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SUMMARY The low pH of naturally acidic aquatic environments is the result of soft-water with low buffering capacity and high concentrations of natural organic acids. Our current understanding of the influence of pH on aquatic organisms is largely limited to laboratory studies conducted under controlled conditions with little incorporation of these organic acids. Recent studies suggest natural organic acids may influence the physiology of aquatic species independent of low pH. We examined the effects of pH and varying concentrations of natural wallum water, which is high in organic acids on the hatching success, growth and locomotor performance of larval striped marsh frogs (Limnodynastes peronii). Based on previous studies, we predicted that the detrimental effects of low pH would be further exacerbated by higher concentrations of naturally occurring organic acids (high concentrations of wallum water). In artificial soft-water, embryos experienced both reduced growth and reduced survival when exposed to low pH. However, greater concentrations of natural organic acids did not exacerbate these effects of low pH on growth and development. Instead, we found some evidence that the natural organic acids within wallum water improved growth and swimming performance across all pH treatments. Using path analyses to investigate the effects of pH and natural organic acid concentration on burst swimming performance, we found performance was directly affected by both body length and organic acid concentration. Our data further highlight our limited understanding of the importance of natural organic acids for aquatic organisms and the need to incorporate greater ecological relevance into these studies.

Despite being a charismatic and well-known species, the social system of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus—the only extant member of the family Phascolarctidae) is poorly known and much of the koala’s sociality and mating behaviors remain un-quantified. We evaluated these using proximity logging-GPS enabled tracking collars on wild koalas and discuss their implications for the mating system of this species. The frequency and duration of male-female encounters increased during the breeding season, with male-male encounters quite uncommon, suggesting little direct mating competition. By comparison, female-female interactions were very common across both seasons. Body mass of males was not correlated with their interactions with females during the breeding season, although male size is associated with a variety of acoustic parameters indicating individuality. We hypothesise that vocal advertising reduces the likelihood of male-male encounters in the breeding season while increasing the rate of male-female encounters. We suggest that male mating-season bellows function to reduce physical confrontations with other males allowing them to space themselves apart, while, at the same time, attracting females. We conclude that indirect male-male competition, female mate choice, and possibly female competition, mediate sexual selection in koalas.

Daylight saving time (DST) could reduce collisions with wildlife by changing the timing of commuter traffic relative to the behaviour of nocturnal animals. To test this idea, we tracked wild koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in southeast Queensland, where koalas have declined by 80% in the last 20 years, and compared their movements with traffic patterns along roads where they are often killed. Using a simple model, we found that DST could decrease collisions with koalas by 8% on weekdays and 11% at weekends, simply by shifting the timing of traffic relative to darkness. Wildlife conservation and road safety should become part of the debate on DST.