Survey: research priorities for conservation & natural resource management in Oceania

As conservation scientists, most of us hope to conduct research that will be useful to practitioners, and will ultimately “make a difference”. However, it remains unclear whether the areas towards which we are investing our research efforts will actually produce the information that conservation practitioners and natural resource managers need. Understanding the information that decision-makers … Continue reading Survey: research priorities for conservation & natural resource management in Oceania

SCB Oceania student awards 2015

SCBO are pleased to announce two student awards – one for the best Oceania student presentation at ICCB 2015, and one for the best student publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Prizes include free registration to SCBO Brisbane 2016! To be considered for the student presentation award, e-mail your ICCB presentation title and abstract to Vanessa … Continue reading SCB Oceania student awards 2015

SCB Approves Semi-Autonomy for Sections

SCB has been a global organization since 2002, but its seven regional sections remained part of a single U.S.-based fiscal entity. At its March 2015 board meeting, the Society’s board of governors realized that some sections have grown to the stage at which they could realize financial and organizational benefits by forming semi-autonomous organizations within … Continue reading SCB Approves Semi-Autonomy for Sections

Registration support available for members from Pacific Islands to attend ICCB 2015

iccb-eccb2015SCB Oceania have funds available to cover the registration fees for two members attending ICCB 2015 in Montpellier.
To be considered, please e-mail Rebecca with the subject “SCBO conference support” by 12 noon AEST on May 7th and include:
– proof of abstract acceptance
– whether you are a student
– whether you have secured travel funds to attend the conference, will have someone to present on your behalf, or would send a poster

Semi-autonomy of SCB Oceania

The Society for Conservation Biology has embarked on a new governance model for its regions across the world. This provides an opportunity for different regional sections to become autonomous. Some regions have increasingly wanted to move in this direction to grow identity and develop new programs, and Oceania is the furthest down this path. The global society, the Board of Governors and Executive Office as well as other sections, are providing a lot of support and watching with interest as we work through this process. In the last year, our Board has made a number of key decisions to progress this.

Survey Results: What you think of the Society for Conservation Biology?

The SCB Oceania Board sent out a survey last year to better understand the needs of our members. The survey included a range of topics: motivations for membership, how effective you think we currently are as a Society, and where you would like to see us invest our time and resources. Survey results will help … Continue reading Survey Results: What you think of the Society for Conservation Biology?

Sydney Chapter update: promoting communication between conservation projects and volunteers

SydneyChapterThe Sydney chapter of the SCB works to bring people together to enhance the outcome of conservation efforts in the area. One way do this is through our Conservation Café events, held monthly. To each café event, we invite a conservation professional who shares information about their work, their projects, and how people can get involved. So far it has been a huge success and we already have lots of keen speakers lined up for the rest of the year.

Cool new conservation science, April 2015

Three new papers that caught our eye:

Aaron MacNeil & colleagues’ analysis of fish declines in coral reefs shows that simple fishing limits and implementation of marine protected areas can be enough to support recovery of coral ecosystem resilience.
Christophe Cleguer & colleagues found a mismatch between important dugong habitats and marine protected areas in New Caledonia.
Megan Evans and colleagues found that assisting vegetation to grow back naturally could be a far more profitable way for farmers to lock in carbon than the more commonly considered method of planting trees and shrubs.

Recent policy submissions

In addition to preparing our own policy statements, SCBO frequently signs or authors policy statements relating to issues that we think are important to our membership. Here are three recent contributions: Science Statement of Support for a Network of Marine Reserves welcoming the Western Australian State Government’s commitment to create a Great Kimberley Marine Park … Continue reading Recent policy submissions

Board update: February 2015

We welcome the election of four new Board members, Monica Awasthy, Rosalynn Anderson-Lederer, Stacy Jupiter and Megan Evans, elected at the beginning of this year – congratulations. As well, Vanessa Adams should be congratulated as she was voted President-elect. Further, the membership approved of me completing a three year term (end of 2016) to ensure … Continue reading Board update: February 2015