Media involving our team

December 2024: National Geographic. In Australia, Aboriginal Rangers race to save the last sawfish. Justin Meneguzzi. Link

October 2024: Science in Public. Where are all the sawfish? Press Release. Link

October 2024: Yahoo News. Call for public help to find four rare fish disappearing from Australian waters. October 25, 2024. Link

October 2024: Canberra Times. Citizen scientists to help save shark-like rays. October 26, 2024. Link

October 2024: AMSA Bulletin. Organisation feature: Sawfish on Country: Collaborations with Sharks And Rays Australia. by Nikki Biskis & Barbara Wueringer. Link (Members only)

August 2024: Australian geographic. Mightier than the saw. Link

August 2024: Reef and Rivers Podcast. Barbara Wueringer, Discovering the elusive sawfish. Season 6, Episode 5. Link

October 2023: Will you see a sawfish next week? Ecovoice. Link

July 2023: Cape York Weekly. Endangered Sawfish given hope with research grant. Edition 144, p. 9 Link

July 2023: Queensland Government press release. More than $ 1.25 million in funding for threatened species research. Link

October 2019: ABC National. Sawfish used to be plentiful around Australia’s coastline, but their numbers have dropped off a cliff. Link

October 2019: The Guardian Australia. Sawfish numbers in global stronghold are dropping, prompting calls for fishing protection. Link

January 2019: ABC Perth, Pictures of sawfish – dead or alive – needed from citizen scientists to help understand decline. Link

January 2019: SBS online. Experts warn Australian sawfish close to dying out. Link

January 2019: The West, Australian sawfish close to extinction. Link

January 2019: SARA & Science in Public press release. Link.

ABC News on the 24 hr News channel, January 09, 2019

November 2018: ABC News on a fatal shark bite incident in Cid Harbour, Whitsundays, Qld. Link

October 2018: Australian geographic voices experts opinions on shark attacks Link

September 2017: Australian Geographic. Dr Wueringer is interviewed for an article on the rescue of 40 sawfish pups in the NT. Link

March 2017: New Scientist. Sawfishes fearsome snout evolved to be undetectable to prey. Link

March 2017: Brisbane times. Study of Australian sawfish shows its weaponized razor-edged snout is a stealth killer. Link

March 2017: Australian Geographic. Sawfish are the ultimate stealth hunters. Link

Publications

Scientific Publications:

2025

• Biskis, VN, Townsend KA, Morgan DL, Lear KO, Holmes, BJ, Wueringer, BE. 2025. Fine-tuning established morphometric models through citizen science data. Conservation Science and Practise. DOI: 10.1111/csp2.13308
• Fearing A, Faulkner K, Smith P, Humbrecht E, Kyne PM, Feldheim KA, Moore ABM, Brink AA, McDavitt MT, Smith KL, Whitty JM, Wiley TR, Wueringer BE, Phillips NM. 2024. Assessing confidence in zoological specimen collection metadata for use in scientific studies. Journal for Nature Conservation 84(2025) 126815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126815

2024

• Bateman RL, Morgan DL, Wueringer BE, McDavitt M, Lear KO. 2024. Collaborative methods identify a remote global diversity hotspot of threatened, large-bodied rhino rays. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 34(1): e4047, DOI: 10.1002/aqc.4047 Link
• Inglebrecht J, Lear KO, Phillips NM, Wueringer BE, Lymbery AJ, Norman BM, Morgan DL. 2024. Kinship assessment and insights into reproductive behaviour of the critically endangered green sawfish Pristis zijsron in Western Australia. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. DOI: 10.1002/aqc.4213
• Ingelbrecht J, Allen MG, Bateman RL, Ebner BC, Fazeldan T, Krispyn KN, Lear KO, Lymbery AJ, McAuley RB, Phillips NM, Whitty JM, Wueringer BE, Morgen DL. 2024. Evidence of long-distance movement of green sawfish (Pristis zijsron) in Western Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research 75 (2024).  MF24154. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF24154

2023

• Haque AB, Charles R, D’Anastasi B, Dulvy NK, Faria V, Fordham S, Grant MI, Harry AV, Jabado RW, Lear KO, Morgan DL, Tanna A, Wakhida Y, Wueringer BE. 2023. Anoxypristis cuspidata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T39389A58304073. Link

• Wueringer BE, Biskis N, Pinkus G. 2023. Impacts of trophy collection and commercial fisheries on sawfishes in Queensland, Australia. Endangered Species Research. Link

2022

• Abrantes K, Barnett A, Soetaert M, Kune PM, Laird A, Squire L, Seymour J, Wueringer BE, Sleeman J, Hueveneers C. 2021. Potential of electric fields to reduce bycatch of highly threatened sawfishes. Endangered Species Research. 46: 121-135. Link
• Espinoza M, Bonfil-Sanders R, Carlson J, Charvet P, Chevis M, Dulvy NK, Everett B, Faria V, Ferretti F, Fordham S, Grant MI, Haque AB, Harry AV, Jabado RW, Jones, GCA, Kelez S, Lear KO, Morgan DL, Phillips NM, Wueringer BE. 2022. Pristis pristis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T18584848A58336780. Link
• Fetterplace LC, Delgado Esteban JJ, Pini-Fitzsimmons J, Gaskell J, Wueringer BE. 2022. Evidence of sound production in wild stingrays. Ecology 103(11): e3812. Link
• Grant MI, Charles R, Fordham S, Harry AV, Lear KO, Morgan DL, Phillips NM, Simeon B, Wakhida Y, Wueringer BE. 2022. Pristis clavata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T39390A68641215. Link
• Harry AV, Everett B, Faria V, Fordham S, Grant MI, Haque AB, Ho H, Jabado RW, Jones GCA, Lear KO, Morgan DL, Phillips NM, Spaet JLY, Tanna A, Wueringer BE. 2022. Pristis zijsron. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T39393A58304631. Link
• Holmes BJ, Williams SM, Barnett A, Townsend KA, Wueringer BE, Daley RK, Dudgeon CL, Amstrong A, Henderson C, Finucci B, Huveneers C, Butcher PA, Crook K, Jicks J, Rigby CL, Izzo C, Treolar MA, Gutteridge AN, Taylor SM. 2022. Sharks, Rays and chimaeras. In: Smith B, Waudby H, Alberthsen C, Hampton J (eds). Wildlife Research in Australia: Practical and Applied Methods. CSIRO Publishing. 543-560.
• Wueringer BE, Henderson C, Holmes BJ. 2022. Chondrichthyans – Guitarfish, wedgefish and sawfish. In: Smith B, Waudby H, Alberthsen C, Hampton J (eds). Wildlife Research in Australia: Practical and Applied Methods CSIRO Publishing. 546-547.

2015 – 2021

• Nevatte RJ, Williamson JE, Wueringer BE, Gillings MR. 2021. Contrasting patterns of population structure in commercially fishes sawsharks from southern Australian waters. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-021-09640-4
• Wueringer BE, Winther-Janson M, Raoult V, Guttridge TL. 2020. Anatomy of the mechanosensory lateral line canal system and electrosensory ampullae of Lorenzini in two species of sawshark (fam. Pristiophoridae). J Fish Biol 98:168-177
• Hudgins JL, Bell, M, Wueringer BE. 2019. Extension of the historic range of freshwater sawfish Pristis pristis on the east coast of Australia. Pacific Conservation Biology. https://doi.org/10.1071/PC19001 ResearchGate
• Wueringer BE. 2017. Sawfish catches in the Queensland Shark Control Program, 1964 to 2016. Endangered Species Research, DOI:10.3354/esr00853 open access
• Bradney D, Evans S, Davidson A, Wueringer BE, Morgan DL, Clausen P. 2017. Sawfishes stealth revealed using computational fluid dynamics. Journal of Fish Biology, DOI:10.1111/jfb.13255 link
• Nevatte RJ, Williamson JE, Vella NGF, Raoult V, Wueringer BE. 2017. Morphometry and microanatomy of the barbels of the common sawshark Pristiophorus cirratus (Pristiophoridae): implications for pristiophorid behaviour. Journal of Fish Biology, DOI:10.1111/jfb.13275 ResearchGate
• Nevatte RJ, Wueringer BE, Jacob DE, Park JM, Williamson JE. 2017. First insights into the function of the sawshark rostrum through examination of rostral tooth microwear. Journal of Fish Biology, DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13467 ResearchGate
• O’Shea O, Wueringer BE, Winchester M Brooks EJ. 2017. Comparative feeding ecology of the yellow ray Urobatis jamaicensis (Urotrygonidae) from The Bahamas. Journal of Fish Biology, DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13488 ResearchGate
• O’Leary BC, Winther-Janson M, Bainbridge JM, Aitken J, Hawkins JP, Roberts CM. 2016. Effective coverage targets for ocean protection. Conservation Letters, DOI: 10.1111/conl.12247 open access
• Morgan DL, Wueringer BE, Allen MG, Ebner BC, Whitty JM, Gleis AC, Beatty SJ. 2016. Only a sawfish needs its saw: what is the fate of amputee sawfish? Fisheries, 41 (2): 71-73 publisher, ResearchGate

pre 2015

• Winther-Janson M, Wueringer BE, Seymour J. 2012. Electroreception in epaulette sharks, Hemiscyllium ocellatum. PLoS ONE. 7(11): e49857. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049857 open access
• Wueringer BE. 2012. Electroreception in elasmobranchs – sawfish as a case study. Brain, Behaviour and Evolution 80:97-107. DOI: 10.1159/000339873 ResearchGate
• Wueringer BE, Kajiura SM, Squire L Jr, Tibbetts IR, Collin SP. 2011. Electric field detection in sawfish and shovelnose rays. PLoS ONE. 7(7): e41605. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041605. open access
• Wueringer BE, Squire L Jr, Kajiura, SM, Hart NS,Collin SPC. 2011. The function of the sawfish’s saw. Current Biology 22(5) R150-R151. publisher, ResearchGate
• Wueringer BE, Peverell SC, Seymour J, Squire L Jr, Kajiura, SM, Collin SPC. 2011. Sensory systems in sawfishes – Part 1: The ampullae of Lorenzini. Brain, Behavior and Evolution. 78(2): 139-149. pdf
• Wueringer BE, Peverell SC, Seymour J, Squire L Jr, Collin SP. 2011. Sensory systems in sawfishes – Part 2: The lateral line. Brain, Behavior and Evolution. 78(2): 150-161. open access
• Marzullo TM, Wueringer BE, Squire, L Jnr, Collin SP. 2011. Description of the mechanoreceptive lateral line and the electroreceptive ampullary system in the freshwater whipray Himantura dalyensis. Marine & Freshwater Research 62: 771-779 ResearchGate
• Wueringer BE, Squire L Jr, Collin SP. 2009. The biology of extinct and extant sawfish (Batoidea: Sclerorhynchidae and Pristidae). Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 19:445-464. ResearchGate
• Wueringer BE, Tibbetts IR, Whitehead DL. 2009. Ultrastructure of the ampullae of Lorenzini of the eastern shovelnose ray, Aptychotrema rostrata. Zoomorphology 128: 45-52. ResearchGate
• Wueringer BE, Tibbetts IR. 2008. Comparison of the ampullary and lateral line systems of two species of shovelnose ray. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 18(1): 47-64. ResearchGate

Publications for a general readership:

• Biskis VN, Wueringer BE. 2022. Citizen Scientists saving sawfish. Newsletter of the Australian Society for Fish Biologists. Vol 50: (1). 12-15.
• Wueringer BE, Biskis N. 2020. To tag a sawfish. CRIKEY! Magazine.
• Wueringer BE, McNicholas G. 2018. Searching for sawfish. CRIKEY! Magazine Spring:44-47.
• Wueringer BE. 2012. Demystifying a sea monster. Australasian Science Sept 2012: 29-31. link to publisher 
• Phillips N, Wueringer BE. 2015. Sawfish – Ancient predators in need of modern conservation tools. Wildlife Australia, Autumn 2015 ResearchGate

Publications in preparation:

• Biskis VN, Townsend K, McDavitt M, Wueringer BE. Sawfish spotters fill data gaps critical for sawfish protections in Queensland, Australia.
• Wueringer BE, Kempster R, Collin SP. Sensory adaptations of juvenile spear tooth sharks Glyphis glyphis. 
• Wueringer BE, Coimbra JP, Collin SP. Sensory systems in sawfishes: Part III Retinal specialisations in the freshwater sawfish Pristis pristis in comparison with a shark ray Rhina ancylostoma.
• Wueringer BE, Collin SP. Social interactions and dominance hierarchies in the freshwater sawfish Pristis pristis.