School of Biological Sciences

The Centre for Evolutionary Biology is a UWA Centre of Excellence, delivering excellence in research and research training. We adopt a multidisciplinary approach to exploring selective processes acting on the morphological and life-history traits of whole organisms and their gametes.

We offer excellence in research training at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including master's and PhD scholarships, with many opportunities available.

The Ecosystem Restoration and Intervention Ecology (ERIE) Research Group works in a range of fields from urban ecology and green infrastructure to the management and restoration of changing ecosystems which includes species conservation and management.

We work across a range of ecosystems, from agricultural and pastoral lands to urban environments, mine sites to forest and woodland ecosystems.

Northern Australia Environmental Resources Hub research is delivering new knowledge, tools and partnerships, and focuses on:

• landscape-scale studies covering savanna, rainforest and aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity;
• land and water planning for urban, agricultural, and infrastructure development; and
• indigenous land management including Indigenous Protected Areas.

The West Australian Biogeochemistry Centre (WABC) connects researchers in stable isotope science and is part of the John de Laeter Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry.

The Centre is a centralised, stable isotope facility conducting research which focuses on the application of stable isotope science to environmental and ecological problems in terrestrial and marine environments.

• Marine Futures Laboratory
  Research at the Marine Futures Laboratory boasts high academic and real-life impacts. It is used to directly inform and influence both policy and management actions on national and international scales.
  Our skill set is as board as our range of interests with strong expertise in areas such as quantitative and behavioural ecology, statistical modelling, environmental monitoring, molecular biology, or wildlife genetics.
• Sea Around Us - Indian Ocean
  The Sea Around Us – Indian Ocean, in partnership with the global Sea Around Us research initiative, uses big-data science in global and ocean-basin scale fisheries and marine conservation research. Over the last 20 years, we have built the world’s largest database of fisheries data. Such data lend themselves to a wide variety of scientific investigations, and allow the answering of strategic policy questions raised by stakeholders in global fisheries or that address national needs of Indian Ocean rim countries.

The Cooperative Research Centre for Honey Bee Products addresses industry problems limiting the value and expansion of the Australian honey bee products industry.

It aims to make Australian honey renowned as unique, pure and priced for its rarity. The Centre undertakes research to ensure better understanding of the Australian honey bee, its product and its pivotal importance within Australian agriculture.

The UWA Oceans Institute provides state-of-the-art facilities for researchers, industry and government to come together to address the challenges facing our oceans, coasts and estuaries.

Fundamental and applied research is conducted across engineering, biophysical sciences and social sciences to support evidence-based decision-making.

The Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute (WABSI) is a joint venture partnership with leading research organisations, with multi-disciplinary research expertise.

It brings industry, government, researchers and community together to help address WA’s strategic biodiversity priorities through collaborative research.

The Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) is a leading Australian marine research organisation.

Its structure is like no other because it is a collaboration of State, Federal, industry and academic entities cooperating to create benchmark research and independent, quality scientific information.

It carries out research into climate change, biodiversity, the iconic Ningaloo Marine Park, sustainable fisheries, biotechnology and oceanography, and has overseen the development of a marine bioresources library that will store thousands of marine samples collected by researchers.

• ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration
• Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
• Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management

The Yule Brook Reserve is also known as the Alison Baird Reserve and is a protected area of bushland in Kenwick owned by the University. The 35-hectare reserve is part of the Greater Brixton Street Wetlands, an area with the highest plant biodiversity of any surveyed bushland remnant in Perth.

The Reserve is a long-term research and training area for botanists. The Kwongan Foundation Facebook includes a gallery of images of the Alison Baird Reserve at Yule Brook.

The Harry Waring Marsupial Reserve is 20 minutes south of Fremantle. It is a feral-proof fenced reserve, without any feral foxes or cats, which harbours endangered marsupials and animals such as woylies (a rare marsupial), sugar possums (a tiny nocturnal marsupial), echidnas and kangaroos.

The reserve consists of 200 hectares of pristine Banksia woodlands, which also acts as an important habitat for the endangered Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos and other Australian native birds.

The UWA Plant Growth Facility (PGF) provides a high-quality, functional and practical growing site for carrying out experiments under controlled conditions.

The facility has the capacity for a wide range of research projects and is available to all staff and students while also supporting national and international collaborative research.

The Shenton Park Field Station spans 67 hectares and is a research facility for various areas of study.

The field station has facilities, including large, open irrigated field areas, netted areas, screen houses, glasshouses, PC2 facilities and quarantine facilities.