Over the past three years, there’s been increasing concern over the future of the Great Barrier Reef. american_rugbier/Flickr, CC BY-SA

The Australian government has stepped up its campaign this month to prevent the Great Barrier Reef being listed as a World Heritage site “in danger” at international meetings next year.

18 December 2014

Researchers at The University of Queensland believe it might not be possible to build enough low-carbon and renewable power stations to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius – even if there was a global consensus to do so.

17 December 2014
Scarborough, Queensland: no longer allowed to factor in sea-level rise in its planning laws. Seo75/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Queensland Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney’s decision, revealed this week, to order a Brisbane council to remove future sea-level rise from its planning regulations seems a rather short-sighted thing to do.

12 December 2014

Coastal communities could be significantly damaged if authorities don’t plan ahead for sea-level rise, according to University of Queensland experts studying coastal inundation.

10 December 2014

The controversy ignited by the Australian National University in October, when it decided to sell its shares in seven resources companies, has raised two important questions about divestment from assets such as fossil fuels.

1 December 2014
UQ's three award winners, from left, Hosam Zowawi, Claudia Vickers and Andrew Stephenson, with the Minister for Science, Ian Walker (second from left)

Three University of Queensland scientists were honoured at an awards ceremony in Brisbane tonight.

25 November 2014
The renewable energy sector is looking a little gloomy thanks to record low investment. Is RET uncertainty to blame? Stephan Mosel.

You may have seen recent reports that Australia’s renewable energy sector is suffering. According to a Bloomberg analysis, investment in the sector in the year to September 2014 was down 70% on investment during the 12 months previous.

24 November 2014
Researchers with the Catlin Seaview Survey are examining photographs to understand reef health. Credit: Catlin Seaview Survey.

A picture is worth considerably more than a thousand words to marine scientists working on the Catlin Seaview Survey, as they study more than 500,000 images in research to improve coral reef health.

21 November 2014
Above: Nineteenth century recreational fishers would regularly catch hundreds of fish off the coast of Queensland, often in just a few hours of fishing (Photo: T. Welsby, 1905)

Queensland scientists delving into newspaper archives have discovered that catch rates for Queensland’s pink snapper fishery have declined almost 90 per cent, since the nineteenth century.

17 November 2014
Reforestation is a natural step towards wetland catchment restoration, but in some cases, this could result in the disappearance of the very wetland that we seek to protect.

Deforestation is both a boon and a bane for wetlands, according to new research by The University of Queensland. The study found that human impacts on the environment, such as deforestation, do not always have negative consequences, and can provide...

17 November 2014
Coral is threatened by rising sea temperatures

A decision by G20 leaders to discuss climate change at their meeting in Brisbane this week is good news for the Great Barrier Reef, researchers say.

11 November 2014
Dr Caroline Gaus aims to identify how contaminants enter the environment, and predict how those contaminants are likely to influence both wildlife and human health.

University of Queensland scientists are seeking to understand contaminant exposure of green turtles and evaluate their impact on near shore populations.

7 November 2014

Green developments to fight climate change may be hurting some of the world’s most vulnerable people, according to research from The University of Queensland.

4 November 2014
How do you know if your fish supper is sustainable? Mw12310/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Australians love seafood. Whether it’s fish and chips by the seaside or prawns on the barbie at Christmas, it’s integral to many of our traditions and social gatherings. Yet very little of the seafood we consume is sustainable. For a country that...

30 October 2014
During the first three years, 13 young scientists will be trained in areas such as health and nutrition, consumer and sensory science, commercialisation and business leadership. Above: UQ PhD student Ms Titlayo Falade

An industry-backed centre dedicated to creating healthier food choices for Australian and Asian consumers opened at UQ this week. Funded by the Australian Research Council, the ‘Industrial Transformation Training Centre’ has been tasked with...

17 October 2014
Prince Albert II of Monaco (second from right), with, from left, host Ted Danson and award-winners Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Mrs Caroline Pollock and Dr Sylvia Earle.

A University of Queensland marine scientist’s efforts to reduce the impact of climate change have been honoured by Prince Albert II of Monaco.

14 October 2014
UQ researchers have uncovered the secrets of the monarch butterfly’s distinct orange colour.

A gene responsible for building muscle tissue in monarch butterflies is the key to their annual mass migration, according to a study from an international team of researchers.

7 October 2014
James Watson ... with a critically endangered mountain gorilla in east Africa.

Australia has a stronger voice in conservation, with the election of Associate Professor James Watson as president of the Society for Conservation Biology.

1 October 2014
A dingo shelters in a cow carcass in northern South Australia.

Limiting the dingo and wild dog population has no negative effect on wildlife, according to new research.

18 September 2014

Beef producers could soon benefit from a protein-rich and sustainable livestock feed supplement in the form of microalgae.

19 August 2014