A new study has cast doubt on claims that Homo naledi, a small-brained hominin dating to between 335-241,000 years ago, deliberately buried their dead and produced rock art in Rising Star Cave, South Africa.
Three pre-print articles published this year in eLife suggested the recent excavations at the Rising Star Cave system provided evidence of at least three burial features, two in the Dinaledi Chamber and a third in the Hill Antechamber cavity.
The articles claimed the features represented the earliest evidence of deliberate burial by a hominin species, and that Homo naledi lit up dark passageways using fire and intentionally carried the bodies of at least three individuals deep inside the Rising Star Cave system, dug pits, deposited corpses inside the pits, and covered the bodies with sediments.
Professor Michael Petraglia.
It was also claimed that the Hill Antechamber feature contained a stone tool in close proximity to the hominin hand.
However, a group of renowned experts with specialisations in biological anthropology, archaeology, geochronology, and rock art, have now called for a deeper dig into the science behind the findings in a first, peer-reviewed critique published in the Journal of Human Evolution (JHE).
Professor Michael Petraglia, DirectorGriffith University’s Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Professor Andy Herries from La Trobe University, María Martinón-Torres from the National Research Center on Human Evolution in Spain and Diego Garate from the University of Cantabria in Spain co-authored the peer-reviewed article.
The research team conclude the evidence presented so far was not compelling enough to support the deliberate burial of the dead by Homo naledi, nor that they made the purported engravings.
“We really need substantial additional documentation and scientific analyses before we can rule out that natural agents and post-depositional processes were responsible for the accumulation of bodies/body parts and to prove the intentional excavation and filling of pits by Homo naledi,” Professor Martinón-Torres said.
Moreover, Professor Petraglia added: “Unfortunately, there is a distinct possibility that the so-called stone artifact next to the hominin hand is a geofact, and not a product of stone tool flaking by Homo naledi.”
Professor Herries said: “There is no evidence that Homo naledi lit fires in the cave, purported buring locations could just be from manganese staining and charcoal within the cave remains to be dated. Charcoal from natural fires is not uncommon in caves.”
“Detailed analyses are also needed to demonstrate that the so-called ‘engravings’ are indeed human-made marks, as marks like these can be produced as a product of natural weathering or animal claws,” said Dr Garate.
The JHE commentary also offers a brief insight on the state of the field regarding the importance of responsible social communication and the challenges brought by new models of scientific publication.
New research from Griffith University’s School of Applied Psychology has investigated the effect criminalisation of Anabolic—Androgenic Steroid (AAS) use has on users’ ability to seek help.
Interviewing male and female AAS users as well as general practitioners, needle and syringe harm reduction workers and harm reduction coordinators, the study looked at ways to better support those affected.
Dr Tim Piatkowski
Research lead, Dr Tim Piatkowski said the criminalisation of AAS in Australia has led to a fear of legal consequences and stigmatisation, creating a complex environment for both AAS users and healthcare providers.
“It became apparent that the criminalisation component was really affecting choices around safer use for the study cohort,” he said.
“Healthcare providers and harm reduction coordinators all agreed it pushes AAS use further underground, which not only increases the risk of users engaging with criminal networks where they otherwise probably wouldn’t, but also removes them from medical care.
“People are scared to ask for help because of the law.”
In Queensland, the laws around steroids were changed in correlation with the VLAD laws (Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act 2013) which were designed to disrupt and dismantle illegal activities of outlaw motorcycle clubs, meaning steroids are still aligned with other schedule one drugs including methamphetamine and heroin.
The research outcomes suggest that by destigmatising use and reclassifying AAS in a manner similar to that of the United Kingdom’s Class C framework, it is possible to encourage safer use, empower users to make informed choices, and foster a more compassionate and health-centred approach to AAS use in Australia.
“The first step is to acknowledge there is quite a large illicit substance consuming group in Australia,” Dr Piatkowski said.
“The next step is to think, how can we look after their health?
“By addressing these issues and re-evaluating current policies, we can promote a more health-centred approach and reduce harm associated with AAS use.”
A Griffith-led study on the influence of pollution on the sex ratio of clutches of green sea turtles has found that it may compound the female-biasing influence of rising global temperatures.
Published in Frontiers in Marine Science, the researchers concluded that exposure to heavy metals cadmium and antimony and certain organic contaminants, accumulated by the mother and transferred to her eggs, may cause embryos to be feminized in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), a species already at risk of extinction from a current lack of male hatchlings.
Author Dr Arthur Barraza, a researcher at the Australian Rivers Institute at Griffith University.
“Green sea turtles are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, threatened with risk of extinction due to poaching, collisions with boats, habitat destruction, and accidental capture in fishing gear,” said author Dr Arthur Barraza, a researcher at the Australian Rivers Institute at Griffith University.
“But they also face another more insidious threat linked to climate change. Sea turtles’ embryos developing in their eggs have temperature-dependent sex determination, which means that more and more develop into females as temperatures keep rising.”
In the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef off Australia, hundreds of females are born for every male.
“Our research shows that the risk of extinction due to a lack of male green sea turtles may be compounded by contaminants that may also influence the sex ratio of developing green sea turtles, increasing the bias towards females,” Dr Barraza said.
“We studied the effects of pollution on the development of green sea turtles at a long-term monitoring site on Heron Island, a small coral sand cay in the southern Great Barrier Reef, where between 200 and 1,800 females come to nest every year.”
At the Heron Island study site, the sex ratio is currently more balanced than nearer the equator, with two to three females hatching for every male.
Conducted as part of WWF-Australia’s Turtle Cooling Project researching ways to counter the occurrence of female-bias nests at warm beaches due to climate change, the authors collected 17 clutches of eggs within two hours of being laid and reburied them next to probes recording the temperature every hour inside the nest and at the beach surface.
When the hatchlings emerged, their sex was determined and levels of the 18 metals, as well as organic contaminants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).
“These contaminants are all known or suspected to function as ‘xenoestrogens’ or molecules that bind to the receptors for female sex hormones,” said senior author Dr Jason van de Merwe, a marine ecologist and ecotoxicologist at the Australian Rivers Institute.
Dr Jason van de Merwe, a marine ecologist and ecotoxicologist at the Australian Rivers Institute.
“Accumulation of these contaminants by female turtles happens at foraging sites. As eggs develop within her, they absorb the contaminants that she accumulated and sequester them in the liver of the embryos, where they can stay for years after hatching.”
Although the final sex ratio varied between clutches, most nests produced predominantly female hatchlings, with the greater the amount of estrogenic trace elements, particularly antimony and cadmium, in the hatchlings’ liver, the greater the female bias within the nest.
“From these results we concluded that these contaminants mimic the function of the hormone estrogen, and tend to redirect developmental pathways towards females,” Dr Barraza said.
“As the sex ratio gets closer to 100% females, it gets harder and harder for adult female turtles to find a mate, which is particularly important in the face of climate change already making nesting beaches warmer and more female-biased.”
“Determining which specific compounds can change the hatchling sex ratios is important for developing strategies to prevent pollutants from further feminizing sea turtle populations,” Dr van de Merwe added.
“Since most heavy metals come from human activity such as mining, runoff, and pollution from general urban waste, the best way forward is to used science-based long-term strategies to reduce the amount of pollutants going into our oceans.”
This study was supported by funding from the World Wildlife Fund for Nature — Australia (WWF-AU)
The fact that the Gulf of Carpentaria region is seen as one of Australia’s iconic, pristine natural environments, full of wildlife and natural wonders, can lead to complacency when it comes to monitoring the health of these ecosystems over time.
Professor Michele Burford, of Griffith University’s Australian Rivers Institute.
A collaboration between Griffith University and the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (CLCAC) is helping to overcome this complacency by training groups of Traditional owners to take the lead monitoring and safeguarding fresh & marine waterways in the Gulf of Carpentaria region.
Aquatic systems, such as wetlands, lakes, rivers and streams, groundwater seeps and estuaries can suffer from water quality problems, both natural and manmade, which impact drinking water supplies, and the animals and plants that live in these systems. There is also increasing pressure from water development, which can impact on waterway productivity and health.
Traditional owners have lived in northern Australia for tens of thousands of years and have a deep knowledge and connection to these aquatic systems, and a desire to protect them.
In the southern Gulf of Carpentaria lands, the CLCAC undertake ranger programs support the health of the lands and waters, which stretch from the lower Gilbert River to the Queensland/Northern Territory border, including the Wellesley Islands. Their program now includes water quality monitoring in both marine and freshwater lakes, wetlands, rivers and estuaries, thanks to a collaboration CLCAC initiated with Griffith University researchers.
This program involved identification of sites either of particular significance and/or where there is concern about water quality.
“We developed a monitoring program tailored for each ranger group,” Professor Burford said.
“Currently, three ranger groups are now conducting their own regular monitoring of the region, with the training of one more group soon to begin.”
Training groups of Traditional owners to take the lead monitoring and safeguarding fresh & marine waterways in the Gulf of Carpentaria region
The water quality data collected is entered directly into a database while on site, making it quicker and easier to scan the data for quality control, and examine sites of particular concern.
This type of monitoring by traditional owners provides a means of looking at long term trends of related to factors that may affect water quality, such as agricultural development or climate change.
“Already monitoring by Griffith-trained traditional owners has revealed sites with high nutrient levels after large rain events in the wet season,” Professor Burford said. “High nutrient loads in waterways has the potential to cause algal blooms.”
“Through monitoring by traditional owners, we have also discovered sites with low dissolved oxygen levels late in the dry season as water levels drop, which can affect the ability of fish to breathe and may even lead to fish kills.”
The accumulating data the monitoring the health of fresh & marine waterways can be linked directly with attributes of particular significance and important habitats to traditional owners in this region.
For example, water quality can be linked with the sustainability of stocks of fish and crustacean species which are culturally important and/or provide a supplementary food supply for traditional owners in the region.
“It is hoped that this project will provide a starting point for a wider and ongoing collaboration to support environmental management in the unique Gulf country,” Professor Burford concluded.
Failing forward
The national outage of Optus’ broadband and mobile networks was widely reported to wreak havoc across Australia, resulting in 10 million unhappy customers and major operational disruption for metro rail, hospitals, and major banks.
Impacts on regional and remote communities drew significantly less attention from the media than urban areas. Reports have emerged, however, of regional Optus customers flocking to their local McDonalds for free Wi-Fi and queuing at Telstra shopfronts to switch providers.
More sobering is the fact that if this outage had occurred one week prior–amid catastrophic fires burning across Queensland’s interior–an inability to coordinate response efforts via Optus mobile networks could have threatened lives.
“… if this outage had occurred one week prior – amid catastrophic fires burning across Queensland’s interior – an inability to coordinate response efforts via Optus mobile networks could have threatened lives.”
Interruptions to services are common in remote areas
While the outage came as a rude shock to many Australians, interruptions to broadband and mobile services are not uncommon outside of Australia’s major cities and regional centres.
Rural communities regularly endure interruptions to both mobile and broadband service, from congestion and slow speeds during peak periods to complete telecommunications isolation for days and even weeks.
As just one example, in January this year the Northern Peninsula Area and most of the Torres Strait in Far North Queensland experienced a 4-day outages of Telstra’s fixed line and mobile services, resulting in residents being unable to access cash from ATMs or call 000.
The comparative unreliability of remote telecommunications services is underpinned by aging infrastructure, extreme weather conditions, dependency on remote energy supplies, and higher incidences of flood, cyclone, and fire.
Normalised neglect of remote telecommunications failures
The regularity of interruption to telecommunications services in remote areas can necessitate consumers purchasing additional hardware and services to create redundancy. This ensures business, education, healthcare, and crisis response can continue if the primary connection fails.
For example, as well as having NBN satellite or fixed wireless broadband, many remote households ‘layer up’ with a second (or more) connection, such as 4G mobile broadband (where is available) or Starlink (low orbit satellite or LEO).
Mitigating the impacts of unreliable telecommunications services in this way places an unfair financial and administrative burden on remote consumers. And those least able to access and afford this redundancy are likely to be the most vulnerable, such as First Nations communities and people living with disability.
These redundancy practices normalise remote broadband and mobile outages, keeping them largely invisible to most Australians.
It is a bitter irony that telcos themselves are not required to have failover options; other essential utilities like water and energy are more strongly regulated than telecommunications.
Failing forward: Holding telcos to account
The Optus outage has drawn fierce attention to the ubiquity and fragility of mobile and broadband connectivity as an essential service for all Australians. Pleasingly, a federal government inquiry into the Optus outage will include all major telcos and ask broader questions, not just about what happened this time, but how we can prevent it happening in the future..
This enquiry presents a rare opportunity to assess the impacts and possible redundancy options for outages in every part of our county—remote and urban—concurrently. On this occasion, remote Australia can be included in the nation’s strategic redirection for telecommunications development, rather than being auxiliary to it.
Communications Minister Rowland’s forthcoming review of the Universal Service Obligation—which awards Telstra $300 million per year to ensure all Australians have access to a fixed phone services and payphones—is a further opportunity to shake up the telcos and hold them more accountable for the essential services they provide, particularly in remote Australia.
Redundancy and sovereignty in remote telecommunications infrastructure
I recently wrote that Australia’s last-mile, market-led approach to remote telecommunications development will, by definition, reach our most remote and vulnerable populations last. A new approach is needed to ensure equity is “baked in” to new policies, programs, and investments in the wake of the Optus outage.
The Commonwealth’s triennial Regional Telecommunications Review in 2024 will no doubt shed light on the role emerging technologies such as 5G and low orbit (LEO) satellite can play in providing more robust and equitable services. Excitingly, this may include enterprise-grade, low-latency broadband satellite connections and 100% mobile coverage across our vast continent.
However, given their experiences last week, Australians should expect the Commonwealth to be cautious about continuing to rely on telcos and market-led solutions to digitally future proof our nation.
Despite the lure of LEOs sweeping remote Australian communities and businesses, the Commonwealth must maintain at least arms-length sovereignty of the infrastructure—terrestrial or satellite—underpinning our baseline voice and data services.
If it fails to do so, a catastrophic failure of Starlink or OneWeb satellites, or corporate collapse of these multinational corporations, may supersede last week’s calamity.
Author
Dr Amber Marshall is a Lecturer in Management at Griffith University. Her research focuses on digital inclusion and rural development. Drawing on management and communication sciences, she employs socio-technical theoretical perspectives to investigate how individuals, organisations, and communities become digitally connected and adopt digital technologies. Her research interests also include digital AgTech and data, digital inclusion ecosystems, remote telecommunications infrastructure (both technical and social), and digital skills and capability development.
For the fourth consecutive year, Griffith University’s Business School (GBS) has ranked number one overall in the Top 40 Corporate Knights’ 2023 Better World MBA ranking.
The ranking recognised Griffith’s Master of Business Administration Program (MBA) as a world-class, values-led educator which imparts holistic purpose in tomorrow’s leaders.
Griffith Business School MBA Director Professor Stephanie Schleimer.
GBS MBA Director Professor Stephanie Schleimer said the win is recognition for Griffith’s highly regarded MBA program.
“This year, the program has been compared to the world’s most progressive MBA programs and the Griffith MBA came out on top once again!” Professor Schleimer said.
“I am overjoyed by this achievement because it’s a celebration of our unique curriculum and how we embrace sustainable values in all our core courses.
“The ranking also measured the impact of Griffith MBA graduates this year, finding 48 per cent of recent graduates from our fully flexible MBA are influencing society through values-led roles.
“I would like to thank our wonderful staff who work passionately to continuously improve all aspects of the MBA program and who genuinely care for our Griffith MBA community.”
Supporting pharmacy best practice
Emergency contraception, sometimes misleadingly referred to as the ‘morning after’ pill, is used by women, and individuals presumed female at birth, to protect against unintended pregnancy. The need for emergency contraception might result from contraceptive failure (condom breakage, missed oral contraceptive pills), lack of contraception or sexual assault. Women seeking emergency contraception from their local pharmacist are sensibly trying to protect themselves from the potentially devastating consequences of an unintended pregnancy and they display a degree of bravery to seek out the support of health professionals. Contemporary pharmacists should be well trained to manage these consultations with empathy, compassion, and professionalism. However, these traits shouldn’t include stigmatising the patient through the use of intrusive checklists.
What information does a pharmacist need?
Oral emergency contraception entails provision of one of two different Pharmacist-Only medicines: levonorgestrel or ulipristal. These medicines are time-sensitive with their approved effectiveness limited respectively to 72 and 120 hours, following unprotected intercourse. To establish the therapeutic need, safety and appropriateness of the supply, pharmacists need to take sensitive and detailed personal, medical, menstrual, and sexual history from a patient. Required information includes how long since the unprotected sex occurred, whether there is any likelihood of unintended conception having occurred earlier in the same menstrual cycle, and detailed medical and medication history. To establish whether potential drug interactions or contraindications exist for either of the medicines, these questions (ideally) are asked during a private and consented face-to-face consultation.
The limits of checklists
Patient assessment checklists, requesting answers to some of these questions, were first established in Australia in 2004, when levonorgestrel became the first oral emergency contraceptive to become available without prescription.
Professional pharmacist organisations provided education for pharmacists and developed supportive documents, including guidelines and check lists, to help pharmacists best manage the newly available emergency contraceptive. Research on the use of checklists published a decade ago identified that the patient assessment check lists were well accepted by pharmacists and their staff.
However, in the decades since, generations of pharmacy graduates are now fully conversant in these medicines and well-trained in communication techniques to sensitively interview their patients without use of a physical check list.
Since 2022, guidelines for pharmacists on emergency contraception, published by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, have discouraged the use of a check list or form to gather information, acknowledging that patients and their representatives can perceive them as barriers to care.
” … generations of pharmacy graduates are now fully conversant in these medicines and well-trained in communication techniques to sensitively interview their patients without use of a physical check list. “
Obligations and best practice
It was disappointing to read of one patient’s negative experience following a recent pharmacy request for emergency contraception in which the use of such a check list, and the lack of acknowledgement and support offered in response to her honest confession of having been sexually assaulted, left her frustrated.
A pharmacist’s first priority is the health and wellbeing of the patient, as per the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists, and professional guidelines recommend offering support and assistance if there is reason to believe that the patient has been a victim of sexual assault. Patients may be encouraged to consult a doctor or sexual assault service and can be provided with information to access the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or at 1800respect.org.au.
Pharmacists must meet a multitude of legal and professional obligations in their everyday practice but simply handing a patient a questionnaire or check list form to complete somewhat depersonalises the interaction and lacks an individualised patient focus. It also treats emergency contraception differently to other Pharmacist-Only medicines, which include other emergency medicines such as salbutamol inhalers (Ventolin®) and adrenaline auto-injectors (Epipen®).
It is hoped that potentially stigmatising check lists are becoming a relic of history, being replaced by more empathetic in-person pharmacist history-taking and counselling, which should provide patients with sensitivity and support.
Author
Denise Hope is Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice in the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences at Griffith University. Denise has been a practising Pharmacist for over 35 years.
Climate change is impeding the human rights of a large group of people living in the Pacific, a recent report in Nature reveals.
The paper substantiates a submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legal responsibility of countries to act on climate change.
Evidence gathered in Vanuatu supports a clarification on loss and damage finance which could activate powerful legal tools to hold polluters accountable.
Research Fellow at the Griffith University Climate Action Beacon, Dr Ross Westoby.
Research Fellow at the Griffith University Climate Action Beacon, Dr Ross Westoby said the report explores how climate-induced loss and damage in the Pacific is already occurring and outlines what can be done in response.
“Our findings show loss and damage to fundamental human rights is already occurring, will worsen, and undermine the right to a life of dignity,” Dr Westoby said.
“Bringing a human rights lens to climate change is new and seeks to shift the focus and attention onto the individual experiences of those suffering its impacts.
“If we don’t share the burden of mitigation and adaptation, we must share responsibility for violating someone’s human rights.
“At the national level, human rights impact assessments can inform national and sectoral policy planning and budgeting, ensuring climate policies align with affected peoples’ needs and rights and that effective redress is established with transparency and accountability.
“The detailed findings on the nature of and the experiences of loss and damage should inform climate policy, guiding international and national activities on what should be funded and targeted for effective redress and adaptation.”
Researchers found the most severe loss and damage now undermining the rights of Ni-Vanuatu are related to the right to a healthy environment and the ability to own, use, develop and control lands.
The high impacts on rights to property and communal assets, standard of living, and family and social cohesion are also affected.
Yams in baskets for sale at the Port Vila markets, Vanuatu 2018 Image Credit: Ross Westoby
Examples of climate-induced loss include:
Loss of traditional medicines that impact people’s identity, health, human life, and well-being
Loss of infrastructure and precious cultural heritage such as gravesites due to flooding of low-lying areas, which also causes salinisation of freshwater tables and impinges on potable water
Reef degradation, increased coral bleaching and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish are a result of increased ocean temperatures and ocean acidification, which cascades into diminishing fishing resources and marine wildlife losses
Loss of identity and loss of traditional and cultural food sources is a result of the cascading effects of climate change affecting people’s diet, and human health
“An example and symbol of the cascading effects of climate change on human rights is the destruction of the yam,” Dr Westoby said.
“The yam is a traditional root crop and staple food widely used in Vanuatu and elsewhere in the Pacific Islands region and is the primary commodity of value for exchange.
“Rituals, rites, and customs of the yam are the main social fabric that binds kinship groups, tribes, communities, and society.”
Recommended approaches for addressing climate change impacts on human rights with the active participation of those most affected include:
Investment in education to improve recovery capacity and resilience and empower people to act and understand their rights
Recording and safeguarding Indigenous knowledge for future generations
Promoting cultural continuation to ensure the transmission of meanings, values, and historical traditions through generations
Building resilience through post-disaster planning to restore infrastructure and societal systems
Preservation of socio-ecological systems which underpin culture, community, well-being, and identity
The article authors include Karen E. McNamara, Rachel Clissold, Ross Westoby, Stephanie Stephens, George Koran, Willy Missack and Christopher Y. Bartlett.
A groundbreaking discovery has been made in the heart of the world-renowned Great Barrier Reef and unique reefs systems of the Coral Sea and Lord Howe Island, leading to a greater understanding of how the world heritage-listed landmark is protected.
Associate Professor Guillermo Diaz-Pulido.
An international team of marine scientists, led by Griffith University, has identified and officially named four species of algae new to science, challenging previous taxonomical assumptions within the Porolithon genus. The discovery has far-reaching implications for our understanding of the ecological role of these algae in the coral reef ecosystem.
“These algae are responsible for cementing the delicate frameworks of coral reefs, sustaining marine biodiversity in the shallow margins of tropical and subtropical waters.”
Traditionally, branched, fruticose Porolithon specimens found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean were identified as Porolithon gardineri, while the massive, columnar forms were known as P. craspedium.
Credit: Andrew Hoey, James Cook University
However, the recent study conducted by scientists from Griffith, James Cook University, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and the USA and Korea revealed a remarkable discovery: neither P. gardineri nor P. craspedium was present in the eastern Australian waters. Instead, these specimens have been found to belong to four distinct genetic lineages.
The four newly discovered species have been officially named as follows:
Porolithon lobulatum sp. nov.: With branched forms and lobed free margins, this species is found in the Coral Sea and on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The name refers to the plant having lobed free margins.
Porolithon parvulum sp. nov.: Characterised by short (<2 cm) and unbranched protuberances with attached margins, this species is restricted to the central and southern GBR. The name is explained by the word parvulus of Latin origin meaning small.
Porolithon pinnaculum sp. nov.: Exhibiting a mountain-like, columnar morphology, with specimens up to 10 cm tall, this species occurs on oceanic Coral Sea reefs. The Latin word pinnaculum means pinnacle, in reference to the presence of branches in the form of pinnacles.
Porolithon howensis sp. nov.: This species forms columnar protuberances up to 3cm tall and is predominantly found at Lord Howe Island. The species name honours the type locality of Lord Howe Island.
Credit: G. Diaz-Pulido
“In addition to their unique DNA sequences, these new species can be distinguished based on a combination of features, including their thallus growth form, margin shape (attached or unattached), and internal anatomy,” said Dr Soyoung Jeong, first author of the study.
“This important discovery challenges our understanding of the algae within the Porolithon genus, emphasising the need for further exploration and conservation of the Great Barrier Reef and its unique inhabitants,” Associate Professor Diaz-Pulido said.
The discovery of these new species not only adds to the rich biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef and other remote coral reef areas, but also highlights the importance of continuous research and conservation efforts.
Porolithon species are very sensitive to the impacts of ocean acidification and warming, and it is urgent that we recognise and document this diversity given the potential risks of losing this diversity to climate change.
“We can’t protect what we don’t know,” Associate Professor Diaz-Pulido said.
“These findings are crucial for preserving and protecting the delicate balance of this unique and fragile ecosystem.”
The study was funded by the Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS), with support from the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP), the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and Parks Australia. The study was also supported by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and the specimens have been deposited in the Queensland Herbarium.
Griffith Business School celebrated industry partners, alumni and the wider business community at their Better Business Dinner on Friday, 3 November, at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
‘For me, tonight’s event epitomises the value proposition of a Griffith Business School that is deeply engaged and working with our key partners in government, industry and business in the communities we serve – to have significant impact,’ Professor Caitlin Byrne, Pro Vice Chancellor (Business) said. ‘We look forward to enabling transformative business leadership — and cultivate change agents that will serve the interests of people and planet and for generations to come.’
The School’s industry showcase event saw the School’s business, academic, alumni and student community come together to network, celebrate and be challenged by keynote speaker, summer and winter Paralympian Jessica Gallagher, to think differently and change the way we see the world.
Jessica challenged guests to open their minds to fear and agility, to see these moments as opportunities to learn and grow. As a Paralympic Alpine ski racer, getting ready to hurtle over 100 km/hour down a mountain with a guide as her eyes she shared how ‘trust truly matters in the moments when it’s the hardest to hold onto’ and how ‘success is underpinned by the people you work with.’
Lifelong learning was also celebrated at the dinner as guests learned about Griffith Advantage the new professional development offering for managers and leaders. Professor Rosemary Stockdale explained that Griffith Advantage offers “tailored management and leadership development solutions, focused on creating responsible leaders empowered with the practical skills they need to succeed.’ She said the School is ‘excited to bring these new programs, backed by Griffith Business School’s world-class education and research to organisations of all sizes and for managers across all stages of their career’
An important part of the evening was announcing the School’s Outstanding Industry Partner of the Year, an award which recognises a partner who share Griffith Business School’s purpose led agenda with a focus on sustainable business, inclusive economic growth and fostering future change makers. This year the winner was Major Events Gold Coast (MEGC).
‘Our relationship with Griffith Business School started when Sarah Gardiner and Leonie Lockstone-Binney, from Griffith Institute for Tourism reached out to us seeking opportunities to embed high-impact research into our business practice’ said Avril Harris, Director, Corporate and Partnerships, MEGC.
‘Our partnership has continued, across research pilot projects, federal and state government grant bids, strategy development, industry research and cross-collaboration engagement opportunities – including participation in the inaugural Western Pacific Mass Gathering Events and Health Symposium last year’.
‘We so value the partnership with MEGC. This partnership has long term impacts for our students, through work-integrated learning opportunities, which has resulted in Griffith Graduates making up 23% of MEGC workforce’, said Professor Caitlin Byrne, Pro Vice Chancellor (Business).
UniSuper were proud to again support the event as a silver partner. ‘As the fund for Australia’s thinkers, creators and investigators, we are pleased to support Griffith Business School in their mission to nurture and shape the future of business and future generations of great thinkers. We know that anything is possible when great minds come together, and Griffith’s Business School delivers on that promise’ said UniSuper’s Manager, Employer Partnerships Matt Adams.
Professor Byrne closed the evening calling on guests to continue to join the school in creating better business for a brighter future.
If you would like to find out how we can collaborate to support Griffith Business School students and research, please contact [email protected]
