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Pacific Conservation Biology Pacific Conservation Biology Society
A journal dedicated to conservation and wildlife management in the Pacific region.

Pacific Conservation Biology

Pacific Conservation Biology

Pacific Conservation Biology provides a forum for discussion about regional conservation problems; debate about priorities and mechanisms for conservation oriented biological research; and dissemination of the results of relevant research. Read more about the journalMore

Editor-in-Chief: Mike Calver

Publishing Model: Hybrid. Open Access options available.

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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.

Published online 05 June 2025

PC24081Restoration thinning has minor and temporary effects on understorey fuels in a regrowth eucalypt floodplain forest under conservation management

L. White 0000-0002-5790-2035, S. K. Travers 0000-0002-6252-1667, D. McAllister, K. Lawrie and E. Gorrod
 

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.

Published online 05 June 2025

PC23060Demand for fish swim-bladders driving inshore dolphin populations in Papua New Guinea towards local extinction

Isabel Beasley 0000-0003-1104-7309, Yolarnie Amepou, Joyce Mavera, Wilma Mavea, Jim Anamiato, Karen Baird, Anissa Lawrence and Cara Masere
 

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.


Pest species in Western Australia.

Eradicat has the potential to be used as an all-predator bait. Low target species density combined with a range of environmental and human activity factors limited our assessment of Eradicat baits potential as an all-predator bait. More work is required, however bait uptake by foxes was promising. Photographs by Tracey Kreplins.

Published online 29 May 2025

PC24077A social practice perspective on environmental volunteering and pest management in Aotearoa New Zealand

Dean Stronge 0000-0003-3537-0565, Geoff Kaine 0000-0001-6747-7434 and Jade Hyslop 0000-0001-8858-8985
 

The number of community environmental groups in Aotearoa New Zealand has increased in recent years. Variations in how trapping activities are undertaken do not meet recognised best practice for pest management. Our findings suggest the shift in focus to ‘dead pests’ over resource protection will not achieve Aotearoa’s biodiversity goals.

Published online 27 May 2025

PC25001Response of a koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) source population following a large-scale progressive translocation harvest

John Callaghan 0000-0001-6652-7866, Stephen Phillips and Ross Goldingay
 

Translocation is rapidly becoming a critical tool for threatened species reintroduction and conservation. It is vital to ensure harvests do not jeopardise the source, and this study confirmed a koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) population was able to recover from a large-scale gradual translocation harvest. This knowledge provides important guidance for planning sustainable conservation translocation programs.

Published online 20 May 2025

PC25024Just add water: exceptional plant recruitment in arid zone mine rehabilitation

Rachel J. Standish 0000-0001-8118-1904, Todd E. Erickson, Jonathan Fisher and Tim K. Morald
 

Rehabilitation is needed to address social and ecological impacts of high-intensity mining activity in the Pilbara region. Yet success is limited by the arid climate, lack of topsoil, and poor plant establishment from sown seeds. Our observations suggest potential for assisted and unassisted plant recruitment in the absence of fresh topsoil.

Published online 12 May 2025

PC24096Who’s been lost from the landscape? Identifying missing terrestrial fauna to inform urban rewilding

Mareshell Wauchope 0000-0002-1414-8925, Patrick B. Finnerty 0000-0001-5762-6272, Jennifer C. Pierson, Peter B. Banks, Alexandra J. R. Carthey and Thomas M. Newsome
 

Urban areas present unique wildlife rewilding opportunities. Applying a decision framework to occurrence data we identify rewilding candidate species with broadest geographic potential; then explore traits and factors influencing urban rewilding suitability. These insights provide key considerations for wildlife managers planning rewilding projects, promoting effective biodiversity conservation in urban landscapes.

A small population of Orcaella spp. occur in southern Papua New Guinea, but their taxonomic status is unknown. Phylogenetic reconstruction showed that Australian snubfin dolphins occur in Papua New Guinea waters. This is currently the only known Australian snubfin dolphin population in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands.

This article belongs to the collection: Marine Mammals in the Pacific.


Photograph of a powerful owl clutching a grey-headed flying fox, both are dead on powerlines.

This field note documents a powerful owl clutching a grey-headed flying-fox both dead on power lines. Based on how the carcases were presented, either the flying-fox was electrocuted first and the owl was subsequently electrocuted trying to scavenge on the carcass or the owl had captured the flying-fox and was clutching it when it made contact with the powerlines. Photograph by Jason Luke.

A series of 11 open polyvinyl chloride pipes vertically positioned in the ground were found to contain multiple trapped spotted grass frogs (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis), including two dead individuals. These finds highlight the capacity for these anthropogenic structures to act as ongoing mortality risks for wildlife if left unmitigated.

Published online 22 April 2025

PC25017The role of conservation translocations in the recovery of the endangered Djimaalap/noisy scrub-bird (Atrichornis clamosus): from Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve and back

Sarah Comer 0000-0001-7236-4602, Alan Danks 0009-0006-4895-0867, Abby Berryman, Saul Cowen 0000-0002-1045-5637, Allan H. Burbidge 0000-0002-2136-3973 and Graeme T. Smith
 

Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve in Western Australia was created in 1967 to protect the habitat of the then recently rediscovered Djimaalap/noisy scrub-bird (Atrichornis clamosus) whose population numbered less than 100 individuals. Conservation translocations, supported by habitat management have been the major strategies leading to an increase in the size and area occupied by scrub-birds, enabling the species to withstand several major bushfires. In this paper, we review nearly 40 years of scrub-bird translocations and the research that has underpinned this important work.

This article belongs to the collection: The Natural History of Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Western Australia.

Booderitj/western bristlebird and Dading/western whipbird, along with Djimaalap/noisy scrub-bird, persist in long unburnt (>60 years) vegetation at Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Western Australia. All three are declared threatened, and have contrasting recovery patterns following fire, necessitating careful management of their fire prone habitat. This paper summarises and reviews work done on these two species over the past 50 years.

This article belongs to the collection: The Natural History of Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Western Australia.

Published online 11 April 2025

PC24090Age and growth of the silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis (Muller & Henle, 1839) in the Ecuadorian Pacific

Christopher Mera 0009-0008-1944-4644, Diego Mejía, Smith Vera-Mera, Steven Tamayo-Vega, Felipe Galván-Magaña, Michael Veléz-Soledispa and Jesús Briones-Mendoza 0000-0001-6805-7706
 

Age and growth studies are vital for sustainable fisheries. Research on Carcharhinus falciformis (silky shark) in the Ecuadorian Pacific is limited, but this study found that the species grows slowly, increasing its vulnerability to overfishing. These findings provide essential data for population models, supporting effective management strategies to ensure its long-term conservation.

Published online 10 April 2025

PC24071Bad dog? The environmental effects of owned dogs

Philip W. Bateman 0000-0002-3036-5479 and Lauren N. Gilson 0000-0002-5454-2038
 

Dogs are popular and ubiquitous pets, making them the commonest large carnivore in the world. We argue that the negative environmental effects of pet dogs are multifarious, ranging from direct predation and disturbance of wildlife to indirect modifications of wildlife behaviour due to their scent marks, faecal and urine pollution, deposition of veterinary insecticides into the environment, and carbon footprint of the pet food industry. The mitigation of these effects lies largely in the responsible behaviour of dog owners.

Published online 08 April 2025

PC25003The absurdity of nature love through aviary bird-keeping

Minh-Hoang Nguyen 0000-0002-7520-3844 and Quan-Hoang Vuong
 

Aviary bird-keeping for entertainment exacerbates the loss of bird biodiversity. We reveal the absurdity of bird keepers claiming to love nature and support conservation while engaging in practices that exploit and commodify birds for human interests. This also highlights the eco-deficit culture driving this absurd form of ‘nature love’.

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.

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.

  1. The Pacific foodfish list: a standardized list of over 1000 species of marine fish consumed by Pacific people

    Pacific Conservation Biology 31 (2)
    N. L. Andrew 0000-0002-2337-8722, L. Aisea, N. D. H. Arachchi 0000-0001-8245-6359, N. Bailly, I. Bertram, P. Bosserelle, L. Carron, K. D. Clements 0000-0001-8512-5977, M. P. Duenas, V. Fatongiatau, S. Felise, S. González-Murcia, B. Jaugeon, L. Joy, L. P. Kaitu, U. Kaly, J.-A. Kerandel, J. Z. Koehn, J. Kinch, S. Jalam, A. Kwapena, O. Li, S. Lindfield, F. Magron, B. R. Moore, R. F. Myers, B. Ned, B. Nikiari, D. Ochavillo, J. van der Ploeg 0000-0001-7099-4002, K. Raumea, M. Roscher, M. Sabater, A. Sami, G. Shedrawi, N. Smith, D. J. Steenbergen 0000-0003-4067-4432, M. Sukulu, F. Tulafono, S. Tiitii, T. Toroca, P. Tua, L. Vaipuna, C. C. C. Wabnitz, J. Wencélius, M. White, B. Yeeting

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.

Collection Editors
Rochelle Constantine (University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau)
Claire Garrigue (Institute for Research and Development)

Last Updated: 05 Jun 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

Committee on Publication Ethics

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Ivor Beatty Award

Kit Prendergast has been awarded the Ivor Beatty Award for 2023.

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