06/10/2026
TMAG's Tissue Collection
Thursday 12 November, 10.30am
Royal Society Room, TMAG
(entry via Davey Street)
Dr David Hocking, TMAG Senior Curator of Vertebrates and Palaeontology, will speak to us about the TMAG Tissue Collection. This contains specimens that have been collected for archiving and research, and is primarily composed of frozen tissue samples stored in -80°C freezers. It is a growing collection that seeks to house specimens that span the diversity of Tasmania’s vertebrate fauna, with a special focus on rare or threatened species, including Tasmanian devils, threatened birds of prey and samples collected from stranded marine mammals.
Looking at what’s in the freezer, David will tell us some tales of collaboration with the Inland Fisheries Service focussing on the ones that did not get away — the last specimen of invasive carp, the last Pedder Galaxias collected from Lake Pedder — and much more besides.
He will touch on the vital importance of these samples in finding ways to tackle modern scourges such as devil facial tumour disease, raptor mortality, and the looming spread of bird flu.
TMAG is responsible for the development, maintenance and management of the zoological collections of Tasmania, and is one of the founding partners of the Atlas of Living Australia.
Just one of the reasons why we need to keep the TMAG Zoology team fully staffed and resourced.
This is a FREE event, and you are welcome to bring non-member friends. For organisational purposes, please let us know you are coming.
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BACKGROUND:
A collaborative effort between the Inland Fisheries Service, TMAG Collections and Research Facility and CSIRO is helping preserve valuable fish specimens while creating new opportunities for biodiversity research, conservation and education.
Many specimens have recently been donated to TMAG by the Inland Fisheries Service, ensuring they are permanently housed within Tasmania’s State Collection and available for future scientific study.
The work was coordinated in partnership with Dr David Hocking, who oversees collections that span more than 150 years of zoological acquisitions. These collections play a vital role in advancing our understanding of the state’s biodiversity and support research into species distributions, ecology, genetics, evolution, and responses to environmental change.
For more information, click here to go to the Inland Fisheries Service website.
Pictured above: David Hocking with Jonah Yick of the Inland Fisheries Service
BOOK FOR TISSUE COLLECTION
https://friendsoftmag.org.au/event-6863695
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ePetition to stop staff cuts at TMAG
https://haepetitions.parliament.tas.gov.au/haepet/Home/PetitionDetails/157
We urge you to read and sign this petition, which you can access at this link, and attend our public meeting on Thursday 8 October at 12.30pm at Mawson Pavilion on the waterfront.
