, 2 Hamra Avenue, West Beach
Time: 4pm
RSVP: RSVP to Louise Renfrey at louise.renfrey@sa.gov.au by Tuesday 19 February

Download the flyer to find out more.

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Guest Speaker: Dr Martijn van de Pol

The School of Earth & Environmental Sciences and the Environment Institute present a public seminar by Dr Martijn van de Pol from Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology at the Australian National University on Monday 29th October 2012 at 2:00pm.

Dr Martijn van de Pol. Photo from Australian National University

The Seminar is titled ‘Phenotypic change and population dynamics in a changing environment: an evolutionary demographer’s approach’. Dr van de Pol’s research interest is at the interface of behavioural, evolutionary and population ecology, particularly the climate change ecology of birds. He combines ecological modelling with field studies to investigate questions like: What are the mechanisms by which animals adapt to climate change and is adaptation fast enough to avoid extinction?, What is the contribution of the different aspects of climate change to population dynamics?, Why are some species more sensitive to extinction than others? How do shorebirds adapt their feeding ecology in response to shellfisheries?

When: Monday 29th October 2012
Where: Benham Lecture Theatre, University of Adelaide
Time: 2:00pm – 3:00pm

All welcome.

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Guest Speaker: Xavier Lambin

The Environment Institute present a seminar by Xavier Lambin from the School of Biological Sciences, The University of Aberdeen, UK on Monday 26th November 2012.

Photo courtesy of The University of Aberdeen

Xavier’s talk titled,  “Continent -wide dampening of population cycles in keystone herbivores; patterns, likely processes and consequences for predators” will first present empirical and modelling developments on the demographic basis for vole cycles based on our long term studies. Xavier will then show how seasonality and the destabilising influences of pathogen host interaction or changes in herbivore-induced changes in plant quality might interact with seasonality in the environment to lead to cyclic dynamics.

Next, using the largest compilation of time series of vole abundances yet assembled, Xavier will present new analyses that demonstrate consistent cycle amplitude dampening associated with a reduction in winter vole population growth, and suggesting that regulatory processes responsible for cyclicity have not been lost. The underlying syndrome of change throughout Europe, species and ecosystems suggests a common climatic driver acting over very large scales. Our analyses suggest increasing periods of low amplitude small herbivore population fluctuations are expected in the future, with cascading impacts on trophic webs across ecosystems. Finally, Xavier will illustrate the likely impact of changes on prey dynamics on the dynamics of birds of prey using our long terms studies on the demography of Tawny owls.

When: Monday 26th November

Where: Napier Building, Room G03, The University of Adelaide

Time: 1:10pm-2pm

Find out more and Register

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Four in 40: Managing carbon in catchments – Podcast now available

The podcast from the most recent “Four in 40″ seminar, hosted by the Water Research Centre and the Department for Environment, Water & Natural Resources (DEWNR)on Monday 23 July, “Managing carbon in catchments” is now available.

Professor Wayne Meyer

Speakers were:

• Dr Todd Wallace, Department for Environment, Water & Natural Resources
• Associate Professor Rob Reid, University of Adelaide
• Professor Wayne Meyer, University of Adelaide
• Mr Jason VanLaarhoven, Department for Environment, Water & Natural Resources

Download the individual podcasts and accompanying presentations

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Research Tuesdays – Life strikes back

The next installment in the University of Adelaide’s Research Tuesdays series involves Environment Institute member Professor Andrew Lowe.

Professor Andrew Lowe

The seminar, titled ‘Life Strikes Back – How the explosion of knowledge in genomics is enhancing our ability to conserve species’ will explore the positive story unfolding  in the field of biodiversity genomics. Andy Lowe will explain how we now have unparalleled access to information on the genomes of species, and how it’s revolutionising our ability to conserve life.

When: Tuesday 8th May, 5:30pm-6:30pm
Where: Napier 102, The University of Adelaide

Admission to this public seminar is free, however registration is essential.

For more information and to register online visit the Research Tuesdays website.

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ACEBB Seminar – “New approaches to resolving deep phylogenetic questions in animal evolution”

Download a podcast of Professor Gonzalo Giribet’s presentation on “New approaches to resolving deep phylogenetic questions in animal evolution”, presented by the Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity on Friday 7th October.

Gonzalo Giribet

Gonzalo Giribet is a Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Curator of Invertebrates in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, at Harvard University.

His primary research focuses is on the evolution and biogeography of invertebrate animals. Current projects include a multidisciplinary study to “Assembling the Protostome Tree of Life”, a project on the “Systematics, Biogeography and Evolutionary Radiations of Cyphophthalmi (Arachnida, Opiliones)” and a collabortive PEET sponsored research project on “Systematics and Monography of Araneoid Spiders”. Prof. Giribet is also interested in philosophical aspects of sequence data analysis, emphasizing homology-related issues.

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The Tightrope: A Millennium Assessment of Human Behaviour

Listen to Paul Ehrlich give his public seminar The Tightrope: A Millennium Assessment of Human Behaviour.

The Environment Institute was proud to present Professor Paul Ehrlich’s  final seminar The Tightrope: A Millennium Assessment of Human Behaviour on Thursday 11 November at the University of Adelaide.

Professor Paul Ehrlich is one of the world’s leading experts on population and is renowned for his role in helping the world to think about resource scarcity and the impact of an ever-increasing population on demand for natural resources.  Paul is particularly well know for his work on overpopulation, and in particular, his seminal work The Population Bomb.

Paul Ehrlich was in Adelaide during November to present a series of free public seminars.

Visit our website to download other Paul Ehrlich seminars.

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Darwin’s Mistake: Creationism, Cultural Evolution and Conservation

Listen to Paul Ehrlich speak about Charles Darwin, creationism, cultural evolution and conservation.

The Environment Institute was pleased to present Professor Paul Ehrlich, one of the world’s leading experts on population, who is visiting Adelaide during November.  Paul presented his first of three seminars at the University of Adelaide titled: “Darwin’s Mistake: Creationism, Cultural Evolution and Conservation”.

Download audio-visual material from this event.

Paul will also be presenting two free public seminars next week:

Population, Resources and the Environment: Where We Stand Now
Tuesday 9 November, 6pm-7:30pm at the Adelaide Town Hall

The Tightrope: A Millennium Assessment of Human Behaviour
Thursday 11 November, 5:30pm-6:30pm at the University of Adelaide

Bookings are essential, but you need to hurry as seats are booking fast!

This event is now SOLD OUT

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Geosequestration – Capture and Economics

Podcast from Energy Futures – Dianne Wiley talks on geosequestration.

The sixth seminar in the Energy Futures series “Carbon Sequestration” was held last Wednesday evening at the University of Adelaide. The event was convened by Prof John Kaldi (CO2CRC) with guest speakers Prof Dianne Wiley (CO2CRC) and Prof Kelly Thambimuthu (Intl. Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas R&D Program).

Individual presentations are also available on the Environment Institute’s website.

This seminar series is being hosted by the Centre for Energy Technology and the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.  Click here to view the full programme.

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ACEBB Seminar 10 – Mike Wilkinson – Podcast Available

ACEBB seminar 10 – Prof. Mike Wilkinson -  is available as a podcast here

This week’s topic was “Meeting the challenges of landscape management in the 21st century.”

The seminar was presented by Professor Mike Wilkinson from the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University, Wales on Friday August 27 in the Royal Society Rooms.

Professor Wilkinson has been involved in a research project at Aberystwyth University to agree on a standard ‘plant DNA barcode’ to provide the foundation for the widespread use of DNA technologies to identify plants. Professor Wilkinson is a member of the 52 strong team of scientists from 10 countries who collaborated on the work.

Click here to view the ACEBB 2010 Seminar programme.

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