Field experience is an essential component of all UQ marine programs – our expert course designers know that you learn best by doing.
Take one or more of the many field courses based at UQ’s marine stations on the Great Barrier Reef and in eastern Australia’s subtropics, or explore other fascinating locations such as the world-renowned Fraser Island and the South Pacific’s Solomon Islands.
Heron Island
Experience the Great Barrier Reef first hand at Heron Island, a tiny coral cay (island or key) 80 kilometres offshore. World experts will support your studies at one of the best equipped island research stations in the world. Share your days surrounded by life – sharks, rays, fishes, turtles and thousands of other species call the island’s fringed reef platform home. No snorkelling experience required.
K’gari
K’gari (Fraser Island) is the world’s largest sand island and the only place where rainforest grows on sand. Located off southern Queensland, it is heritage listed and home to eastern Australia’s purest dingo population. Explore the ecology of wild beaches, coastal woodland, subtropical rainforest, mangroves, freshwater lakes and sand dunes, and work with Butchulla Traditional Owners for insight into the area’s cultural heritage.
North Stradbroke Island
A visit to Moreton Bay Research Station on North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) offers the chance to study Moreton Bay (Quandamooka) and its many subtropical ecosystems, including sea grass, mangroves, coral reefs, rocky intertidal areas, lakes and surf beaches. Learn about the area’s history and culture from the Traditional Owners, the Quandamooka people.
Solomon Islands
This remarkable Melanesian archipelago, east of Papua New Guinea, is one of the planet’s marine and terrestrial biodiversity hotspots. But it is under increasing pressures of urbanisation, logging and mining. UQ’s programs in Solomon Islands expose you to rich cultural experiences and the challenges and interplay associated with development and conservation.