An orange orangutan swinging on a branch in thick jungle

University of Queensland research has found despite considerable conservation efforts, the illegal killing of critically endangered orangutans on Borneo may be an ongoing threat to the species.

11 October 2023
An underwater photo of a coral reef showing algal overgrowth.

UQ researchers are developing a web-based management program capable of mapping ocean water pollution almost as it happens.

4 October 2023
Green seedlings grow in soil in a black plastic tray, the photo is taken from above.

University of Queensland researchers have shown Australian tobacco plants could be used as ‘biofactories’ to manufacture medicines on a large scale.

1 June 2023
View through water to rows of plants on the sea floor with a beach and palm trees in the background

A University of Queensland-led study has shown that expanding global seaweed farming could go a long way to addressing the planet’s food security, biodiversity loss and climate change challenges.

27 January 2023
A close up of gloved hands holding a magnet against a small vial of brown liquid with two faces in the background

Researchers at The University of Queensland have pioneered a simple, fast and effective technique to remove PFAS chemicals from water.

20 January 2023

Research co-led by UQ has found sharing real-time air quality readings in developing countries can reduce air pollution and lead to lower mortality rates.

25 October 2022
Elephant

Some of Asia’s largest animals, including tigers and elephants, are defying 12,000 years of extinction trends by thriving alongside humans, a University of Queensland-led study has revealed.

22 October 2022
A close-up photo of a hand holding granules of black compost

A new way of using compost could boost global crop production and deliver huge benefits to the planet, according to a study co-led by The University of Queensland.

6 September 2022
Several worms crawl over a block of polystyrene, some of them munching into it

A species of worm with an appetite for polystyrene could be the key to plastic recycling on a mass scale.

10 June 2022
A group of people stand in shallow water being taught how to colour match coral

Volunteer-collected data on coral bleaching has been credited with supporting scientific findings about reef health across the globe.

9 June 2022
Red panda in a tree

The much-loved red panda is renowned for its tree-climbing ability and adorable nature, but new research shows the endangered mammal is being driven closer to extinction.

6 June 2022
Fish swimming around coral on Heron Reef

A group of Australian scientists have for the first time unravelled the history of climate change upheaval on the Great Barrier Reef over the past eight millennia. Led by University of Queensland graduate Dr Marcos Salas-Saavedra, the team analysed...

30 May 2022
A picture of an ocean reef

Water quality in the Great Barrier Reef will be improved thanks to a multimillion-dollar collaboration between The University of Queensland and the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.

22 April 2022
A koala sitting in a tree

Wildlife researchers at The University of Queensland have developed a new management approach which could protect the iconic koala from extinction.

20 April 2022
Sun shining through smoke onto high-rise buildings. Adobe

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has handed down the second instalment of its Sixth Assessment report, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaption and Vulnerability.

1 March 2022
Firefighters standing near a truck watching a large plume of smoke.

A world-first real-time bushfire hazard detection and warning system using artificial intelligence (AI) is under development thanks to a new partnership between The University of Queensland and Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm.

11 December 2021
Coral skeleton rubble.

Stabilising reef rubble may help corals recover faster after being damaged by the impacts of climate change and natural degradation.

2 December 2021
An octopus swimming through a coral reef.

The unique brainpower of octopuses – known for their intelligence and Houdini-like escapes – has been revealed by University of Queensland researchers.

22 November 2021
A cross section of a taro.

The tropical root vegetable taro, known as the ‘food of the gods’ in the Pacific, is under threat from rising sea levels but wild Australian plants being cultivated by The University of Queensland may help boost food security in the region.

21 October 2021

Only 40 per cent of forests are considered to have high ecological integrity, according to a new global measure, the Forest Landscape Integrity Index.

9 December 2020