CMS Director Prof Gretta Pecl recently sat down with CMS member Matt Testoni on the Seacreatures Podcast to talk about squid!
Listen here: Episode 51: Squid with Gretta Pecl
In this episode Matt chats to squid and climate scientist Gretta Pecl all about the amazing world of squid! From their bizarre and various mating behaviours to why their skin and ink is so cool. If you love squid facts this is the episode for you!
Check out Gretta's citizen science project REDMAP here:
https://www.redmap.org.au/
Gretta's squid articles here:
https://www.redmap.org.au/article/squid-the-biology-basics/
https://www.redmap.org.au/article/squid-mating-calamari-nuptials/
and Gretta's Youtube special all about these cephalopods here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKqRAaxsykw
Visit the Seacreatures Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/seacreatures_podcast/
Check out Matt Testoni's photography on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/matt_testoni_photography/
or at
https://www.mtunderwatermedia.com
The recent workshop, co-hosted by CMS, convened a diverse group of experts, including teams from various CSIRO business units, alongside researchers from the University of Tasmania, Queensland University of Technology, the University of Queensland and others. The event aimed to address the evolving role of artificial intelligence in socio-ecological modelling and to prepare the community for the changes and opportunities that are on the horizon with the advancement of AI technologies.
Participants engaged in thought-provoking sessions and breakout discussions, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of end-to-end AI modellers, and the degree of trust that should be placed in AI. These discussions also explored the skills required to effectively work with AI in the field, how to sustain existing expertise, and the potential for specialized AI to support human efforts. Looking forward, the workshop examined strategic pathways for AI in ecosystem modelling, the possibility of unique collaborations with technology leaders, and preparations for changes anticipated over the coming years.
The workshop's primary objective was to start the conversation around how to safely incorporate AI into scientific modelling workflows, and to produce a manuscript that will provide guidance for other socio-ecological modellers. This document aims to offer a clear direction for the community as it adapts to the increasing presence of AI in research and practice, ensuring that the field remains capable of adapting to the accelerating pace of technology advance.
Image: Participants at the AI-Ecosystem Modelling Workshop in June 2024, co-hosted by CMS.
By Dr Danilo Urzedo (CSIRO)
Summary: Digital advancements are increasingly influencing knowledge production to suggest ways of enhancing the efficiency and precision of conservation practices and policies. From environmental big data to generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), a rising number of technological conservation developments are designed and deployed to inform decisions, mobilise participation, and automate labour-intensive tasks. By drawing on Global South perspectives of decoloniality, this talk will present formulations on environmental data justice and how data-driven AI tools shape the legitimacy of conservation expertise. While these conservation technologies seek to facilitate the accessibility and effectiveness of informed decisions, data-driven AI systems can also reinforce or exacerbate power asymmetries and critical injustices. This talk will emphasise the case of chatbot developments and their associated epistemic consequences for conservation decisions across varied contexts and sites.
Eight CMS members from Hobart attended the Marine Socio-Ecological Systems Symposium (MSEAS) in Yokohama, Japan, from June 5-7. The MSEAS meeting, which has been endorsed by the UN as a UN Ocean Decade event, was eagerly awaited, having been delayed from 2020 by COVID19. It more than lived up to the anticipation!
The tagline for MSEAS was ‘navigating global change in the marine environment’. It bought together contributions from 250+ of our research colleagues from 30+ countries, on topics such as the integrated assessment of multiple ocean uses across sectors, including fisheries, renewable energy, coastal development, oil and gas, transport, and the need for conservation and stewardship. Emphasis was on the methodological and empirical challenges involved in including the human dimensions in integrated approaches to modeling and assessments to support stewardship of social-ecological systems. Over half the attendees at the Symposium identified as Early Career, and they bought exciting energy to the meeting. It also made the meeting a great venue for connecting with the next generation of research leaders and building their awareness of the exciting work being led through CMS.
CMS’s leadership in marine social-ecological systems and integrated ocean stewardship shone brightly throughout the symposium, with opening remarks from Alistair Hobday, plenary presentations by Jess Melbourne Thomas and Emily Ogier, and contributed talks from CMS members throughout the week. Research from CMS also featured prominently in several of the plenaries from international colleagues and was recognised as being at the leading edge of best practice in modelling and assessment to operationalise ecosystem-based management of marine socio-ecological systems.
Sessions were lively and interactive, with thought-provoking discussion about equity and expectations for the development of the Blue Economy in increasingly crowded oceans. There are many different views across the blue planet, and our approaches in Australia will need to avoid mistakes made elsewhere as we develop solutions to ocean crowding.
Photo caption: CMS members from Hobart at MSEAS 2024 in Yokohama. Back (L-R) Stewart Frusher, Rowan Trebilco, Kelly Hoareau, Alistair Hobday, Front (L-R) Rosa Maria Canedo Apolaya, Jess Melbourne-Thomas, Brigette Wright, Emily Ogier
Congratulations to CMS Director Prof Gretta Pecl on being recognised in the King’s Birthday 2024 Honours List!
The Order of Australia recognises Australians who have demonstrated outstanding service of exceptional achievements.
Gretta has been appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant service to science, particularly ecological research, and to tertiary education.
This is a wonderful achievement, and recognition of someone truly dedicated to her work in climate and marine science. Well done and congratulations!
See all the King’s Birthday 2024 Honours List here: https://www.gg.gov.au/kings-birthday-2024-honours-list
Congratulations to CMS student Olivia Dove, who was the winner of the Heather & Christopher Chong Community Service & Volunteering Award at the Tasmania Young Achiever Awards!
Olly Dove is a dedicated advocate for science communication in lutruwita/Tasmania, having volunteered across four years in fostering engagement and celebration of STEMM professionals and students. As host and co-manager of That’s What I Call Science and co-founder of not-for-profit, STEMM Communicators Australia Ltd, Olly spends her free time working hard to produce episodes, with the show now having passed 225 episodes. In 2023, the team excitingly received national recognition with a prestigious Eureka Prize. Alongside the show, Olly also volunteers at other science events, performing and presenting for school groups and the public.
See all award recipients here: https://www.awardsaustralia.com/young-achiever-awards/tas/current-winners
CMS member Dr Aysha Fleming co-authored on a recent publication for The Conversation We’re helping farmers access future climate projections as easily as checking the weather
Brief extract:
"How often do you check your local weather forecast? How about your local climate projections for 2050? For many farmers, the answer to the first question is all the time. But the answer to the second is almost certainly less than that, even though this information is crucial for understanding climate-related risks and opportunities on their patch.
We know climate change could slash Australian farm profits by as much as 32% if agriculture continues as usual. Fortunately, farmers are very good at adapting to other challenges. Developing a better understanding of how the climate will change over the coming decades will help farmers prepare and adapt.
The decision-making process will vary depending on the location and the nature of the business, but it will become increasingly important to engage and respond to climate-related risks. These may include drought, flood, fire, extreme heat or greater rainfall variability. The changing climate can also present opportunities, such as being able to branch out into growing crops or varieties not previously suited to that area.
We wanted to present this information to farmers in a more engaging and meaningful way. So we designed a free tool called My Climate View."
CMS members Dr Kathryn Willis and Dr Denise Hardesty co-authored on a recent publication for The Conversation, If plastic manufacturing goes up 10%, plastic pollution goes up 10% – and we’re set for a huge surge in production
Brief extract:
"In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon emissions budget. Most of the plastic we make ends up as waste. As plastic manufacturers increase production, more and more of it will end up in our landfills, rivers and oceans. Plastic waste is set to triple by 2060.
Producers often put the onus back on consumers by pointing to recycling schemes as a solution to plastic pollution. If we recycle our plastics, it shouldn’t matter how much we produce – right? Not quite. The key question here is how close the is relationship between plastic production and pollution. Our new research found the relationship is direct – a 1% increase in plastic production leads to a 1% increase in plastic pollution, meaning unmanaged waste such as bottles in rivers and floating plastic in the oceans."
By Regina Weiss (Derwent & Tamar Chambers)
Summary: 'Ecocide' refers to the destruction of the environment by humans, which is thought to have found its origins in the description of the use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War. Fast forward more than half a century and the Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide has proposed the legal definition for 'Ecocide' to be the "unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts". Global discussions are underway for the crime of Ecocide to become a crime for which individuals can be held criminally responsible before the ICC, with recent support from the European Union and other States to do so. Regina discusses in an open forum at IMAS topics including jurisdiction of the crime of ecocide before the ICC, the proposed definition, where it should sit in the ICC's governing treaty - the Rome Statute, procedural/evidentiary considerations and the obligations of Member States including Australia if it were included in the Rome Statute.
Bio: Regina Weiss is a Tasmanian barrister who previously served as prosecution trial lawyer at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for nine years on cases emanating predominantly from east Africa before returning to Tasmania in 2021. Since her call to the Bar, Regina was listed on the exclusive ICC List of Counsel for Victims and Defence and is the ICC Bar Association (ICCBA) Focal Point on sexual and gender-based violence. Regina was recently appointed as Chair of the ICCBA Working Group on Ecocide, which was formed to consider key issues and provide advice in the international arena on the proposed inclusion of the crime of Ecocide in the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court, the Rome Statute.
In response to early career researcher (ECR) requests for leadership training and advice to be made available at an earlier point in their career development than usually offered, CMS developed a unique research leadership training course in 2023 for our emerging ECR cohort. The aim of the CMS Future Ocean Leaders training was to equip our emerging interdisciplinary researchers with the skills, relational awareness, and personal/interpersonal insights needed to become and to be effective leaders across different levels of research, collaboration, and career stage.
The training brought together over 20 CMS ECRs from diverse backgrounds – including ecology, social science, economics, and psychology - to connect and learn about theirs’ and others’ leaderships styles in an open collaborative environment. Participants developed leadership skills and confidence and connected with a growing cohort of ECRs who will continue to meet and host training events regularly over 2024.
The three-module course was delivered over October-December 2023, allowing ECRs time to absorb and apply their training, and to reflect and learn together over a longer period:
1 – Leadership Fundamentals
2 – Working in teams
3 – A) Leadership and character
B) Leadership panel session
The final module included an interactive research leader panel session, with several senior research leaders and lots of opportunity for Q & A. The opportunity to ask questions of senior leaders was requested by ECRs to deepen connections made through their training, facilitate networking opportunities, and cement shared learning amongst the CMS ECR cohort and with more senior CMS researchers.
CMS ECRs expressed very positive feedback on the Future Ocean Leaders course content and training overall. Their reflections highlighted the value of these kinds of interdisciplinary interactions, particularly peer-to-peer learning and increased self-awareness.
Together, the cohort has established key aims and a schedule for furthering their leadership understanding and practice in 2024, including:
Image: Leadership panellists, Dr Alistair Hobday (CSIRO and CMS Steering Committee member), Prof Melissa McHenry (UTAS) and Prof Gretta Pecl (CMS Director), with Dr Rachel Kelly (CMS Knowledge Broker) and some of the CMS ECR cohort in December 2023.
