Research to understand and improve biological environments
Our research brings together a team of highly motivated and dedicated researchers committed to advancing the knowledge of patterns, causes and measurement of changes in ecosystems.
Through the convenor, our members seek to better understand our biological environment and improve its management to ensure that human health and wellbeing is maintained in the future.
Research themes
- Polar ecology and cycling of pollutants
- Emerging infectious diseases and environmental change
- Social and environmental justice
- Biodiversity conservation and restoration in the Anthropocene
- Response and adaptation to climate change
- Sustainable use of wild populations and natural environments
- Environmental toxicology and pollution
- Urban and peri-urban ecology
Coordinator
Professor Hamish McCallum
Areas of expertise:
- Disease ecology
- Conservation biology
- Quantitative population dynamics
Bat OneHealth
Global team of experts across multiple scales investigating spillover searching for solutions that protect future generations
Griffith wildlife disease ecology group
This research team studies the dynamics of diseases such as Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease, avian malaria, chytridiomycosis and Hendra virus in wildlife populations.
The Frog Research Team
We're a team of researchers based around eastern Australia (with collaborators overseas), studying the population dynamics of frogs and the infection dynamics of their devastating fungal disease, chytridiomycosis. We aim to improve understanding of the factors permitting recovery of frog populations in the face of disease, to assist with global amphibian conservation efforts.
Southern oceans persistent organic pollutants group
This program addresses the transport mechanisms of persistent organic pollutants to polar regions, the behaviour of these chemicals once incorporated into high latitude environments, and the impacts on polar biota and ecosystems.
Environmental Chemistry Research Group
The Environmental Chemistry Research Group applies advanced sampling and analysis techniques to study the behaviour of trace metals in waters, sediments and soils. We operate a specialised cleanroom and ICP-MS facility for ultra-trace metal analysis of environmental samples and our research regularly utilises the Australian Synchrotron to study the speciation of trace metals in geological materials. For more information, please contact Dr. William Bennett
Current research
- Program for Planned Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (PPBio)
- Studies of biodiversity decline
- DNA bar coding of life on Earth
- Current distribution and function of biodiversity
- Ecological processes that underlie resilience and recovery
- Ecology of wildlife disease
- The mixes of land-users within a landscape that can both sustain desired elements of biodiversity and support production and human occupancy
- Modelling impacts on individual species, communities and ecosystems
- Conservation and management of threatened species
- Long-term ecological research and monitoring