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AUSTRALIA INVASIVE SPECIES
In 1950, Australia released the Myxoma virus as biological warfare against its invasive rabbit population. The virus killed 99.8% of infected rabbits within two yearsAustralia grappled with a catastrophic rabbit overpopulation that put its ecosystem and economy at risk. To combat this, scientists unleash...- A 2026 Australian study finds controlled breathing may reduce addiction cravings after scientists analyzed 20 studies involving 1,249 people; researchers found breathing-based interventions significantly lowered cravings for nicotine, alcohol and other drugsA new study found controlled breathing significantly lowers cravings for various substances. This simple intervention shows promise as a lo...
- Beginning in 1877, Japan imported California rainbow trout for food and sport fishing; escaped fish later competed with native salmonids and disrupted their spawning groundsIn 1877, Japan imported rainbow trout from California for culinary and recreational purposes. However, these fish escaped their aquaculture...
- In 1917, botanist Joseph Rock introduced albizia to Hawai‘i for reforestation. Now it has infested thousands of acres in O‘ahu and eastern Hawai‘i IslandIntroduced to Hawaii in 1917 as a solution for reforestation, the Albizia tree quickly established itself as an invasive species. By 2018, ...
- In the early 1900s, Hawaiʻi imported a thorny European shrub to feed sheep and fence pastures; it now forms 6-foot walls that fuel fires and sprout againGorse, introduced to Hawai'i around 1900 for sheep fodder and fences, has become a persistent invasive problem. This spiny shrub thrives in...
- The hidden danger inside Spain's eucalyptus forests that worries scientistsSpain's eucalyptus plantations appear green but support fewer native birds and insects. These monocultures lack the diverse vegetation and ...
- In 2005, scientists revealed how ships helped Moon Jellyfish conquer the world's seas and threaten ecosystems around the planetScientists have reported a concerning invasion of alien moon jellyfish across various marine ecosystems. These jellyfish hitch rides on shi...
- In 1837, New Zealand fur promoters released Australian possums to build a new industry; the first attempt failed, so settlers kept trying until the animals invaded the countryNew Zealand settlers introduced Australian possums in 1837 for a fur trade venture. This initial plan failed, but subsequent attempts event...
- In the 1930s, a Florida nurseryman scattered Australian tree seeds from an airplane to dry wetlands; the trees later invaded more than 400,000 acres of Florida wetlandsIn the 1930s, melaleuca trees were introduced to Florida's Everglades. These trees were intended to drain wetlands for development and farm...
- Australia built an A$187,000 electric fence across wild horse country; inside lies an endangered alpine wetland supporting three threatened animalsAn electric fence protects a rare alpine wetland in Australia's Kosciuszko National Park. This small area is home to three threatened nativ...
- In 1935, an Australian entomologist shipped 102 cane toads from Hawaii to fight crop beetles; 2,400 were released before anyone tested the planAustralian scientists introduced toxic cane toads to control sugar cane pests in 1935. These toads failed to eat the target beetles and spr...
- How Australia’s Brown Tree snakes reached Guam after World War II and left biologists baffled by the invasionBrown tree snakes, an invasive species on Guam, have baffled biologists for years. Their population is believed to have started with only a...
- From a 1937 garden planting to an ecological crisis: One Miconia tree now spreads 8.9 million seeds, endangering Queensland's iconic rainforestsToday, a single mature Miconia tree can produce over 8.9 million seeds in one season. What began as a 1937 garden introduction in tahiti ha...
- Britain dropped more than 300 tons of poison across South Georgia to kill every rat; by 2018, over 100,000 hectares were rodent-freeSouth Georgia island successfully removed its rat population after a massive eradication effort. Helicopters dropped poisoned bait across t...
- In 2010, Australian scientists fed native predators toad sausages spiked with a nausea drug so they would learn to avoid deadly cane toads: a trick now used to train quolls before toads arriveBaby quolls learned to avoid toxic cane toads after experiencing nausea from a special snack. This conservation method helps protect the en...
- British settlers brought domestic cats to Australia in 1788 to control rats and mice around ships, farms, and settlements, but escaped cats now kill billions of native animals every year across the continentIntroduced by British settlers in 1788, cats rapidly spread across Australia, becoming a devastating invasive predator. Intended to control...
- South Africa, in the mid-1800s, planted millions of Australian acacias as a dune fix; 180 years later, that decision is costing the country its rivers and ecosystemA 19th-century solution to coastal erosion in South Africa, planting Australian Acacia trees, has become a major environmental crisis. Thes...
- In 1859, English settlers released 24 wild rabbits; in 2024, scientists were shocked to find that the DNA of almost all the rabbits in Australia descended from those 24A seemingly simple request for hunting rabbits in 1859 by Thomas Austin in Australia unleashed a continental plague. While rabbits were int...
- In 1822, Europeans brought honey bees to Australia as agricultural heroes; 200 years later, researchers found they were helping tree death spread faster than windNew research published in NeoBiota suggests western honey bees may be helping spread myrtle rust, a destructive fungal disease threatening ...
- 1 lakh cockroaches seized in Australia and authorities are concerned about the hidden insect empireAustralian authorities have seized over 100,000 exotic cockroaches, including Madagascar hissing cockroaches, from a property in Bathurst, ...
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