The fall and rise of the Seychelles Warbler

The story of the Seychelles warbler is a remarkable example of conservation success. Going from one of the rarest birds on Earth to multiple thriving populations, it shows how conservation can effectively halt and reverse the downward trend of global biodiversity. It is also a unique chance to observe a wild animal in a ‘natural laboratory’ setting, as Cousin Island Special reserve is home to one of the longest running continuous study systems. Using this system we can study many areas of research. I will be discussing the impact of inbreeding depression of the success of the species recovery.

Aging is always seen as an inevitable, something that everyone has to go through. Have you ever thought about why we age? Why do your muscles, bones, reproduction, appearance and health start deteriorating at different times and rates? If this piques your interest, come learn about why aging evolved, and why different parts of your body ages at different rates!

The gut microbiome is important for regulating health and disease. Understanding what changes the gut microbiome is a crucial step in helping us improve gut health. In the Seychelles warblers, we found gut microbes is affected the most by temporal variation. Why so? Come find out!