In this issue

	ECOS Issue 196

Features

Drought in store as El Niño's western cousin to grow stronger Over the past few months, a lot of attention has been paid to the potentially strong El Niño event brewing in the Pacific Ocean. But there is also the potential for an emerging climate phenomenon in the Indian Ocean that could worsen the impacts of an El Niño, bringing drought to Australia and its neighbours.

Pilbara shows how to save the most species per dollar
Across northern Australia, small native mammals are disappearing at an alarming rate, and other animals and plants are also in decline. One major problem is finding the best way to use funds to manage threats to disappearing plants and animals. In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 15 per cent of the original mammal species have already disappeared, and more species stand to go if growing threats are left unchecked.

Much loss and an uncertain future for Australia’s unique mammals Australia's mammal fauna is the most distinctive of any continent. It includes many species and groups of remarkable antiquity. At the time of European settlement, many Australian mammal species were extraordinarily abundant, and many had pivotal ecological roles.

Resilient cities more likely to bounce back from future shocks Late last year, the US-based Rockefeller Foundation named Melbourne as one of 33 cities in the first wave of its 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge.

Four mysteries of the Indian Ocean Despite being the third largest ocean in the world, the Indian Ocean is one of the least explored marine environments. Covering around 20 per cent of the Earth's surface and spanning more than 73 million square kilometres, it's an important channel for over half the world's shipping.

Why collect? CSIRO is the custodian of many large biological collections – of insects, fish, seeds, plants, wildlife and algae – that contribute to national and international scientific knowledge. Why are specimen collections so important? Dr Jeff Leis, from the Australian Museum, explains.