News and Media

Media releases

Deep dive on sharks
Fri, 2 Aug 2024
With the world’s shark populations under threat, scientists say the best way to protect sharks is to understand how they benefit ocean environments, and then maximise the benefits they bring.

Insect-based food could trigger allergies
Wed, 31 Jul 2024
James Cook University researchers say food derived from crickets and flies can cause allergic reactions in people with existing shellfish allergy – and this is not consistently picked up by currently available testing methods.

JCU project to help safeguard prawn industry
Wed, 26 Jun 2024
An innovative water sampling method projected to slash biosecurity costs and protect Australia’s $220 million prawn farm industry from pathogens will be put to the test by James Cook University researchers.

Oysters could help clean up the Reef
Wed, 24 Apr 2024
Scientists have found oysters could be very useful in gobbling-up nutrient pollution from tropical waterways, including the Great Barrier Reef.

Study finds rising shark and ray extinction risk
Fri, 8 Mar 2024
A new analysis has found one in seven deepwater sharks and rays are threatened with extinction, with the biggest threat coming from overfishing.

Swimmers to be safer thanks to ‘CSI-like’ investigations into box jellyfish movements
Tue, 13 Feb 2024
Ground-breaking work by a James Cook University researcher could soon keep swimmers safer, thanks to a revolutionary technology that can track one of the world’s most venomous animals, the Australian box Jellyfish.

Octopus DNA contains grave warning for sea level rise
Fri, 22 Dec 2023
Scientists have used octopus DNA to discover that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) likely collapsed during the Last Interglacial period around 120,000 years ago – when global temperatures were similar to today.

Canned fish can still trigger allergic reactions
Fri, 29 Sep 2023
Scientists say the assumption that it’s ok for people with a fish allergy to eat canned fish (without first undergoing a thorough assessment) can be wrong and dangerous.

Reef sharks at much higher risk of extinction than previously thought
Fri, 16 Jun 2023
Overfishing is driving reef sharks toward extinction, according to a James Cook University scientist who led a major new study published today in Science.

Most coral reef sharks and rays may be at risk of extinction
Wed, 18 Jan 2023
Nearly two-thirds of coral reef shark and ray species worldwide are threatened with extinction, according to a James Cook University scientist.

Sharks and rays under threat
Tue, 7 Sep 2021
A massive global study of sharks and rays shows more than a third are now threatened with extinction.

Striking Gold! Gold barramundi for aquaculture
Thu, 22 Apr 2021
James Cook University scientists will target the genetic secrets of the Gold barramundi in an effort to create a pure breeding line of the rare and highly prized fish.

Rock lobster habitat’s rocky future
Thu, 25 Feb 2021
JCU scientists have found rock lobsters may be vulnerable to climate change and lobster fishers may have to travel further to snare the delicacy in the future.

Rising Extinction Risk for Sharks and Rays
Thu, 28 Jan 2021
New research shows oceanic shark and ray numbers are down by more than 70 per cent over the past 50 years, and James Cook University scientists fear some species are facing extinction.

Social media provides clues to rays
Tue, 6 Oct 2020
Social media users have helped scientists pinpoint the global range and habitats of a rare and spectacular stingray.

Shark “sea lanes” need protecting
Thu, 30 Jul 2020
Scientists have found sharks face increased danger when moving between protected reefs, and they’ve recommended shark “sea lanes” be protected as well.

Sharks almost gone from many reefs
Thu, 23 Jul 2020
A massive global study of the world’s reefs has found sharks are ‘functionally extinct’ on nearly one in five of the reefs surveyed.

Tropical testing sharpened
Thu, 26 Mar 2020
A team of James Cook University researchers have been working on how to better use a revolutionary DNA technique in the tropics, so scientists can more effectively identify invasive, elusive and rare species.

AI brings automation to seafood industry
Wed, 4 Mar 2020
A James Cook University scientist is developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to help the seafood industry better assess abalone.

Marine parks save sharks from overfishing threat
Fri, 24 Jan 2020
‘No-take’ marine reserves - where fishing is banned - can reverse the decline in the world’s coral reef shark populations caused by overfishing, according to an Australian study.

Change in aquaculture vital if billions more to be fed
Fri, 29 Nov 2019
A research team from James Cook University has been investigating how aquaculture can be made sustainable, to help feed a world with more than nine and a half billion people and deteriorating natural sources of food.

New tags help track baby rays
Fri, 16 Aug 2019
James Cook University researchers have developed a new way of tracking juvenile stingrays, making it easier to manage and protect the elusive animal.

Cameras reveal secret lives of mangrove stingrays
Wed, 31 Jul 2019
James Cook University scientists have filmed stingray activity in mangroves for the first time, revealing how different species use the underwater forests and how important the environment is for the animal’s survival.

Volunteers wanted to spot stray marine creatures
Wed, 26 Jun 2019
James Cook University scientists are recruiting people to train to log sightings of misplaced sea creatures after receiving new funding.

Guide launched to help endangered sharks and rays
Mon, 13 May 2019
As the plight of sharks and rays around the world worsens, James Cook University and WWF have launched the first-ever guide aimed at getting the best out of areas designed to protect them, and avoiding the mistakes of the past.

Antioxidants protect hot hogs from sperm DNA damage
Tue, 7 May 2019
James Cook University researchers have developed a diet to help fix the love-life of sweltering pigs.

Innovative new toolkit to fill gaps in missing shark and ray data
Wed, 10 Apr 2019
WWF and the Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries & Aquaculture (CSTFA) at James Cook University have developed the first toolkit of its kind that provides a variety of ways to collect scientific data on sharks and rays to help conserve and manage these species, many of which are threatened.

Will a massive Antarctic ice sheet collapse?
Thu, 17 Jan 2019
A James Cook University researcher will use an innovative technique to determine whether the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) has collapsed in the past, leading to massive sea level rises, and if it is likely to do so again soon.

Tropical summer causes DNA damage in pig sperm
Wed, 21 Nov 2018
In a first-of-its-kind study, James Cook University researchers have discovered that tropical heat is no good for the love life of pigs.

Shrimp talent quest finds a winner
Thu, 11 Oct 2018
Shrimp help keep fish clean – and scientists have identified the ‘cleaner shrimp’ with the most talent for reducing parasites and chemical use in farmed fish.

Shrimp help to heal injured fish
Thu, 23 Aug 2018
James Cook University scientists have discovered that shrimp help heal injured fish.

New fish in sights of citizen scientists
Wed, 22 Aug 2018
The rusty jobfish, the midnight snapper, and oblique-banded sweetlips are among the new targets for citizen scientists following the re-launch of the Redmap project in Queensland at JCU today.

‘Gloomy’ octopuses’ Tassie sea change
Thu, 28 Jun 2018
A James Cook University scientist says east coast octopuses are extending their range south, riding a new wave of warm water to Tasmania as ocean currents change.

JCU spreads aquaculture knowledge internationally
Tue, 1 May 2018
Thirty Indonesian delegates are in North Queensland to learn from James Cook University’s aquaculture experts.

New pygmy squid discovery
Tue, 23 Jan 2018
They’re tiny, cute, and play an important role in marine ecosystems: researchers have discovered a new species of the thumbnail-sized pygmy squid.

Search for champion shrimp to fight for fish farmers
Thu, 23 Nov 2017
James Cook University scientists are trying to find a natural way to curb huge stock losses in the fish farming industry, with a search for a champion fish-cleaning shrimp to kill parasites.

Unique programme to count Indo-Pacific’s sharks and rays
Tue, 31 Oct 2017
A new research programme is underway to count  species of sharks and rays across the Indo-Pacific region.

Global search for vanishing ocean giants
Tue, 17 Oct 2017
James Cook University researchers are leading a global search for one of the most fascinating creatures of the deep – the sawfish – and they’re using an innovative method to track down the endangered animal.

Citizen science in line for an award
Fri, 28 Jul 2017
An innovative citizen science program, run in Queensland by James Cook University, is in the running for a prestigious science prize.

JCU supports prawn and fish farming with new disease testing service
Thu, 20 Jul 2017
James Cook University researchers are offering a much-needed additional disease testing service to protect northern Australia’s growing aquaculture industry.

Cutting-edge research finds disease early in fish farm
Tue, 27 Jun 2017
A James Cook University scientist is using a breakthrough genetic technology to help aquaculture farmers detect disease outbreaks early.

Plastic could poison oceans for generations
Wed, 26 Apr 2017
James Cook University researchers have discovered that plastic waste in the oceans limits the ability of plankton to breed, which could contribute to global fish population declines.

Can Sharks Be Fished Sustainably?
Tue, 7 Feb 2017
Conventional wisdom holds that sharks can’t be harvested in a sustainable manner because they are long-lived animals. It takes time for them to reproduce and grow in numbers.

Ducklings help teach off-the-grid living
Fri, 27 Jan 2017
James Cook University staff are using a family of ducks, a school of fish, crustaceans and herbs and vegetables to teach students how to design an off-the-grid aquaculture system.

New agreement set to bring more Chinese students
Mon, 5 Dec 2016
James Cook University has signed an agreement with a Chinese university that will see more overseas students studying in North Queensland.

Waste to wealth
Thu, 10 Nov 2016
James Cook University researchers from the Centre for Macroalgal Resources and Biotechnology have successfully used algae to clean up wastewater in North Queensland and say the technique could be used to reduce water pollution on a larger scale.

Hi-tech test to find elusive sawfish
Tue, 9 Aug 2016
Scientists can now reliably predict which bodies of water contain the endangered and elusive sawfish species – by conducting a simple test.

Fish farm innovator receives national award
Wed, 2 Mar 2016
A James Cook University researcher is developing a device to detect parasites in farm water before it makes fish sick.