Threatened species

Threatened species

The threatened species research focuses on conserving at-risk flora and fauna through evidence-based strategies. It examines threats, habitat needs, and recovery actions, aiming to inform policy and promote biodiversity conservation, species protection and sustainable ecosystem management.

About

Understanding genetic diversity and gene flow amongst populations of threatened species and the identification of cryptic species, particularly within endangered taxa, is essential for their conservation and management.

For information on Australia's biodiversity policies see the Department of the Environment and Energy:

Projects

The Ignition Grant Round 6 project aims to use next-generation sequencing to develop a phylogenetic framework for Thynninae wasps, crucial pollinators of threatened Australian orchids. This collaboration between ANU and CSIRO will enhance understanding of wasp systematics, aiding orchid conservation efforts.

The Ignition Grant Round 2 project aims to improve the delimitation of species boundaries in sexually deceptive orchids using Genotype by Sequencing (GBS). The study highlights issues with taxonomic over-splitting and its conservation implications, emphasising the need for accurate species identification to guide conservation efforts.

In October 2014, a project began in SE Arnhem Land to document biodiversity using Indigenous and Western knowledge. The Yugul Mangi Rangers collaborate with ecologists to input data into the Atlas of Living Australia, aiming to enhance biodiversity understanding and create employment pathways for the community.

Australia's orchid flora is rich and threatened, with the Diurideae tribe showing significant diversity. A project by ANU and CSIRO developed an exome capture system to study Diurideae's phylogenetic relationships, aiding conservation efforts. The project concluded successfully in 2017, leading to further research grants.

This completed CBA-supported Honours project investigated avian bill size increases as an adaptation to climate warming. It aimed to identify genetic factors influencing bill morphology using genome-wide association analysis on historical specimens. The study provided insights into climate adaptation genetics and was based at CSIRO's ANWC.

Student intake

Open for Honours students

The project aims to develop methods for applying next-generation sequencing to museum collections, specifically rock-wallaby skins, to evaluate genetic diversity and inform conservation efforts. By optimising genomic techniques, this research will enhance conservation genomics and highlight the importance of museum collections for evolutionary studies in Australia.

News

Bogong Moth Summit

The CBA was a partner of the recent national Bogong Moth Summit, which consisted of workshops, discussion panels and a climb up Mount Kosciuszko to see the moths flying at dusk.

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ABDF

The CBA has announced the first round of successful projects selected to trial the use of the DiversityScanner technology.

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A two-day CBA Synthesis Group workshop this week explored the uptake and effectiveness of Airborne eDNA technologies.

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A diverse range of workshops have been funded in the the latest round of the CBA's high-impact Synthesis Group program.

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Over 90 students, scientists and managers participated in a 5-day training workshop on advanced population genomics tools in the popular programming language R.

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A new CBA initiative aims to advance biodiversity monitoring and discovery in Australia using a novel combination of genomics, AI and robotics.

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Events

Fred Allendorf
Tue, Oct 7 2025, 3 - 4pm

Professor Fred Allendorf from the University of Montana will discuss the relationship between effective population size and allelic variation and its implications for species conservation status.

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Conservation and the genomics of populations
Wed, Oct 8 2025, 9:30am - Fri, Oct 10 2025, 4:30pm

This 3-day workshop presented by Fred Allendorf and other guest speakers will provide a comprehensive overview of the essential background, concepts, and tools required to understand how genetics and genomics can be used for conservation and management.

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