Latest
These articles are the latest published in the journal. Pacific Conservation Biology is published under a continuous publication model. More information is available on our Continuous Publication page.
PC25045Orchid losers and winners after fire in West Australian urban bushland: a response continuum deeply integrated with other traits
Fire history responses were measured for 17 orchids in south-western Australian urban banksia woodland. Some were highly tolerant and flowered more after fire, but others were less common or absent, as explained by their biology. Orchid diversity increased for four decades after fire. Fire must be carefully managed in orchid habitats.
PC25045 Abstract | PC25045 Full Text | PC25045PDF (6.7 MB) | PC25045Supplementary Material (311 KB) Open Access Article
PC25023Knowledge and attitudes about deforestation: testing strategies to change attitudes
Attitudes towards environmental protection is important but can be difficult to change and lack of knowledge can provide barriers. This study measures people’s knowledge of local deforestation and tests how this and other strategies can change these attitudes. Results suggest knowledge is low, but attitudes can be changed by providing information.
PC25023 Abstract | PC25023 Full Text | PC25023PDF (2.8 MB) | PC25023Supplementary Material (1.2 MB) Open Access Article
PC25018Guiding principles for conserving reptiles in Australian temperate agricultural landscapes
Australia’s reptiles are declining but farms hold the key to saving them. This review highlights how agricultural practices have largely overlooked reptiles, despite their sensitivity to habitat change. By synthesising decades of research, this paper provides practical strategies for landholders to make farming wildlife-friendly, with global implications for biodiversity conservation.
PC25018 Abstract | PC25018 Full Text | PC25018PDF (444 KB) Open Access Article
PC25011Increasing Pacific Islander research and authorship in the academic literature








This Pacific-centric perspective piece outlines strategies aimed at dismantling systemic barriers faced by Pacific researchers when designing and conducting research, writing manuscripts and publishing in the academic literature. We highlight pathways for greater inclusion of Pacific scholars in academic publishing to which Global North researchers, academic journals and funding agencies can contribute.
PC25011 Abstract | PC25011 Full Text | PC25011PDF (567 KB) Open Access Article
PC25029Deriving a population estimate for Eld’s deer (Rucervus eldii siamensis) in Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary, Cambodia
A subspecies of Eld’s deer (Rucervus eldii siamensis) has a strong-hold in Cambodia; however, populations are small. We used camera traps during the dry season to assess if this sampling tool could be used to estimate population size. We designed a methodology to successfully produce a population estimate that can be used to monitor the status of this subspecies and inform conservation management.
PC25029 Abstract | PC25029 Full Text | PC25029PDF (1.3 MB) Open Access Article
PC25006Transnational shark trade: personal baggage and postal seizures in Australia and New Zealand
Sharks are threatened with extinction globally due to overfishing driven by trade. However, there is little understanding on transit and potential illegal trade of shark products in Oceania, including the contribution of Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand, considering the proximity to the ‘hub’ of the shark fin trade in Southeast Asia. Further investigating links between countries and improving recorded species information are crucial to support monitoring and regulation of the trade of sharks and endangered species.
PC25006 Abstract | PC25006 Full Text | PC25006PDF (1.3 MB) | PC25006Supplementary Material (837 KB) Open Access Article
PC25019Predation on the threatened Carnaby’s cockatoo (Zanda latirostris) by feral cats (Felis catus)
Feral cats (Felis catus) predated Carnaby’s cockatoo (Zanda latirostris) nesting adult females, their nestlings, and eggs during a study in remnant woodland in the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia. The predation impact on annual cockatoo nesting effort ranged from 5.2 to 24.1%, suggesting that cats are a significant threat by reducing the survival of adult breeding females and recruitment of fledglings.
PC25019 Abstract | PC25019 Full Text | PC25019PDF (7.1 MB) Open Access Article
PC25008Automated methods for processing camera trap video data for distance sampling
Camera traps offer a cost-effective way to track wildlife but the large amounts of data camera traps produce hinders their usage. This barrier can be overcome using machine learning to automatically classify data and generate population density estimates. This approach could enable widespread wildlife monitoring to assess biodiversity trends.
PC25008 Abstract | PC25008 Full Text | PC25008PDF (552 KB) | PC25008Supplementary Material (1.9 MB) Open Access Article
PC24101Invasive rodent eradications in French Pacific islands: a critical analysis of past efforts

French Pacific Island territories are home to unique biodiversity, threatened by invasive rodents. This study reviews 85 eradication projects across 77 islands since 1982. Adopting a strategic approach with clear island prioritisation and enhanced local capacities is essential to achieving sustainable eradications and protecting the French Pacific Islands unique biodiversity.
PC24088Ecology, conservation, and future perspective of walking sharks (Hemiscyllium spp.) in Indonesia
Walking sharks (Hemiscyllium spp.) are endemic species in the Indo-Pacific region. Threatened by fishing, habitat loss, and the aquarium trade, they received legal protection in Indonesia in 2023. However, further conservation actions such as expanding Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), habitat restoration, and captive breeding are essential for their long-term survival and sustainable management.
PC25013Satellite-tracked movements of juvenile great egrets (Ardea alba) and plumed egrets (Ardea plumifera) from the Macquarie Marshes in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia

Understanding bird movements is critical for conserving their populations and habitats. We satellite-tracked the movements of 18 juvenile egrets (Ardea spp.), describing where, when, and how quickly they flew. This included tracking a non-stop flight from Australia to Papua New Guinea that took approximately 38 h. This information is useful for prioritisation of management resources for wetlands and waterbirds.
PC25013 Abstract | PC25013 Full Text | PC25013PDF (5.1 MB) | PC25013Supplementary Material (4 MB) Open Access Article
PC24079Influence of landscape features on the distribution of the vulnerable frog species Mixophyes iteratus in the Tweed Valley, northern New South Wales, Australia
Little is known about how landscape scale features influence frog distribution; this is especially the case for the vulnerable frog species Mixophyes iteratus. This study surveyed M. iteratus occurrence and counts over the Tweed Valley of northern New South Wales, Australia to determine if there was a relationship with landscape features. Occurrence was biased towards the western part of the Tweed Valley and counts were higher in conservation reserves. Conservation efforts should focus on micro-habitat features in areas with low- to mid-count predictions.
PC24079 Abstract | PC24079 Full Text | PC24079PDF (4.7 MB) | PC24079Supplementary Material (361 KB) Open Access Article
PC24081Restoration thinning has minor and temporary effects on understorey fuels in a regrowth eucalypt floodplain forest under conservation management
Thinning is sometimes used to reduce fire risks during forest restoration but its efficacy in Australian eucalypt forests is uncertain. We undertook experimental thinning in a previously logged river red gum forest. We found that regrowth tree density did not substantially affect understorey fuels and thinning did not change fuel hazard ratings. Thus, thinning did not reduce or increase fire risk during the study.
PC24081 Abstract | PC24081 Full Text | PC24081PDF (947 KB) | PC24081Supplementary Material (5.6 MB) Open Access Article
PC23060Demand for fish swim-bladders driving inshore dolphin populations in Papua New Guinea towards local extinction

Inshore dolphins in Papua New Guinea are facing local extinction because of by-catch in gillnets targeting fish swim-bladders (‘fish maw’). The lucrative nature of this fishery creates an significant hurdle to conservation programs. The mortality rate of inshore dolphins is unsustainable and is causing populations to decline. Demand for fish maw as a luxury food and medicine is threatening many marine species worldwide.
This article belongs to the collection: Marine Mammals in the Pacific.
Just Accepted
These articles have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication. They are still in production and have not been edited, so may differ from the final published form.
Home ranges and use of built resources by feral cats (Felis catus) in Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, Australia

Genetic differentiation and population connectivity of humpback whales migrating through Aotearoa New Zealand waters










Observations on predation of the flatback turtle Natator depressus by the saltwater crocodile Crocodylus porosus at a major rookery in northern Australia

Most Read
The Most Read ranking is based on the number of downloads in the last 60 days from papers published on the CSIRO PUBLISHING website within the last 12 months. Usage statistics are updated daily.
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Increasing Pacific Islander research and authorship in the academic literature
Pacific Conservation Biology 31 (4) -
Bad dog? The environmental effects of owned dogs
Pacific Conservation Biology 31 (3) -
Barriers to volunteering and other challenges facing community-based conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand
Pacific Conservation Biology 30 (6) -
Predation on the threatened Carnaby’s cockatoo (Zanda latirostris) by feral cats (Felis catus)
Pacific Conservation Biology 31 (4) -
Automated methods for processing camera trap video data for distance sampling
Pacific Conservation Biology 31 (4) -
Transnational shark trade: personal baggage and postal seizures in Australia and New Zealand
Pacific Conservation Biology 31 (4) -
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The absurdity of nature love through aviary bird-keeping
Pacific Conservation Biology 31 (2) -
A challenging future for Carnaby’s Cockatoo (Zanda latirostris) under a changing climate
Pacific Conservation Biology 30 (6) -
Guiding principles for conserving reptiles in Australian temperate agricultural landscapes
Pacific Conservation Biology 31 (4) -
Can citizen science fill knowledge gaps for the world’s most speciose and poorly-known insular amphibian fauna?
Pacific Conservation Biology 31 (1) -
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Longevity in Carnaby’s Cockatoo (Zanda latirostris) Carnaby, 1948
Pacific Conservation Biology 30 (6) -
The aquatic plant communities of the Pilbara region of Western Australia: a region of arid zone wetland diversity
Pacific Conservation Biology 31 (1) -
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Deriving a population estimate for Eld’s deer (Rucervus eldii siamensis) in Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary, Cambodia
Pacific Conservation Biology 31 (4) -
Predator management with a single bait? Use of Eradicat for the simultaneous management of feral cats, red foxes, and wild dogs
Pacific Conservation Biology 31 (3) -
Response of a koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) source population following a large-scale progressive translocation harvest
Pacific Conservation Biology 31 (3) -
The status and conservation needs of the Micronesian Megapode (Megapodius laperouse laperouse) across the Mariana archipelago
Pacific Conservation Biology 30 (6)
Collections
Collections are a curation of articles relevant to a topical research area
This collection of Pacific Conservation Biology papers will enable a synthesis of the challenges which face marine mammal populations and research in the Pacific and the actions and agreements to address some of the challenges, facilitate the publication of important knowledge from research poor areas, and highlight the importance of crowd-sourced data across geographically complex regions.
The papers in this collection are free to read for one month, from 28 July 2025.
Collection Editors
Rochelle Constantine (University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau, New Zealand)
Claire Garrigue (Institute for Research and Development, New Caledonia)
Last Updated: 28 Jul 2025
Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve is one of the most important nature conservation areas along the south coast of Western Australia. This Collection of Pacific Conservation Biology papers about the natural history of Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, provides past and current knowledge of this significant nature reserve.
Collection Editors
A. J. M. Hopkins, G. T. Smith and D. A. Saunders
Last Updated: 22 Apr 2025
This Collection offers an overview of the publishing process from start to finish, and is designed to provide information and support to researchers looking to publish academic articles. Topics include common mistakes authors make in presentation or in misunderstanding what happens in production, the importance of accurate referencing and proofing, navigating problems with authorship, making decisions about Open Access, and promoting work once it is accepted.
Collection Editor Mike Calver (Editor-in-Chief, Pacific Conservation Biology)
Last Updated: 12 Dec 2024
This Collection focuses on contributions from researchers studying conservation problems and solutions along the eastern Pacific coast and Hawaii. The papers from the eastern Pacific coast include island and mainland examples, confirming that both are considered within the journal’s scope. They illustrate the range and quality of the work published by Pacific Conservation Biology, as well as the journal’s service to the scientific communities of the eastern Pacific coast.
Last Updated: 22 Mar 2024
The challenges for conservation in the Pacific are sharpest in managing coral reefs. The effects of anthropogenic climate change are already evident, as well as unregulated exploitation, land clearing or agricultural production on adjoining lands. In 2018, Pacific Conservation Biology celebrated 25 years of publication. It was also International Year of the Reef. In this Collection, we have collated key papers to aid the understanding of the value of, and threats to, coral reefs and their ecosystems, with hope that this research will contribute to a brighter future for our reefs.
Collection Editors Mike Van Keulen and Mike Calver
Last Updated: 18 May 2018
Pacific Conservation Biology is dedicated to conservation in the Pacific region, which is defined broadly as the western Pacific (East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania), the north Pacific (including Russia), and the islands of the central Pacific across to countries on the North American and South American continents bordering on the eastern Pacific. In this Collection, Pacific Conservation Biology addresses the ‘big questions’ in conservation, providing a forum for conservation scientists, natural resource managers and science communicators to explore the answers in a Pacific context.
Last Updated: 27 Jun 2017