About

The Centre for Marine Science is one of the largest and most diverse groups of marine experts in Australia, comprising nearly 100 research-intensive groups.

Among our ranks are an unrivalled nine Australian Laureate Fellows and close to 400 higher degree by research and master’s students.

Our expertise spans the sciences and engineering, social sciences, business, management and law, and we form strong transdisciplinary partnerships across the world to target major challenges facing our oceans and coastal habitats.

We collaborate with industry, community organisations, Traditional Owners, government and non-government organisations, philanthropic foundations and other research institutions to develop positive impacts locally and globally.

Our research leaders teach into diverse UQ programs, including our undergraduate majors in Marine Biology, and Coastal and Ocean Science; several master’s programs; and specialist and advanced intensive courses.

Local-to-global focus

Our experts are uniquely situated across several locations.

Marine research and teaching at UQ St Lucia is supported by Heron Island Research Station on the Great Barrier Reef – one of the best equipped reef research stations in the world – and Moreton Bay Research Station, which is on the doorstep of pristine subtropical Coral Sea habitats and valued environments in areas of intense coastal urban development.

An important point of focus for our researchers is the Indo-Pacific Marine Belt – the most biodiverse, populated, industrialised and threatened marine region in the world, with a mix of developed and developing countries that span the Northern and Southern hemispheres. 

Far-reaching impacts

The Centre for Marine Science has an enviable record in developing and delivering knowledge, approaches and technologies for, and from, our oceans.

According to the latest CWUR World University Rankings by Subject, we’re ranked:

• #1 in the world for biodiversity conservation
• #3 in the world for marine and freshwater biology
• #6 in the world for ecology, environmental sciences, and environmental engineering.

Our community-based citizen science programs have been adopted around the world, and our researchers have influenced policy at the local, national and international levels.