UQ Moreton Bay Research Station and Study Centre

29/09/2026

Moreton Bay Research Station is hosting the practical component of the Certificate II in Maritime Operations (Coxswain Grade 1 Near Coastal / MAR20324), run by The University of Queensland via UQ Skills.
Through this course, you will learn the regulations and codes of practice that govern the operation of a marine vessel, as well as basic navigation, manoeuvring and berthing procedures, marine communications, and emergency response procedures.
Find out more at:
https://uqskills.uq.edu.au/programs/maritime/certificate-ii-maritime-operations

18/09/2026

Maintenance Day in Moreton Bay!

Behind every stream of real-time marine data is hands-on field maintenance. Our team recently dove on our water-quality monitoring buoys to keep the sensors clean and fully operational.

This network forms a core infrastructure across Moreton Bay and Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), beaming live environmental data every 15 minutes.

What these buoys track:
• 🌡️ Water Temperature
• 💧 Conductivity & Turbidity
• 📏 Depth
• ☀️ PAR Light

Beyond tracking key water parameters, these larger buoy platforms serve as permanent hubs for researchers to mount custom sampling equipment for multidisciplinary study and teaching.

Keeping sensor optics and housings free of biofouling is hard work but essential for maintaining high-integrity, long-term datasets in our marine environments!

https://marine.uq.edu.au/article/2023/12/moreton-bay-sensory-buoy-network

12/09/2026

We're proud to be part of Quandamooka Festival 2026 today on beautiful Minjerribah.

Come and say hello to the team from The University of Queensland's Moreton Bay Research Station at the QUAMPI Arts & Cultural Centre from 10am.

Whether you're interested in marine science, field trips, accommodation, or community engagement, we'd love to chat.

Spend the day exploring incredible arts and cultural experiences while celebrating the rich culture, stories and traditions of Quandamooka Country.

📍 QUAMPI Arts & Cultural Centre (Stradbroke Island)
⏰ From 10am

Find out more: https://quandamookafestival.net.au/

09/09/2026

The Quandamooka Festival is happening this weekend on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island)!

While you're enjoying a weekend of music, dance, art, conversation and on-Country experiences, be sure to stop by the Moreton Bay Research Station stall on Saturday and Sunday. We'd love to chat about our research, education programs, and the opportunities we offer on Minjerribah.

Bring the family, get outdoors, and come say hello!

Find out more: https://quandamookafestival.net.au/

19/12/2024

Thanks to recent repairs on our hard hull vessel Proteus, our team were excited to re-deploy a recently upgraded buoy this week as part of our sensory buoy network. A big thanks to the Science Workshops team for getting the buoys set up!

04/10/2024

MBRS team member Vicki Bennion was recently at the Australian Marine Sciences Association's annual conference with Dr Stuart Kininmonth from UQ's Heron Island Research Station promoting our station to marine researchers from around Australia and New Zealand. Thanks Vicki for showcasing our facilities at this great event!

03/08/2024

Join us Saturday 10th August for a fun-filled day of activities for all at our Community Open Day. We hope to see you there!

18/07/2024

MBRS researcher Dr Ben Mos and colleagues have uncovered an under the sea phenomenon where coral-destroying crown-of-thorns starfish larvae have been feasting on blue-green algae bacteria known as ‘sea sawdust’.

The team of marine scientists from The University of Queensland and Southern Cross University (SCU) found crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) larvae grow and thrive when raised on an exclusive diet of Trichodesmium – a bacteria that often floats on the ocean’s surface in large slicks.

Until now, scientists had thought almost nothing touched these threadlike bacteria because of their toxicity, size, and poor nutritional content.

Link here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ado2682

Blue-green algae blooms can extend hundreds to thousands of kilometres across the ocean and often float on the surface in large rafts like sawdust – hence the name. They play a crucial role in marine ecosystems by making nitrogen from the atmosphere available to other sea life, but now we know it is also a food source.
By knowing how sea sawdust helps COTS thrive, we can potentially change the way we combat this very damaging coral predator.

09/07/2024