CSIRO scientists sequence first ever Spotted Handfish genome

Researchers at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, have successfully mapped the complete genome of the rare Spotted Handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus), a critically endangered species native to Tasmania.

Once abundant off Tasmania’s southeast coast, this unique fish has seen its population drop dramatically, becoming the first marine species to be classified as critically endangered in 1996. It’s now estimated that fewer than 2,000 individuals remain in the wild.

The steep decline of the Spotted Handfish is linked to historical fishing practices, coastal development, climate change, and the introduction of invasive species. The newly sequenced genome, achieved through CSIRO’s Applied Genomics Initiative (AGI), will be a vital tool in conservation efforts.

CSIRO Senior Research Scientist, Dr. Gunjan Pandey, emphasized that this breakthrough will support ongoing efforts to increase the population and track genetic diversity.

“The genome helps us understand how an organism functions,” Dr Pandey said.

“It provides a foundation for understanding gene expression in daily life and offers insights into its evolutionary history.

“With the genome, we can assist with species detection, monitor populations, and even estimate the fish’s lifespan.”

Principal Investigator, Carlie Devine, who specialises in the conservation and management of the Spotted Handfish, said this rich genetic information will help inform conservation strategy over the long term.

“Conservation measures are expanding to include genetics,” Ms Devine said.

“Recognising a multidisciplinary approach alongside ecology research is essential for effective conservation of threatened species.”

Dr Pandey said the opportunity to sequence the genome of the elusive animal arose when a Spotted Handfish passed away of natural causes in captivity.

“Marine species like the Spotted Handfish are notoriously difficult to work with,” Dr Pandey said.

“The DNA degrades rapidly and becomes contaminated with microorganisms.

“This makes assembling a pure genome extremely challenging.”

The team successfully sequenced the full genome using only a small sample of low-quality DNA, applying a method known as the low-input protocol. This achievement was made in collaboration with the Biomolecular Resource Facility at the Australian National University.

“We are one of only three teams globally using this protocol,” Dr Pandey said.

“We customised the entire process – from the set-up of the lab to the bioinformatics software – to sequence a high-quality genome from poor-quality DNA.

“What used to take six to twelve months, we can now accomplish in days. This technology holds huge promise for our understanding and conservation of endangered species across Australia and around the world.”

Since 1997, CSIRO scientists have been closely monitoring nine distinct populations of the Spotted Handfish within the Derwent Estuary.

Their comprehensive conservation efforts involve a combination of a captive breeding program and innovative techniques for restoring the fish’s natural habitat.

Byron Shire Council Steps Up Fight Against Litter with EPA Grant

Byron Shire Council is pleased to announce it has secured a $420,000 grant from the NSW Government’s Environment Protection Authority (EPA). This funding, part of the EPA’s Litter Prevention Grants program, will be instrumental in combating litter across the Shire.

This timely boost comes as the Council begins rolling out its newly developed Litter and Illegal Dumping Prevention Strategy, which aims to foster long-term behavioural change among residents, businesses, and visitors over the next five years.

Jordyn de Boer, from the Council’s Resource Recovery team, highlighted the significance of the grant, noting that Byron Shire is one of just 16 councils across NSW to receive this funding.

“This grant will enable us to fully implement the litter management component of our Litter and Illegal Dumping Prevention Strategy, which is fantastic news for both the Council and the broader community,” Ms. de Boer said.

“Litter costs the Shire approximately $1.45 million annually. It places a significant financial burden on ratepayers, while also posing health risks and endangering our local wildlife and natural environment.”

A recent EPA litter study revealed that plastic items, particularly takeaway food and beverage packaging, constitute 81% of litter in NSW. Byron Shire Council’s own litter monitoring efforts over the past five years identified balloons, party decorations, fishing waste, and cigarette butts as additional key contributors to the litter problem.

The Council’s strategy specifically targets these problem items through initiatives like the Balloon-Free Byron Shire campaign, Source to Sea program, and partnerships with local businesses aimed at reducing waste at the source. Ensuring proper waste management practices will also be a central focus of the effort.

Additionally, the strategy includes the installation of infrastructure designed to support a circular economy, reinforcing the Council’s commitment to sustainable waste management.

For more information on the Council’s litter and illegal dumping prevention efforts, visit the Byron Shire Council website.

Latest Climate Change Data Equips NSW to Face Future Heat Challenges

The NSW Government has released updated climate change projections designed to help governments, agencies, businesses, landholders, and communities plan and adapt to the future climate. These projections underscore the urgency for further action to reduce emissions and emphasize the need for informed planning to enhance the resilience of households, communities, and businesses against the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events.

The third iteration of the NSW and Australian Regional Climate Modelling (NARCliM) offers detailed forecasts for NSW, based on global emissions scenarios. Previous versions were released in 2014 (NARCliM 1.0) and 2021 (NARCliM 1.5). The updated projections, available at a fine (4km) scale for southeast Australia and a coarser (20km) scale over Australasia, are among the most detailed climate data available in the country.

NARCliM 2.0 predicts that by 2100, NSW can expect:

• Increased average temperatures across all regions, with the most significant rises occurring inland,
• More hot days exceeding 35°C in all parts of the state,
• Fewer cold nights below 2°C, particularly along the Great Dividing Range, and
• An increase in extreme weather events, including more severe fire weather days across NSW by 2050.

The updated data models two greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, projecting the future climate in NSW under each. For the first time, NARCliM provides low emissions scenario projections, highlighting the benefits of achieving the Paris Agreement targets. By 2090, under a low emissions scenario, temperatures are expected to rise by an additional 1.3°C, with up to 15 more days each year exceeding 35°C. Under a high emissions scenario, temperatures could rise by an additional 4°C, with up to 45 more days above 35°C annually.

These projections illustrate the critical need for continued efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as failing to do so will exacerbate the impacts of climate change on health, the environment, and the economy.

The NARCliM projections provide robust, reliable data about NSW’s future climate, which will be instrumental in informing risk assessments, planning, and research aimed at enhancing climate resilience.

This data reinforces the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to making climate change action a priority across all government sectors, enshrining emissions reduction targets in law, and legislating an adaptation objective to ensure NSW becomes more resilient to a changing climate.

The NARCliM climate projections are developed by the NSW Government in collaboration with the ACT, South Australian, Victorian, and Western Australian governments, National Computational Infrastructure, Murdoch University, and the University of NSW. This update is part of the NSW Government’s broader commitment under the NSW Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.

Statewide and regional NARCliM projections are available online at NSW Climate Change Projections. 

Quote from Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Penny Sharpe

“The data presents us with two clear choices: do nothing and lock in more extreme weather events, or take action now to reduce emissions and limit the damage. We can’t plan for the future without the best data, and that’s what NARCliM provides. Government agencies, businesses, farmers, and local decision-makers can now access these updated climate projections to make informed decisions on how to prepare for a changing climate.

This data will be crucial in protecting critical infrastructure, including hospitals, transport networks, dams, and energy systems, from the impacts of extreme heat, fires, and floods. The Minns Labor Government is committed to taking strong action on climate change to reduce emissions, enhance the resilience of our communities and environment, and ensure our economy remains strong, robust, and supported by local, secure jobs.”

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From Near Death to Thriving:

By Sarah Waters

The Northern Rivers Koala Hospital in Lismore recently shared a heart-warming story about a very young koala joey, named Hobi, which came into its care.

Discovered cold and alone under a bush, Hobi was taken to the Northern Rivers Koala Hospital in February this year.

The hospital’s veterinary team were initially concerned about the young joey’s chances of survival.

He weighed a mere 700 grams upon arrival and was suffering shock from exposure.

Veterinary Clinical & Research Director at Friends of the Koala Dr Jodie Wakeman said Hobi could barely sit up, was very dehydrated, had an erratic heartbeat, abnormal head and eye movements and his body temperature was so low that a reading did not register on the thermometer.

“Hobi surprised us all – with some medications, fluids, intensive care in a humidicrib and lots of TLC, he slowly improved over the next few days,” Dr Wakeman said.

“It wasn’t long before Hobi was eating leaves and starting to move around,” she said.

Hobi defied the odds and in the week’s that followed he gradually became stronger and stronger.

Hobi’s early days in home care

His heart rate settled, his body temperature and hydration normalised, and his metabolic and neurological problems disappeared.

After two months in intensive home care with Joey Care Coordinator and part time vet nurse Liz McLeod, Hobi progressed to Koala Kindy and is now undergoing his rewilding journey.

At Koala Kindy, run by Friends of the Koala, Hobi will learn how to feed himself, climb and interact with other koalas, before eventually being released back to the wild.

Dr Wakeman said Hobi was the ‘little miracle koala for the year.’

“We are so pleased to see him thriving and so proud of our veterinary and volunteer teams that help to save koalas like him,” she said.

Joey koalas rely on the care of their mother from birth to about 18 months of age.

At the Koala kindy, trained volunteer koala carers will continue to give joeys supplement milk once or twice a day, administer medications, visually assess their health and weigh them regularly.

For more local news, click here.

Northern Rivers Koala Hospital needs funding: Urgent appeal for support

By Sarah Waters

Koalas are becoming an increasingly rare sight in NSW and the one organisation that is dedicated solely to their care in the Northern Rivers is desperately trying to keep operating as normal.

The Northern Rivers Koala Hospital, operated by Friends of the Koala, has made an urgent plea for financial support.

A decline in donations and available funding has threatened the hospital’s ability to operate effectively.

The hospital is specifically designed for the medical treatment of koalas and is the only wildlife hospital in NSW licensed to vaccinate all treated koalas against Chlamydia – the number one cause of death for koalas in the Northern Rivers.

General manager of Friends of the Koala Silva Everaers said more than 350 Koalas are treated at the hospital each year.

“From July last year we’ve seen a 20 per cent increase in koalas coming in, versus the year before,” Ms Everaers said.

“It will continue to increase as the threats to koalas are increasing with climate change, natural disasters, habitat being destroyed causing more koalas on the road, which leads to car hits, dog attacks and more diseases due to stress.

“So that’s obviously concerning, and it has been really, really busy for our volunteers rescuing and caring for them,” she said.

The Northern Rivers Koala Hospital was formed in 2019 and is part of the wider Friends of the Koala (FOK) organisation.

The FOK organisation receives government grants for certain projects including a recent grant to vaccinate 300 koalas against chlamydia.

But no government money is received for the operational cost of the koala hospital.

General Manager of Friends of the Koala Silva Everaers

Half a million dollars needs to be raised by Friends of the Koala each year to cover the hospital’s annual operating expenses.

It is set up with diagnostic and treatment tools including ultrasounds, x-rays, a blood bank, as well as surgical and pathology equipment to provide specialised 24/7 veterinary care to koalas.

Until more funds become available the hospital may not be able to continue in its current capacity.

Ms Everaers said the priority was to keep the hospital funded and veterinary staff paid.

“That really is where the research and the magic happens,” she said.

“We work with over 300 volunteers, who do an absolutely incredible job rescuing and rehabilitating the koalas treated in our hospital, and because of that we are able to keep operational costs really, really low.

“But we can’t do it without financial support, in the end, there’s medicine, veterinary staff, the equipment we need, research facilities – it’s not free.”

Friends of the Koala have set up a special donation drive, appealing to the public’s generosity to help keep the hospital in operation and maintain their high standards of care.

Anyone with a heart for wildlife, including business owners and philanthropists, can become a ‘Friend of the Northern Rivers Koala Hospital’ at: friendsofthekoala.org or support by donating to the organisation.

Friends of the Koala are a grassroots organisation with more than 35 years of experience working on critical, on-the-ground activities to conserve habitat and protect koalas individually and as a species.

It originated as a charity focused on planting trees but has evolved into a multifaceted organisation that also provides 24/7 koala rescue, medical treatment, research, advocacy and community education.

Friends of the Koala has successfully rehabilitated and released over 2000 koalas back into the wild since its inception.

The Northern Rivers is home to one of the last significant, genetically diverse koala populations.

For more local news, click here.