We do broad and interdisciplinary research in ecology, evolution and the environment and are committed to produce world-class scientists through our Honours and PhD programs. Our work addresses questions at a range of spatial and temporal scales, from microhabitat to global and from generations to millennia. We study a variety of terrestrial and aquatic environments and organisms, ranging from the arid-zone to the deep sea and from bacteria to whales.
We do world-leading research in several areas of biodiversity and environmental sciences, including palaeontology, evolutionary biology, global ecology, molecular ecology, animal behavior, groundwater and coastal geomorphology. Our research is expanding knowledge about the history of life and the potential of organisms to adapt to environmental change. We are also interested in improving water management and understanding the impact of human activities on the physical environment, biodiversity and natural resources. Our research section consists of around 180 academics, postdocs and research students housed at the leafy surrounds of the Flinders University campus at Bedford Park.
Research areas
Flinders University has a well-earned reputation as a leader in hydrology. We also host the headquarters of the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, a consortium of university, government and industry partners with a common interest in improving groundwater science and management. We have strong research programs looking at groundwater in mining, interaction between groundwater and rivers, seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers, relationships between climate, water, and ecosystems, and smart use of water to support irrigation and plantation forestry.
We study the ecological and evolutionary causes and consequences of species distribution, abundance, declines and behaviour, and ecosystem patterns and the processes that shape them. Our researchers combine field, laboratory, genomic, and modelling approaches across a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic organisms and ecosystems with special emphasis on South Australia’s rich biodiversity. We bring expertise from local to global issues to our students and work closely with government agencies, non-government organisations, and industry to address pressing environmental issues and achieve conservation success.
The Environmental Health Group has a history of innovation and have expertise in water, wastewater, toxicology, microbiology, policy and human health risk assessment. We have strong national and international links, with state and local governments, Indigenous Australian communities, industry bodies and academics from other institutions. Their research informs policy and practice and has a significant impact on the health of Australians.
We investigate how the evolution and ecology of animals are shaped by environmental changes, linking insights yielded by deep-time records with those of modern ecosystems. Our discoveries are key to ensuring that species persist into the future in an increasingly human-impacted world.
We investigate the biology and ecology of marine organisms, and how they are shaped by environmental dynamics. We study ocean and coastal processes, and coastal landform evolution. We use this research to assess the impacts of natural and human-induced climatic and environmental changes on marine and coastal ecosystems to deliver innovative solutions for conservation, restoration and sustainable use of the coastal and marine environment.
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
South Australia | Northern Territory
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