Three macropod species have been culled annually on Maria Island, Tasmania, Australia, in an effort to improve animal welfare by reducing grazing pressure. An adaptive management approach has resulted in greater stakeholder involvement and informed decision making. Impacts from Tasmanian devils recently introduced to Maria Island are as yet unknown.

Forest and woodland birds are threatened by landscape modifications. This review discusses the main issues in nest predation research in Australia: mesopredators, the use of artificial nests, ‘edge-effects’, the identification and role of nest predators and the responses of their prey. Future research should focus on natural nests to provide direct information on practical interventions and generate broad assemblage-wide theories to better inform conservation.

Camera traps were used to study eastern grey kangaroo behaviour. Findings compared with published data revealed that activity patterns were largely consistent with other methods although nocturnal behaviour was underrepresented. Unusual fighting behaviour was observed. Kangaroos became habituated to cameras after eight months.

This study investigated publically available data to determine the scale and spread of wildlife projects supported for the period 2005–15 by Australian Federal Government agencies responsible for research, environmental management and innovation. We conclude that greater investment is needed if innovation in wildlife conservation and management is to have a solid evidence base.

Few studies have utilised data arising from wildlife rescues and surveys by citizen scientists, leaving a wealth of largely untapped information. The masked lapwing, a common Australian shorebird, illustrates how such research can enhance knowledge, and inform management and conservation of threatened species.

Fijian invertebrates receive little research attention. We compared abundance and diversity of diurnal terrestrial invertebrates within three forests, and evaluated the efficiency of Malaise traps and beating trays. Invertebrates differed among sites; we identify orders with high sampling reliability and recommendations for rapid biodiversity assessments in poorly-studied areas.

An endangered killer whale population in the Salish Sea of Washington State, USA and British Columbia, Canada has shifted their seasonal range in response to declines of their Chinook salmon prey, providing evidence for the need to revise critical habitat designations in both countries.

This research note documents an observation of a dingo (Canis dingo) utilising the surf on the eastern beach of K’gari (Fraser Island) to entrap, tire and deliberately drown an adult swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor). Is this a clever hunting adaptation to reduce the energetic costs of pursuing and larger killing prey?

In seeking to strengthen community-based and participatory approaches to fisheries management in the nation, this paper will highlight the significant role of local-level governments in re-envisioning coastal and small-scale fisheries governance and argues that such local-level legislative authorities provide an opportunity to progress the nation’s coastal fisheries governance.

We document the world’s oldest known spider, and outline the methods and biology relevant to this discovery. Regular monitoring enabled us to record the death of a 43-year-old Gaius villosus mygalomorph spider in a small, native, remnant reserve in the otherwise substantially cleared agricultural landscape of south-western Australia.