Sperm whales (Physeter microcephalus) are odontocetes—a categorization for toothed whales and dolphins. Sperm whales are the largest of the odontocetes, with females weighing up to 15 tons (13,607 kg) and males weighing up to 45 tons (40,823 kg). They inhabit all oceans of the world.…
The rivers of the Wet Tropics in northeast Australia are perennial, meaning that they flow throughout the year. The Little Mulgrave River (shown above) is one of these perennial flowing rivers, and a tributary to the Mulgrave-Russell River complex that ultimately empties into the Great…
Dams, like the one pictured above, can have detrimental effects on freshwater ecosystems and their connectivity. The dam above is the Prairie du Sac, which sits on the Wisconsin River, and fragments connections between the Wisconsin River and downstream Mississippi River (140 km downstream as…
Amphidromous fishes, those that live in streams as adults, whose larvae drift to sea, and migrate back to streams as young, are distributed in coastal systems around the world. Many of these species remain poorly understood by science, because they are small and transient but…
The Camargue is located in the South of France between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône River delta. The region is famous for the extensive coastal wetlands it supports. A few weekends ago my partner and I decided to take our…
Many species, like Tandanus tandanus (pictured above) can be cast in a negative light because they aren’t aesthetically pleasing to the human eye or because they have barbels, stingers, venom, or look creepy-crawly. Many of Nature’s ‘misfits’ hideout, often in dark or low light areas, or…
After spending seven years living in northern Australia, I have become quite fond of their unique wildlife! In fact I am often invited to give lectures on Australia’s freshwater fishes because of my excitement about these taxa, their ecology and their habitats! I am also a…
Humans impact Earth and it’s natural systems. Emissions from the production of goods and from travelling by car, boat, train and plane have contributed to rising greenhouse gas emissions in Earth’s atmosphere. Consequently, climate patterns across the globe are changing, and over the last several…
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