Latest news with #UniversityofTechnologySydney
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Science
- 7NEWS
Inside the lab trying to save the Great Barrier Reef
Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on the planet and home to a vast array of species. But in recent years it has been hit by a series of devastating mass bleaching events, turning the vibrant colours of parts of the reef a bright white. Across the world, corals are suffering a similar fate, with more than 80 per cent of the ocean's reefs hit by an ongoing global bleaching event that began in 2023, due to record high marine temperatures. Bleaching can be deadly, as the corals are depleted of the algae that live inside them and act as a food source. The effects can be catastrophic; while coral reefs occupy just 0.01 per cent of the ocean floor, they support a quarter of all marine life, as well as providing people with food and livelihoods, and helping to reduce storm surge and protect against erosion. At the UN Ocean Conference this month, 11 countries signed a pledge to protect climate-resilient reefs, and, separately, governments and partners pledged $A38.2 million to a global fund for coral reefs. Ultimately, if coral reefs are to be saved, efforts to curb ocean warming by reducing carbon emissions need to be stepped up, but scientists are also searching for other solutions to keep coral reefs alive in a warming world. At the University of Technology Sydney, scientists from the Future Reefs team are searching for 'super corals' — species that are naturally more resilient to environmental changes, such as high temperatures, acidity or low oxygen levels. One of the program's goals is to identify these corals, discover what methods they are using to survive, and use them as a blueprint to support other corals in the harsher environments of the future. 'We have a focus on trying to understand reef resilience in a changing environment,' says Dr Emma Camp, marine biologist and leader of the Future Reefs team. 'How do we build coral resilience to survive the stresses they're going to inevitably face? But also, how can we as humans use technology and science to support corals to make them more resilient?' Searching for super corals Camp first discovered 'super coral' species growing in mangrove lagoons, which are naturally hot and acidic. Since then, she says the team has found up to 40 of these hardy species growing in different environments across the globe. Now, their focus is on finding them within the Great Barrier Reef. '(We want) to identify coral species with greater heat tolerance, but that are still able to maintain other traits that are really critical: we want them to be fast growers, we want them to provide good habitat for other organisms living on the reef,' Christine Roper, a postdoctoral researcher on the team, said. During expeditions to the Great Barrier Reef, the team collects and analyses specific coral species. They carry out real-time heat tolerance testing on the samples using a special phenotyping machine that helps to predict which coral has the best chance of survival as water temperatures rise. They also take fragments of coral back to the lab, where they can extract DNA and conduct more extensive tests. Once they've identified a stress-tolerant species, the Coral Nurture Program — a project co-founded by Camp that works with local tourism operators and indigenous communities to replant corals at scale — propagates it on coral nurseries which they have established at different locations across the Great Barrier Reef, before 'outplanting' them on the reef to help restore areas that have been affected by bleaching. Since the program's inception in 2018, over 125,000 corals have been outplanted across the Great Barrier Reef — off Cairns, Port Douglas and the Whitsundays — with a survival rate of 85 per cent. But restoring areas of the Great Barrier Reef is no easy task. It has almost 3,000 individual reefs and covers 344,400 square kilometres, and as of April 2024, as much as 60 per cent of its reefs had recently been exposed to potential bleaching. The team is hopeful that areas where outplanting has taken place are already showing visible signs of recovery. Other labs around the world are developing similar solutions, also with promising results. The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) has been using artificial selection and selective breeding to grow heat-tolerant corals, reporting that genetic interventions can work, but with varying success between species. The UK's University of Newcastle has also selectively bred corals that it says can better survive marine heatwaves, although it is yet to conduct large-scale trials in the wild. Studies have shown that traditional coral restoration efforts can be undone within a few years if there is a bleaching event, but by planting heat-resilient corals the Coral Nurture Program hopes the restoration will be able to withstand future events. 'By focusing our efforts on identifying and increasing the abundance of heat-tolerant corals in the population, we optimize our efforts by ensuring those populations will be more resilient to future heat stress events,' Roper said Scaling up The major challenge — be it with naturally or selectively bred corals — is how to scale up the process of planting, which is labour-intensive and costly, requiring people to dive down to the reef and plant the corals by hand. That's why the focus of the Coral Nurture Program has been to engage tourism operators and local communities. 'We can build scale by having pockets of communities undertaking these actions,' Camp said. It collaborates with seven tourism operators on the Great Barrier Reef, including Wavelength Reef Cruises, so that snorkelling trips to the reef paid for by tourists double up as outplanting expeditions. On these trips, members of the crew — who are all trained divers and marine biologists — outplant coral, tend to nurseries and conduct surveys of the area. The team at Wavelength helped to establish the program with Camp and has also been integral in operating coral nurseries along the reef and collecting data on coral health. Even so, there is a limit to how much can be achieved just through outplanting tough coral species. The Future Reefs team is also exploring other solutions, including whether feeding corals different food or vitamins could change their heat tolerance. Corals feed by extending tentacles out from their body to catch microscopic food particles. Past research has shown that feeding corals zooplankton — tiny animals that float near the surface of the water — after a bleaching event can help to boost resilience, as can growing corals on substrates infused with metal nutrients such as manganese and zinc. But such methods have not yet been tried on a large scale. 'Despite knowing a lot about corals, we know relatively little about coral nutrition,' Camp said. 'This, to me, is an area where research and science can really help us advance restoration practice by understanding more about what the corals fundamentally need to survive through stress.' Though in its early stages, the team back in the laboratory in Sydney has experimented with feeding corals foods such as microscopic brine shrimp fed with different types of algae, and adding certain metals or vitamins to the water that the corals will absorb. The goal is to develop a supplement that could give corals extra nutrients when stressed, helping them survive or recover from mass bleaching events. 'It's like us as humans: when we are run down, we might take a supplement to give us a boost. It's the same with the corals,' Camp said, adding that this kind of solution would potentially be easy to scale and apply to reefs globally. 'It's these sorts of new ideas that we have to explore, and nothing can be off the table, because if we don't do something, the end result is going to be a loss of reefs around the world,' she said. While hopeful that scientific innovation and scalable solutions can provide some sort of stopgap for coral reefs, Camp warns that protecting them long-term comes down to tackling the cause of mass coral bleaching, which means reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating global warming. 'There's only so much we can do to buy time for the reef,' she said. 'We have to tackle climate change, because if the temperatures keep increasing, we're going to be asking too much of the corals to survive through the environment that they're being faced with.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Moon dust is less harmful than city air, new study shows
Scientists have found that moon dust is not as dangerous to human lungs as the pollution we breathe in cities. During the Apollo missions , astronauts experienced irritation from lunar dust that floated inside their spacecraft after moonwalks. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They described symptoms like sneezing, sore throats, and itchy eyes—what one called 'lunar hay fever.' But recent lab tests using moon dust replicas show that while this dust can irritate the lungs, it is less toxic than the tiny particles found in urban air pollution . This discovery is good news for future space missions, suggesting that moon dust poses less risk to astronauts' health than previously thought. Why moon dust was considered deadly Lunar dust is sharp and sticks easily to spacesuits because it's charged with static electricity. When astronauts returned to their landers, the dust became airborne and was inhaled. Apollo astronauts reported short-term respiratory problems, and medical teams noticed symptoms worsened with repeated exposure. This raised concerns about the long-term effects of breathing moon dust. What does the new study reveals about moon dust and air on Earth Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney used two types of lunar dust simulants—fake dust that mimics real moon dust from different parts of the lunar surface. These tiny particles were tested on human lung cells to see how they reacted. For comparison, the team also exposed lung cells to pollution particles collected from a busy city street. Findings of the test The moon dust caused some irritation, but it was much less harmful than city air pollution . Unlike dangerous dust like silica, which can cause serious lung diseases, lunar dust seems to only cause mild, short-term irritation. This means it's a physical irritant but not a highly toxic substance. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now What this means for space travel This research helps and other space agencies plan safer moon missions. Strategies like keeping dusty suits outside the habitat and using airlocks can reduce dust exposure. Knowing that moon dust is less toxic than city pollution makes it easier to protect astronauts' health during long stays on the lunar surface. In short, while moon dust can bother the lungs, it's not as harmful as the polluted air many people breathe every day on Earth. This is a positive step for astronauts preparing to visit and work on the moon.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Inhaling Moon Dust Is Somehow Less Toxic Than Urban Air Pollution
During the Apollo missions, NASA operated out of an abundance of caution to ensure that astronauts didn't track back by planet-threatening microorganisms from the Moon. However, the conditions on Earth might be more dangerous to human life in one specific way. A study by the University of Technology Sydney published last month found that moon dust was far less toxic to our pulmonary system than the air pollution someone would encounter in a city. The study suggests that inhaling moon dust won't cause long-term damage to our airways. Tests showed lunar material didn't trigger significant oxidative stress to lung cells, dissuading the fears provoked by the uncomfortable experiences of Apollo astronauts and other NASA personnel after the missions from a half-century ago. Now, if you're in the exclusive club of scientists with access to powdered lunar regolith, I wouldn't whip out your I.D. badge to start snorting lines of moon dust for a laugh. Michaela B. Smith, lead researcher and Ph.D student, said: "Any dust, if you inhale it, you'll sneeze, cough, and have some physical irritation. But it's not highly toxic like silica, where you end up with silicosis from being on a construction site for 10 years. It's not going to be something like that." Read more: These Should Be The Next Mail Trucks When The Post Office Gets Privatized The researchers emphasized the critical difference between mechanical damage and toxicity. Moon dust is still infamously abrasive. The study noted the irregular shape and rough edges of the dust. According to statically-charged lunar dust would stick to space suits during Apollo's moon walks. This became a serious issue when astronauts returned to the Lunar Module. Once inside, the dust would sting the crew's eyes, cause a sore throat and sneezing. The same thing would happen once the flight surgeon unpaced the suit back on Earth. This new research will be used for Artemis III, NASA's first crewed return to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. The mission is still scheduled for 2027 after numerous delays caused by development issues. However, the entire program has been jeopardized by the Trump administration's funding cuts and cancellation of the SLS rocket program. If Artemis continues, there are plans for a permanent human presence on the surface. Without the looming threats of long-term health issues, NASA could use moon dust to build its base on the surface. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
New approach needed to fulfil closing the gap promise
Governments are being urged to rethink their approach to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people if they are serious about closing the gap. While the Closing the Gap framework is sound, its implementation has been inhibited by inaction, an independent, Indigenous-led review found. The framework has been agreed to all Australian governments and is designed to address First Nations inequity. The report authors engaged with more than 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations across Australia for the review, said University of Technology Sydney's Jumbunna Institute director Lindon Coombes. "The feedback we got overwhelmingly through the process from Indigenous people was that we all shook hands, all levels of government agreed to this framework and we're not stepping away from it," Professor Coombes told AAP. "However, if it's going to fulfil its promise, the government needs to work differently with us." The review found imbalance of responsibilities and resourcing was impeding implementation, with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations doing the "heavy lifting" while being under-resourced. But the absence of appropriate communication and education about Closing the Gap efforts had led to community negativity about progress on the targets, the report said. Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council deputy chief executive David Harmer said too often there was "lip service" paid to the targets. "We spend a lot of time dutifully reporting to government about the work that we've been doing ... but that's not translating to practical action on the ground that people recognise as the benefit of the Closing the Gap agreement" he said. Mr Harmer urged the government in his state to work more closely with Indigenous organisations, saying there's a need for renewed commitment to getting the relationship right. "Governments arrive with an idea of what they want to deliver, 'consult' about it and then deliver the thing they'd already thought they were going to do," he said. "That can't continue if we're going to change things dramatically." Closing the Gap data, released by the Productivity Commission in March, showed just four of the 19 national targets are on track to be met, while another six have shown improvement. The review was commissioned by the Coalition of Peaks, which represents more than 80 Indigenous peak bodies across Australia. Acting lead convener Scott Wilson said when governments and community organisations worked in genuine partnership, there were tangible outcomes. "When we all come together and when everyone's on the same page and we're driving change, whether it's with community organisations or with a state or federal government you do have good outcomes and you do have change," he said. Prof Coombes said governments should "take heart" in the review, despite its criticisms, as it was an opportunity for change. "If the government read this report, considers the recommendations and starts self-reflecting on how they work and how they engage with Indigenous people, there's a really good opportunity to do things differently and better," he said. Governments are being urged to rethink their approach to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people if they are serious about closing the gap. While the Closing the Gap framework is sound, its implementation has been inhibited by inaction, an independent, Indigenous-led review found. The framework has been agreed to all Australian governments and is designed to address First Nations inequity. The report authors engaged with more than 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations across Australia for the review, said University of Technology Sydney's Jumbunna Institute director Lindon Coombes. "The feedback we got overwhelmingly through the process from Indigenous people was that we all shook hands, all levels of government agreed to this framework and we're not stepping away from it," Professor Coombes told AAP. "However, if it's going to fulfil its promise, the government needs to work differently with us." The review found imbalance of responsibilities and resourcing was impeding implementation, with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations doing the "heavy lifting" while being under-resourced. But the absence of appropriate communication and education about Closing the Gap efforts had led to community negativity about progress on the targets, the report said. Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council deputy chief executive David Harmer said too often there was "lip service" paid to the targets. "We spend a lot of time dutifully reporting to government about the work that we've been doing ... but that's not translating to practical action on the ground that people recognise as the benefit of the Closing the Gap agreement" he said. Mr Harmer urged the government in his state to work more closely with Indigenous organisations, saying there's a need for renewed commitment to getting the relationship right. "Governments arrive with an idea of what they want to deliver, 'consult' about it and then deliver the thing they'd already thought they were going to do," he said. "That can't continue if we're going to change things dramatically." Closing the Gap data, released by the Productivity Commission in March, showed just four of the 19 national targets are on track to be met, while another six have shown improvement. The review was commissioned by the Coalition of Peaks, which represents more than 80 Indigenous peak bodies across Australia. Acting lead convener Scott Wilson said when governments and community organisations worked in genuine partnership, there were tangible outcomes. "When we all come together and when everyone's on the same page and we're driving change, whether it's with community organisations or with a state or federal government you do have good outcomes and you do have change," he said. Prof Coombes said governments should "take heart" in the review, despite its criticisms, as it was an opportunity for change. "If the government read this report, considers the recommendations and starts self-reflecting on how they work and how they engage with Indigenous people, there's a really good opportunity to do things differently and better," he said. Governments are being urged to rethink their approach to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people if they are serious about closing the gap. While the Closing the Gap framework is sound, its implementation has been inhibited by inaction, an independent, Indigenous-led review found. The framework has been agreed to all Australian governments and is designed to address First Nations inequity. The report authors engaged with more than 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations across Australia for the review, said University of Technology Sydney's Jumbunna Institute director Lindon Coombes. "The feedback we got overwhelmingly through the process from Indigenous people was that we all shook hands, all levels of government agreed to this framework and we're not stepping away from it," Professor Coombes told AAP. "However, if it's going to fulfil its promise, the government needs to work differently with us." The review found imbalance of responsibilities and resourcing was impeding implementation, with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations doing the "heavy lifting" while being under-resourced. But the absence of appropriate communication and education about Closing the Gap efforts had led to community negativity about progress on the targets, the report said. Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council deputy chief executive David Harmer said too often there was "lip service" paid to the targets. "We spend a lot of time dutifully reporting to government about the work that we've been doing ... but that's not translating to practical action on the ground that people recognise as the benefit of the Closing the Gap agreement" he said. Mr Harmer urged the government in his state to work more closely with Indigenous organisations, saying there's a need for renewed commitment to getting the relationship right. "Governments arrive with an idea of what they want to deliver, 'consult' about it and then deliver the thing they'd already thought they were going to do," he said. "That can't continue if we're going to change things dramatically." Closing the Gap data, released by the Productivity Commission in March, showed just four of the 19 national targets are on track to be met, while another six have shown improvement. The review was commissioned by the Coalition of Peaks, which represents more than 80 Indigenous peak bodies across Australia. Acting lead convener Scott Wilson said when governments and community organisations worked in genuine partnership, there were tangible outcomes. "When we all come together and when everyone's on the same page and we're driving change, whether it's with community organisations or with a state or federal government you do have good outcomes and you do have change," he said. Prof Coombes said governments should "take heart" in the review, despite its criticisms, as it was an opportunity for change. "If the government read this report, considers the recommendations and starts self-reflecting on how they work and how they engage with Indigenous people, there's a really good opportunity to do things differently and better," he said. Governments are being urged to rethink their approach to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people if they are serious about closing the gap. While the Closing the Gap framework is sound, its implementation has been inhibited by inaction, an independent, Indigenous-led review found. The framework has been agreed to all Australian governments and is designed to address First Nations inequity. The report authors engaged with more than 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations across Australia for the review, said University of Technology Sydney's Jumbunna Institute director Lindon Coombes. "The feedback we got overwhelmingly through the process from Indigenous people was that we all shook hands, all levels of government agreed to this framework and we're not stepping away from it," Professor Coombes told AAP. "However, if it's going to fulfil its promise, the government needs to work differently with us." The review found imbalance of responsibilities and resourcing was impeding implementation, with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations doing the "heavy lifting" while being under-resourced. But the absence of appropriate communication and education about Closing the Gap efforts had led to community negativity about progress on the targets, the report said. Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council deputy chief executive David Harmer said too often there was "lip service" paid to the targets. "We spend a lot of time dutifully reporting to government about the work that we've been doing ... but that's not translating to practical action on the ground that people recognise as the benefit of the Closing the Gap agreement" he said. Mr Harmer urged the government in his state to work more closely with Indigenous organisations, saying there's a need for renewed commitment to getting the relationship right. "Governments arrive with an idea of what they want to deliver, 'consult' about it and then deliver the thing they'd already thought they were going to do," he said. "That can't continue if we're going to change things dramatically." Closing the Gap data, released by the Productivity Commission in March, showed just four of the 19 national targets are on track to be met, while another six have shown improvement. The review was commissioned by the Coalition of Peaks, which represents more than 80 Indigenous peak bodies across Australia. Acting lead convener Scott Wilson said when governments and community organisations worked in genuine partnership, there were tangible outcomes. "When we all come together and when everyone's on the same page and we're driving change, whether it's with community organisations or with a state or federal government you do have good outcomes and you do have change," he said. Prof Coombes said governments should "take heart" in the review, despite its criticisms, as it was an opportunity for change. "If the government read this report, considers the recommendations and starts self-reflecting on how they work and how they engage with Indigenous people, there's a really good opportunity to do things differently and better," he said.
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
New approach needed to fulfil closing the gap promise
Governments are being urged to rethink their approach to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people if they are serious about closing the gap. While the Closing the Gap framework is sound, its implementation has been inhibited by inaction, an independent, Indigenous-led review found. The framework has been agreed to all Australian governments and is designed to address First Nations inequity. The report authors engaged with more than 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations across Australia for the review, said University of Technology Sydney's Jumbunna Institute director Lindon Coombes. "The feedback we got overwhelmingly through the process from Indigenous people was that we all shook hands, all levels of government agreed to this framework and we're not stepping away from it," Professor Coombes told AAP. "However, if it's going to fulfil its promise, the government needs to work differently with us." The review found imbalance of responsibilities and resourcing was impeding implementation, with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations doing the "heavy lifting" while being under-resourced. But the absence of appropriate communication and education about Closing the Gap efforts had led to community negativity about progress on the targets, the report said. Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council deputy chief executive David Harmer said too often there was "lip service" paid to the targets. "We spend a lot of time dutifully reporting to government about the work that we've been doing ... but that's not translating to practical action on the ground that people recognise as the benefit of the Closing the Gap agreement" he said. Mr Harmer urged the government in his state to work more closely with Indigenous organisations, saying there's a need for renewed commitment to getting the relationship right. "Governments arrive with an idea of what they want to deliver, 'consult' about it and then deliver the thing they'd already thought they were going to do," he said. "That can't continue if we're going to change things dramatically." Closing the Gap data, released by the Productivity Commission in March, showed just four of the 19 national targets are on track to be met, while another six have shown improvement. The review was commissioned by the Coalition of Peaks, which represents more than 80 Indigenous peak bodies across Australia. Acting lead convener Scott Wilson said when governments and community organisations worked in genuine partnership, there were tangible outcomes. "When we all come together and when everyone's on the same page and we're driving change, whether it's with community organisations or with a state or federal government you do have good outcomes and you do have change," he said. Prof Coombes said governments should "take heart" in the review, despite its criticisms, as it was an opportunity for change. "If the government read this report, considers the recommendations and starts self-reflecting on how they work and how they engage with Indigenous people, there's a really good opportunity to do things differently and better," he said.
