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 rediscovered Lord Howe Island Stick Insect faces extinction threats due to human impact. A PhD project at ANU aims to assess its genetic diversity to aid reintroduction efforts. Supported by Zoos Victoria, it combines molecular techniques and offers a stipend for motivated students.

Student intake

Open for Honours students

People

The project proposes a macroevolutionary approach to predict plant species' tolerance to environmental changes using data from the Atlas of Living Australia. By integrating environmental niche modelling and phylogenetic analysis, it aims to identify adaptive species, focusing on Banksia and Hakea. Outcomes include a database, publications, and an R package.

The Ignition Grant Round 2 project aimed to elucidate the evolutionary history of the Craspedia genus, prominent in the Australian Alps, to aid conservation efforts. It involved reconstructing phylogeny, identifying allopolyploid species, and assessing genetic diversity. Preliminary results revealed distinct genetic clusters, informing future taxonomic and conservation studies.

The ANFC project, in collaboration with ANU and CSIRO, aims to optimise genomic tools for extracting DNA from formalin-preserved fish specimens. This will enhance species identification, improve biodiversity research, and aid conservation efforts by providing genetic insights into rare and cryptic marine species.

The Southern Brush-tailed Rock-Wallaby recovery program aims to enhance genetic diversity through a two-pronged strategy: translocating wild individuals and introducing Central lineage genes. A SNP panel will assess genetic rescue effectiveness, aiding conservation management and adaptive strategies against climate change threats.

The project aims to adapt a protocol for sequencing degraded DNA in herbarium specimens, particularly alpine Asteraceae, using genomic shotgun sequencing. This method, if successful, will enhance research on rare, remote, or extinct species by utilising old biodiversity collections and reducing the need for new samples.

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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