Quandamooka (Moreton Bay) is not just one of my favourite places on the planet, it is a globally significant seascape, with outstanding social, cultural and natural values. Millions of people regularly engage with the Bay and its catchment for work, pleasure or culture – including Quandamooka and Kabi Kabi Traditional Owners, whose 25,000+ year relationship with the land and waters makes this a region of high cultural significance. An abundance of native animal species, many threatened, live in Moreton Bay (e.g., dugongs, marine turtles) or rely on its diverse habitats during migration (e.g., grey nurse sharks, wader birds).
Photo credit: Stevie Klein
Moreton Bay is also one of Australia’s fastest growing population centres, with a 50% population increase across Brisbane and the Gold Coast expected by 2041, and the region will change rapidly as Brisbane prepares to host the 2032 Olympic Games.
The University of Queensland has a longstanding history of research in Moreton Bay, which is home to the region’s premier research facility: The Moreton Bay Research Station. In 2021–23, UQ’s Vice Chancellor made a strategic investment of $1,300,000 in a collaborative venture – Sustainable Urban Seascapes, Moreton Bay – that I co-led with Professors Catherine Lovelock, Cynthia Riginos and John Pandolfi. Our aim was to harness and coordinate scientific expertise to support the sustainable management of Moreton Bay. We convened four meetings with Traditional Owners, industry, government, and academia to identify research priorities for Moreton Bay. This newsletter features a selection of the many research projects that we supported in addition to other CBCS research in Moreton Bay.
Importantly, UQ’s Sustainable Urban Seascapes, Moreton Bay laid the foundation for the Faculty of Science’s Healthy Moreton Bay Research Initiative, a $20M+ fundraising endeavour to support an ecologically, economically and socially thriving Moreton Bay by 2032.
We hope you enjoy reading this special issue about our diverse research in Moreton Bay, which covers everything from seahorses to sewage to social values.
Photo credit: Martin Valigursky
Read more of these stories in Issue 18 of the CBCS Newsletter and follow us on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn.