The Taronga Conservation Science Initiative

With the generous support and vision shown by Gretel Packer, an Executive Patron of the Taronga Foundation and Founding Patron of the Taronga Conservation Science Initiative, Taronga’s contribution to conservation science has expanded markedly. Our work encompasses many important areas of scientific endeavour from the enormous living organism that is the Great Barrier Reef to the tiny Corroboree Frog . Taronga scientists, partnering with other scientific agencies, bring diverse expertise to the quest to address specific environmental questions. The value of our collaborative work is the ultimate application of this knowledge - to make better informed wildlife and habitat management decisions.

Become part of our future

Join with us on this exciting journey by making a donation towards the Taronga Conservation Science Initiative.

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Learn more about our projects and partners:

Marine Ecology

Freezing the Reef

Taronga CryoReserve is now home to over 200 billion cells from the Great Barrier Reef. These cells will be used better understand coral biology and increase resilience of the reef to environmental changes.

Hotspots for Marine Predators

Tracking fur seals, penguins and other sea birds can tell us about our wildlife and our oceans, and how to best zone protected areas

Preventing Marine Mammal Entanglements

A new alarm has been proposed to prevent whales become entangled in shark nets in Australian waters

Wild Shark Social Networks

Taronga’s Marine Biologists are working to understand how grouping behaviour in sharks may affect their vulnerability to human threats such as overfishing and habitat destruction.

Fur Seals, Oceans and People

Fur seal populations are increasing in NSW, and interactions with people are increasing, Taronga Marine Biologists are asking how this will impact both species in the future

Terrestrial Ecology

Connecting Wildlife

We are helping to evaluate, improve and establish new corridors for wildlife in the Gosford area to decrease inbreeding and loss of biodiversity in the area

Conservation of Fijian Iguanas

Abundance and species identification of newly discovered iguana species in Fiji will assist in conservation planning

Wildlife Health

Helping Frogs Fight a Deadly Fungus

Understanding frog immune response and adaptation to the deadly chytrid fungus could help conserve these endangered species.

Population Viability

Amphibian IVF

In vitro fertilisation techniques can improve the reproduction and conservation of endangered frog species

Mate Choice and the Devil

Genetic make-up drives mate choice in females of many species including humans – we are asking is it true of the Tasmanian Devil

Animal Welfare

Benchmarking lion welfare

We are developing non-invasive techniques that will give us an objective marker of lion welfare and indicate the impact of changes in a lion’s environment

The Taronga Conservation Science Initiative will continue to grow and develop new research projects and programs. An important aim of this Initiative is not only to fund specific research projects but also to support specialist experts in critical areas of enquiry and engage students and the wider society in the value of science.

To further this work, Taronga has developed partnerships with highly respected institutions like the Smithsonian Institution, the Australian Institute for Marine Science and leading Australian universities, and is using mechanisms including the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grants Scheme and grants from various Foundations, to help finance a number of these projects.

Whilst we have been very successful in securing these grants, much of this funding is conditional on Taronga also raising funds from private sources.  For every dollar we seek from our supporters, we have secured, on average, $4 from government and non-government agencies, making your contribution a highly effective one. 

The Taronga Conservation Science Initiative is proud to acknowledge Ms Gretel Packer as Founding Patron and our associates, partners and supporters: