Ecological Society of Australia

Ecologists everywhere we go 👀🔍🐸 Of course we'll have a look!

📸 sohampmehta on IG

#ecology #ecologists #naturelovers #hiking #wildlifephotography

Web Inception: Small Australia Spiders Construct Orb Webs in the Aerial Webs of Larger Hosts Some spiders construct aerial webs which not only allow the web hosts to capture prey from the air but provide novel habitat that other spiders can exploit. In this study, we report on smaller orb-we...

New Natural History Note in Austral Ecology:

"Small Australia Spiders Construct Orb Webs in the Aerial Webs of Larger Hosts"

@ecolsocaus.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1111/aec....

A toucan with a vibrant orange bill stands on reddish-brown soil, surrounded by sparse green plants, under soft sunlight.

New Natural History Note in Austral Ecology:

Geophagy (soil ingestion) in an Upper-Forest Frugivore, the Toco Toucan

@ecolsocaus.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1111/aec....

This is part a) of the papers figure with the caption "(a) Cephalotes atratus (Linnaeus, 1758) carrying a conspecific; Manu National Park, Peru (photo courtesy of Paul Bertner). (b) Aphantochilus rogersi O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871, carrying a C. atratus corpse; Sani Lodge, Ecuador (photo courtesy of Sani Lodge, Coca, Ecuador). These images document observed instances of ant carrying in both the model and the spider and are provided to illustrate the configurations recorded, without implying that these represent consistent or typical orientations in either species." The images shows a black ant holding another smaller black ant over its head

This is part b) of the papers figure with the caption "(a) Cephalotes atratus (Linnaeus, 1758) carrying a conspecific; Manu National Park, Peru (photo courtesy of Paul Bertner). (b) Aphantochilus rogersi O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871, carrying a C. atratus corpse; Sani Lodge, Ecuador (photo courtesy of Sani Lodge, Coca, Ecuador). These images document observed instances of ant carrying in both the model and the spider and are provided to illustrate the configurations recorded, without implying that these represent consistent or typical orientations in either species." The images shows a black crab spider holding a similar sized black ant over its head

New Natural History Note in Austral Ecology:

Ant-mimicking crab spiders may exploit social ant behaviour to safely prey on them.

The paper suggess that the Neotropical crab spider A. rogersi mimics nestmate transport. 🐜🕷️ 🧪🌍
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@ecolsocaus.bsky.social

EXECUTIVE OFFICER @ ESA CLOSING 13 MARCH Join the ESA! We’re on the hunt for our new Executive Officer. The Ecological Society of Australia (ESA) is the peak group of ecologists in Australia, representing members from across Australia who work in universities and other research organisations, government agencies, NGOs, private industry and consultancies. We are a national not-for-profit organization formed in 1959. The Executive Officer works alongside the ESA Board to deliver on the Society’s strategic plan, is responsible for day-to-day running of the organisation, and serves as the primary contact point for the Society.

ECOLOGY LEAD @ EMM CONSULTING CLOSING 28 FEBRUARY Want to lead a truly special team of Ecology specialists and shape the strategic direction of ecology solutions in WA? We’re looking for someone to build long-term relationships with existing and new clients who place value on innovation and deep expertise. You’ll collaborate closely with our broader multidisciplinary teams to bring Ecological expertise to help shape our strategy for WA.

PHD IN SOIL MICROBIOMES, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND ONE HEALTH @ FLINDERS UNIVERSITY, SA CLOSING 31 MARCH This 3.5 year PhD scholarship, starting mid 2026, is supporting an ARC funded research project: Unearthing the critical roles of microbiomes in soil health. The project will examine the functional roles of microbiomes across cropping, pasture and native vegetation; build knowledge on links between soil microbiomes and livestock gut microbiomes; and develop new indicators of soil carbon trajectories. There will be some flexibility to shape PhD studies depending on student interests, including possibly extending into the fields of One Health and ecosystem restoration.

AUSTRALIAN ECOLOGY RESEARCH AWARD Want to be a Keynote speaker at ESA’s annual conference? Contribute an article for publication in Austral Ecology? The AERA award conferred by the Ecological Society of Australia (ESA) is not restricted to any particular sector, and aims to recognise outstanding ecological research. Nominations of researchers from academia, and the public and private sector agencies are invited.

🪱 OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECOLOGISTS | FEBRUARY 🪱⁠
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Check out this round-up of exciting jobs and scholarships - including here at the ESA!⁠
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👉 Swipe for more and see details online now: tinyurl.com/yrbb43b8
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#EnvironmentalJobs #Grants #Hiring #ecology #EthicalJobs

A kākāpō chick in a nest with an egg. Credit: Deidre Vercoe

The first #kakapo chick for four years hatched two days ago (on Valentine’s Day for those who like to anthropomorphise!). Here’s Tiwhiri-A1-2026 in Yasmine’s nest. 📸: Deidre Vercoe. www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-r... #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots #birds

The Australian Ecology Research Award is now open for applications!

Benefits of being an AERA recipient:
- Keynote speaker at ESA’s annual conference
- Recognition and promotion of contributions to ecology
- Invitation to contribute to Austral Ecology

www.ecolsoc.org.au/grants-award... #ecology

screenshot of my post

Big new blogpost!

My guide to data visualization, which includes a very long table of contents, tons of charts, and more.

--> Why data visualization matters and how to make charts more effective, clear, transparent, and sometimes, beautiful.
www.scientificdiscovery.dev/p/salonis-gu...

It's Wrensday Wednesday!
I haven't taken any fairywren photos recently, so here's one I prepared earlier. A splendid fairywren at Gluepot.
#wrensday

You want to go fast: go alone. You want to go far: go with others. You want neither: go with ecologists 😜⁠
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📸 @eatgrowlearn.withsophie ⁠on IG
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#ecology #naturelovers #earthygirl #hiking #ecologists

You need a lot of confidence to rock a hairstyle like this 😆
A pink cockatoo at Kinchega National Park, New South Wales.

The importance of wetlands

... wetlands are being drained even today, as we've discovered for ourselves while ground-truthing potential habitat for the endangered Australasian bittern.

Find out exactly why the disappearance of our wetlands matters here – www.ramsar.org/about/our-mi... [2/2]

#WorldWetlandsDay #Tasmania

Evening light on a lagoon in northeastern lutruwita/Tasmania – with reeds in the foreground, clear water in the mid-ground and misty pasture and trees further in the distance.

Today is World Wetlands Day, around the world. It marks the signing of the intergovernmental Ramsar Convention on Wetlands by most countries, including Australia, in 1971. Unfortunately... [1/2]

📷 Blackmans Lagoon, Waterhouse
We recorded Australasian bittern boom calls (=breeding) here this season

Endangered species bouncing back Vulnerable species on Kangaroo Island are bouncing back to an estimated 90-100% thanks to a 380-hectare "predator-free" enclosure erected by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.

Cemetary refuge for orchids Critically endangered orchid, Diuris flavescens, thrives as historical NSW Mid North Coast cemetery provides habitat refuge. The plants don’t appear anywhere else in the world!

It's breeding szn for Rare Kākāpō Critically endangered, nocturnal, flightless parrot Kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus) is breeding for the first time in four years in New Zealand.

New discoveries, rediscoveries and endangered species back from the brink! 🦜 #goodnews #ecology

Good news for not-so-good times

New devil bee discovered A new species of native bee with devil-like "horns" has been discovered in Western Australia's Goldfields. Dubbed Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer by bee scientist Dr Kit Prendergast.

Extinct plant found online Ptilotus senarius, believed to be extinct for 60 years, was snapped by horticulturalist Aaron Bean and rediscovered by botanist Anthony Bean when uploaded to citizen science platform iNaturalist, proving it can act as a catalyst for new discoveries.

🐝 Good ecological news for not-so-good times 🐝⁠
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There's a lot happening for both people and the planet right now. Let's unclench our jaws, relax our shoulders and remind ourselves of the wins that are happening too! ⁠
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#ecology #goodnews #happynews #bees

🍁Funding for new PhD students ($40k/yr) & postdocs ($70k/yr) coming from outside Canada. Contact me if interested in #Ecophysiology at #UBC in #Vancouver! Possible topics: leaf physiology, thermal ecology, microclimate, scaling, tree physiology, forest ecology, more! michaletzlab.org
Please share!

Conservation Operations Officer - Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, WA Closing 9 February Are you passionate about flora conservation? Do you want to live and work in one of Australia’s last remaining biodiversity strongholds? Then do we have the job for you! As the Conservation Operations Officer – Flora, you will work with a small, well-resourced team of like-minded people to implement monitoring and research projects across Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) managed protected areas in the Kimberley. $95,782 – $100,526 p.a. plus Superannuation

PHD opportunity in plant ecophysiology - Adelaide University, SA Closing 15 February We are looking for an PhD candidate to join an exciting research project focused on understanding heat and drought combined impacts on threatened plants’ mortality. This is a critical issue in Australia and worldwide as climate change is intensifying, leading to hotter droughts and increasing extinction risks for many species. The project will involve a substantial amount of fieldwork, glasshouse and laboratory work, as well as data analysis and writing throughout. $36,500 AUD p.a. SCHOLARSHIP + $3,000 AUD p.a. top up

Research Fellow Quantitative Ecologist - La Trobe University, VIC Closing 5 February Join a dedicated team of scientists within the Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems. We require a quantitative ecologist with skills/experience in statistical and quantitative modelling. The successful candidate will contribute to projects on flow-ecology relationships and habitat suitability modelling for freshwater organisms and will be comfortable working with large datasets, including spatial information, hydrologic data and survey records. $114,855 – $135,633 + 17% superannuation

Honours project on Mirnong restoration - RMIT, VIC Closing 31 January In collaboration with the Taungurung Land and Waters Council, we are looking for Honours students to explore factors influencing successful restoration of a favourite food plant, Mirnong (Micoseris walteri). We have capacity to develop one or more projects to analyse the soil physicochemical, microbial and environmental conditions that best support Mirnong establishment in culturally managed landscapes. The work will be a mix of lab work (microbial, soil), field work (sampling, measuring of plants and soils) and greenhouse experiments.

🦜 OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECOLOGISTS 🦜

Looking for a new role or research opportunity? Check out this round-up of exciting jobs and scholarships for ecologists and students.
⁠
👉 Swipe for more and see details online now: www.ecolsoc.org.au/opportunities/
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#EcologyCareers #Hiring #ecology #EthicalJobs

Come and work with us! Please share widely!
Applications close 18 January 2026 at 11.55pm.

www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...

@ecolsocaus.bsky.social @deakinuniversity.bsky.social

And that's a wrap! A huge thank you to all of the delegates, presenters, esteemed guests, exhibitors and sponsors who made this such a special week. We couldn't do this without you, your enthusiasm and shared drive for a resilient future.

Pictured are some #ecologicalfashion model shots 📸 #ESA2025

A massive thank you to @ecolsocaus.bsky.social for the "Next Generation Ecologist" Award and for having me give a plenary (😵‍💫). A whirlwind of a week

Congratulations to the ESA Gold Medal Award winner Dr Suzanne Prober 👏 #ESA2025

#FlipTheBeetle 🪲 #ESA2025

Judy has matched her dress colour to the mustard yellow cane toad on her title slide

A once in a lifetime chance to stop the toad invasion. 'Working with Country to save Country' - Martin Bin Rashid, Karajarri

Cane toads are advancing on WA's unique Pilbara region. @judydunlop.bsky.social and her team have a plan to stop them!

@ecolsocaus.bsky.social #ESA2025 🌏 we're hearing about the Toad Containment Zone - creating a waterless barrier across the Pilbara to stop the invasion.
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'We don't have time to despair'. Great thoughts from @drphilmccormack.bsky.social at #esa2025 Rocking talk, and so important that we influence the laws on how we treat and manage nature

Phil on stage in front of her title slide 'Laws that take us somewhere... good?'

Good law is at least little subjective

"Ferocious love" of the places & things we care about

@drphilmccormack.bsky.social frames her work in environmental law and climate justice through her love of nature, which we share @ecolsocaus.bsky.social #ESA2025 🌏

In the context of biodiversity law-making and word limits, of course 😅 #ESA2025

Fungi, algae and flowers might be different kingdoms but Phillipa doesn’t want to hear it!! #ESA2025

James on stage in front of his title slide, which reads 'Mobilising private land conservation to secure Australia's ecological future

James speaks to slides which suggest a paradigm shift from protect jewels to protect + restore + manage

This morning @ecolsocaus.bsky.social #ESA2025 James Brazill-Boast shares the impact that private land conservation can have.
60% of Australia = privately owned!
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He highlights we need to move away from the idea that conservation only protects 'jewels', to one where we also restore the shabby bits.

Koala was “just having a jump” 😅 #ESA2025

Is this a peer-reviewed study? 😅 Dr James Brazill-Boast in his presentation on private land conservation on day 4 of #ESA2025