Webinar: Can the platypus save our rivers?

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This webinar includes hand-picked case studies from across South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales where the elusive platypus is driving change in waterway management.

The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a truly unique animal that is fascinating to scientists and nature enthusiasts alike. Since colonisation, we have had limited insights into our impact on their distribution and abundance. However, the recent advent of environmental DNA analysis provides us with a non-invasive way to uncover if platypus are present in our local waterways.

As we further urbanise we are impacting their habitat, changing both the flow dynamics and water quality, which, in turn, affects their food supply – aquatic macroinvertebrates.

Come along and hear about some fascinating research on the good and bad impacts of urbanisation, the desire to re-introduce platypus back to the River Torrens in South Australia, and how Victoria is using smart water tanks to improve platypus habitat, when they need it most.

Speakers include:

Dr Tamielle Brunt, Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
Tamielle will enlighten us on the fascinating world of environmental DNA (eDNA) and its role in detecting cryptic species. Her presentation will focus on the PlatypusWatch eDNA project, a collaborative effort with local councils now in its eighth year. Learn what eDNA is, how it has been used to monitor platypus, and its influence on waterway management.