MINING billionaire Andrew Forrest has gifted a staggering $65 million - believed to be the nation's largest single philanthropic donation - to attract the world's best minds to Western Australia's universities.
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OVERFISHING is putting sea cucumbers in a pickle on the Great Barrier Reef, marine biologists say.
Sydney University's Professor Maria Byrne and Dr Hampus Eriksson, a post-doctoral researcher at Stockholm University, say more than 24 sea cucumber fisheries have closed in recent years.
Over 70 per cent of tropical sea cucumber fisheries are now considered depleted, fully exploited or over-exploited.
After analysing catches in the Great Barrier Reef over the last 20 years, the researchers say sea cucumber fishing is now showing worrying signs of being unsustainable.
"Sea cucumbers play a vital role in reef health and our previous research indicates that they may help reduce the harmful impact of ocean acidification on coral growth," Prof Byrne said in a statement.
"The crown-of-thorns starfish is often singled out as responsible for the decline in the barrier reef.
"This work suggests that overfishing of ecologically important species such as sea cucumbers, may have also contributed to this decline."
Dr Eriksson said that with declining catches of high value sea cucumber species, Australian fishers had turned to other, lower value species, which were also being overfished.
"Pursuing profits by targeting abundant species which sell for less while continuing to fish scarce high-value species is a pathway to their extinction," Dr Eriksson said.
Prof Byrne said further studies were needed to understand the impact of declining sea cucumber numbers on the reef.
"We recommend introducing precautionary reductions in sea cucumber fishing," she said.
THE Newman Government has bet on up to three new mega casinos to reclaim Queensland's status as an international tourism mecca.
COMPO fraudsters could face up to five years' jail, but those injured on their way to or from work will continue to be covered as part of an overhaul of the state's worker's compensation scheme.
WELCOME to your new clubhouse boys... there's no TV, no gym and prisoners are kept in their cells for 23 hours a day.
DURING the first week of the election campaign, a smiling Peter Beattie and Kevin Rudd worked hard to convince Queenslanders they were the best of mates.
A HSC-STYLE exam in senior mathematics and science subjects has been recommended for Queensland school students by a state inquiry.
A MAN has been arrested after trying to get into Buckingham Palace with a knife, Scotland Yard says.
The 44-year-old was held around 11.30am on Monday (2130 AEDT Monday) when he attempted to get through the north centre gate and was stopped by police.
Officers searched him and he was found to have a knife.
He was arrested on suspicion of trespassing on a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon and is in custody.
Buckingham Palace said the Queen was not in the building when the man tried to get in, but would make no further comment.
THE Newman Government has bet on up to three new mega casinos to reclaim Queensland's status as an international tourism mecca.
COMPO fraudsters could face up to five years' jail, but those injured on their way to or from work will continue to be covered as part of an overhaul of the state's worker's compensation scheme.
WELCOME to your new clubhouse boys... there's no TV, no gym and prisoners are kept in their cells for 23 hours a day.
DURING the first week of the election campaign, a smiling Peter Beattie and Kevin Rudd worked hard to convince Queenslanders they were the best of mates.
A HSC-STYLE exam in senior mathematics and science subjects has been recommended for Queensland school students by a state inquiry.
THE Newman Government has bet on up to three new mega casinos to reclaim Queensland's status as an international tourism mecca.
COMPO fraudsters could face up to five years' jail, but those injured on their way to or from work will continue to be covered as part of an overhaul of the state's worker's compensation scheme.
WELCOME to your new clubhouse boys... there's no TV, no gym and prisoners are kept in their cells for 23 hours a day.
DURING the first week of the election campaign, a smiling Peter Beattie and Kevin Rudd worked hard to convince Queenslanders they were the best of mates.
A HSC-STYLE exam in senior mathematics and science subjects has been recommended for Queensland school students by a state inquiry.
THE Newman Government has bet on up to three new mega casinos to reclaim Queensland's status as an international tourism mecca.
COMPO fraudsters could face up to five years' jail, but those injured on their way to or from work will continue to be covered as part of an overhaul of the state's worker's compensation scheme.
WELCOME to your new clubhouse boys... there's no TV, no gym and prisoners are kept in their cells for 23 hours a day.
DURING the first week of the election campaign, a smiling Peter Beattie and Kevin Rudd worked hard to convince Queenslanders they were the best of mates.
A HSC-STYLE exam in senior mathematics and science subjects has been recommended for Queensland school students by a state inquiry.
