Australia’s beloved koalas are facing unprecedented threats to their survival, with habitat loss, disease, and vehicle strikes taking a devastating toll on these iconic marsupials. However, a breakthrough in genetic research may hold the key to their recovery.

A University of Queensland-led project has developed a standardized DNA testing tool that enables researchers nationwide to capture and share koala genetic variation. This innovation promises to revolutionize conservation efforts by providing a consistent method for comparing genetic markers across different populations.

According to Dr. Lyndal Hulse, lead researcher on the project, “Koalas in the wild are under increasing pressure, forcing them to live in smaller and more isolated pockets with limited access to breeding mates outside their group.” This population inbreeding can have detrimental effects on their health, making it even more crucial to understand their genetic diversity.

The new screening tool, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array using next-generation sequencing technologies, is designed to accommodate good-quality DNA and is suitable for broad-scale monitoring of wild koala populations. This means that researchers, conservationists, and government agencies can now collaborate more effectively to ensure the survival of these magnificent creatures.

Saurabh Shrivastava, Senior Account Manager at project partner Australian Genome Research Facility (AGRF Ltd), emphasizes that “the Koala SNP-array is available to all researchers and managers.” Ideally, this tool could guide targeted koala relocations across regions, helping to improve and increase the genetics of populations under threat.

Dr. Hulse highlights that understanding the genetic diversity of different koala populations is crucial for their survival. With this knowledge, we can develop effective conservation strategies to protect these incredible Australian icons from extinction. In fact, she warns that if we fail to act, “in 50 years, we may only be able to see koalas in captivity.”

The project has brought together researchers from the Australasian Wildlife Genomics Group at the University of New South Wales and AGRF Ltd, a not-for-profit organization advancing Australian genomics. This collaboration holds great promise for reviving Australia’s beloved koalas and ensuring their place in our ecosystem for generations to come.

Native Bees vs Honey Bees: The Fitness Fight

A recent study conducted by Curtin University has shed light on the struggles faced by Australian native bees due to the presence of European honey bees. Led by Dr Kit Prendergast from the School of Molecular and Life Sciences, the research found that high densities of honey bees can significantly impact the reproductive success and survival traits of native cavity-nesting bees.

The study utilized specially designed wooden “bee hotels” located in 14 urban bushland and garden sites in Perth, Western Australia. These bee hotels served as a platform to assess how honey bee density influenced key indicators of native bee health and reproduction over two Spring-to-Summer bee seasons.

Dr Prendergast explained that the research aimed to understand the impact of honey bees on native bees by using these bee hotels as research tools. “Bee hotels are not just a way to give bees a place to nest; they’re powerful tools that let us measure how well native bees are surviving and reproducing in different environments,” she stated.

The study involved analyzing 1000 native bee nests, providing valuable insights into the fitness of at least 25 species. The results showed that areas with higher honey bee densities were associated with reduced reproductive success, increased offspring mortality, and smaller male offspring in native bees.

Furthermore, the research found that honey bees tend to forage from a wider range of sources, including exotic plants. This overlap in pollen use was linked to lower offspring numbers in native bees, indicating that honey bees can negatively impact local ecosystems and contribute to declines in native bee populations.

Dr Prendergast emphasized the importance of managing honey bee densities carefully, especially in areas of high conservation value or where native pollinators are already under pressure from factors such as urbanization. She suggested that future research should explore whether adjusting honey bee numbers or increasing the diversity of flowering plants could help mitigate their impact on native bees.

The study was conducted as part of Dr Prendergast’s PhD research at Curtin and received funding from various organizations, including the City of Stirling, the Australian Wildlife Society, Hesperia, and the Forrest Research Foundation. The findings add to growing evidence that we need to carefully manage honey bee populations to protect native pollinators and maintain ecosystem balance.

A recent University of Queensland study has shed light on a significant issue affecting biodiversity work: scientific knowledge on endangered species is often overlooked if not presented in English. The research, conducted by PhD candidate Kelsey Hannah, analyzed articles about the protection and management of birds, mammals, and amphibians published in peer-reviewed journals.

The study compared how often papers written in English and 16 other languages were cited in further work. The results showed that non-English language papers had significantly fewer citations than those in English. While the number of citations varied depending on factors such as the robustness of the study design or the conservation status of the study species, one consistent finding was that providing an English abstract led to a substantial increase in citations – 1.5 times more.

The analysis also revealed that many non-English language studies had a high number of citations within their own language but very few cross-language citations. For example, a Japanese study on the Oriental stork in 2011 only received citations within Japan, despite the species being endangered in other countries such as China, Korea, and Russia.

Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano at UQ’s School of the Environment emphasized the importance of overcoming language barriers in addressing the global biodiversity crisis. He noted that a lot of the world’s biodiversity is found in areas where English is not the primary language and that missing out on information from those regions could lead to less effective conservation efforts.

To address this issue, researchers are encouraged to consider providing multi-lingual abstracts for their work. Additionally, English-speaking scientists are advised to look beyond English-language studies when conducting research to gain a broader perspective.

This study is part of the translatE project and has been supported by an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship, an Australian Research Council Discovery Project, and a University of Queensland Research Training Program Scholarship. The research has been published in Conservation Biology.