SDG 14 – Life below water

Through specialised teaching programs and global capacity-building initiatives, UQ equips the next generation of marine scientists and conservationists.

Our campus operations contribute to SDG 14 with a focus on sustainable water management, waste reduction, and environmental governance. Together, these activities reflect UQ’s commitment to protecting marine and aquatic environments and supporting global efforts to sustain life below water.

Read our SDG 14 2024 report (PDF, 282 KB)

See how we make a difference across key areas:

• Community outreach, education and events
• Research and innovation
• Environments, campuses and operations

Community outreach, education and events

UQ is committed to the public good and seeks to enrich communities, including through capacity building and external engagement to support the UN SDGs. For SDG 14, UQ’s expertise is enhancing understanding and promoting conservation and sustainable utilisation of aquatic ecosystems, including rivers, oceans, lakes and wetlands through outreach, events and education.

How we are achieving this

Ecology tours of UQ Lakes – 11 and 14 September 2024

These free tours for community, alumni, and UQ staff and students, explored the recently completed UQ Lake precinct, home to a vast ecosystem of plants and animals. This whole area has been transformed into a self-sustaining fresh-water ecosystem by restoring water health and creating conditions for native flora and fauna to thrive.

Tour participants learnt more about the life that calls the UQ campus home, including the approximately 8,000 trees, palms and shrubs, and thousands more wetland plants that were established in and around the lake. Participants also learnt that the wetlands provide an ‘in-lake’ treatment system that filters out sediment before it enters the main lake, as well as how the re-design maintains good water quality by ensuring that water flows regularly out from the main lake to the surrounding wetlands and into the Brisbane River.

Education and outreach at Moreton Bay Research Station

Every year UQ’s Moreton Bay Research Station on North Stradbroke Island hosts a free community open day for the general public to meet academic and support staff and learn about how the research station makes a difference. In 2024, Open Day was held on 10 August, with community visitors able to hear from UQ research experts, interact with marine animals in touch-tanks and get up-close and personal with marine creatures. Visitors were also able to hear from UQ’s Dr Benjamin Mos, an expert in sustainable aquaculture. Habitats in Moreton Bay and North Stradbroke Island don’t just include beaches, dunes, sclerophyll forests and reefs, but also freshwater lakes, wetlands and mangroves.

UQ’s Moreton Bay Research Station regularly hosts domestic and international students from both tertiary and pre-tertiary institutions. Field and laboratory experiences as well as science camps for secondary school students enable them to study the unique and pristine environment, including freshwater ecosystems, through activities including the collection of specimens from a swamp and lake to compare data such as species diversity and water quality. In 2024, over 1050 students from a variety of high schools both locally and internationally visited the research station. In addition, more than 1030 UQ students (both undergraduate and postgraduate) spent over 2800 learning days at the station, with several UQ courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level featuring extended field trips to the station to observe the marine systems, oceans and coastal environments, and the conservation efforts that are in place to preserve these.

Leveraging fisher skill to reduce bycatch in global fisheries

This project, led by Dr Leslie Roberson of the UQ School of the Environment, is working with an international network of experts to explore how individual fishers' skills can reduce bycatch, the non-target species caught during fishing.

In 2024, several workshops aided community education and capacity building in sustainable fisheries management, raised awareness about overfishing and destructive practices, and promoted fisher-led solutions that are cost-effective and environmentally responsible. A 3-day workshop was held in June at The Institute of the Americas, University of San Diego, California, which was attended by 23 experts in sustainable fisheries management, representing 11 countries. A quarter of the attendees were from Spanish-speaking countries, and the participants primarily came from academia, NGOs, and government sectors, with additional representation from industry and private sectors. Most participants had 2 to 3 decades of experience in fisheries, with some junior attendees and others with over 4 decades of experience.

This was followed by 2 follow-up workshops with smaller groups in October at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and in June at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) in Berlin, Germany. One paper was published in December 2024, titled 'Opportunity to Leverage Tactics Used by Skilled Fishers to Address Persistent Bycatch Challenges', and the research was shared at 3 international conferences:

• the World Fisheries Congress in Seattle, USA (2–7 March 2024)
• the 74th International Tuna Conference at Lake Arrowhead, California, USA (20–24 May 2024)
• the 7th International Marine Conservation Congress, Cape Town, South Africa (13–18 October, 2024).

Educating the local community on sustainable seafood and fishing

On 24 February 2024, the School of the Environment’s Dr Leslie Roberson hosted a discussion at the Cleveland Library in Moreton Bay on sustainable seafood and fishing. The free event addressed what the term 'sustainable seafood' means, and how the community can make more sustainable seafood choices in the context of our local fisheries and aquaculture in South East Queensland.

Centre for Marine Science Talkfest February 2024

This free event is hosted biannually by UQ’s Centre for Marine Science, who are global leaders in marine research and innovation, driving solutions for healthy and sustainable environments. The event brings together researchers, students and external experts to share knowledge and foster collaboration in marine science. The 2024 event brought together researchers from UQ and Queensland University of Technology, the student-led UQ Marine Society and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Special Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group. Discussions and presentations covered a range of pressing marine issues, including:

• global efforts to map critical habitats for sharks and rays
• the management of crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef
• scaling automated reef restoration technologies.

Fisheries management at CMS Talkfest

The second of 2 free annual Centre for Marine Science Talkfest events took place on 19 July 2024, with an aim to enhance partnerships within the UQ research community and to increase communication with external marine scientists and the general public. Dr Matthew Holden, an applied mathematician using modelling to improve environmental outcomes, led a discussion focussing on what the best models are for marine conservation and fisheries management decisions.

Mitigating food waste in the seafood industry

During 2024, Dr Soni Peter addressed food waste in the seafood industry by investigating 'mushy tuna syndrome' (MTS), as part of her PhD project. Her research, motivated by a deep connection to coastal communities and the seafood sector, aims to support UN Sustainable Development Goals such as Zero Hunger and Life Below Water. Through a global industry survey, she found that 97% of respondents had encountered MTS, leading to significant economic losses. Through her work, Soni advocates for developing predictive tools and non-invasive detection methods to help fishers and processors minimise waste, enhance resource efficiency and promote sustainable fishing practices.

Marine seminar series

The Centre for Marine Science ran free monthly seminars throughout 2024 that showcased the research of higher degree by research (HDR) candidates and visiting scholars, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue in marine science. With an emphasis on conservation and sustainability, topics included:

• drivers and limitations of early recovery for spawning corals on the Great Barrier Reef
• understanding predator-prey dynamics of the crown-of-thorns sea star
• challenges and management of Indonesian coral reefs.

Heron Island Research Station alumni tour 23–25 August 2024

This tour offered participants an immersive experience into marine conservation efforts on the Great Barrier Reef. As the oldest and largest marine research station on the reef supporting world-class coral reef research and education for over 70 years, the facility plays a pivotal role in addressing environmental challenges. Attendees engaged in guided reef walks, snorkelling excursions and discussions with UQ marine scientists, gaining first-hand insight into the station's research and learning about reef health, biodiversity and climate change impacts.

10th GEF International Waters Conference (IWC10) 2024

The UQ team from the 'Coral Reef Rescue: Resilient Coral Reefs, Resilient Communities' project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), participated in the 10th GEF International Waters Conference (IWC10) held in Punta Del Este, Uruguay from 23–26 September. The project aims to build capacity and solutions in 6 countries (Fiji, Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Philippines, Madagascar and Tanzania) for the long-term survival of climate-resilient coral reef ecosystems and the communities dependent on them. UQ facilitated cross-sectoral dialogue with a clinic session at the conference, focusing on national and inclusive approaches to conserving resilient coral reefs. The session introduced the importance of national hubs in countries such as Fiji and Indonesia, demonstrating how inclusive governance and multi-sectoral stakeholder engagement can enhance coral reef conservation efforts.

GEF 7 Coral Reef Rescue project free courses

With funding from the Global Environment Facility, UQ offered 2 free online courses in 2024 to support the conservation of climate-resilient coral reefs and the aims of the GEF 7 Coral Reef Rescue Project and the broader Coral Reef Rescue Initiative. These courses are now available in both English and Bahasa Indonesia on UQ’s Edge online learning platform:

• CRRI101x Coral Reefs: Introduction to Challenges and Solutions – critical insights into the threats facing coral reefs and the innovative solutions being developed to protect them. The course includes content from a range of experts in their field.
• CRRI103x Coral Reefs: Sustainable Blue Economy – understanding and analysing the blue economy in the learner’s own context and understanding the risks associated with business-as-usual for coral reef ecosystems and the planet. Learners explore opportunities for transitioning towards a more sustainable, reef-positive, blue economy.

Those taking the courses explore topics such as reef ecology, marine conservation strategies, and the role of the blue economy in sustainable development. The courses are open to anyone with an interest in sustainability, coral reef conservation and community resilience.

Research and innovation

We aim to leverage the breadth and depth of our research capabilities to address the world’s most pressing challenges, and engage with industry, government and community partners to deliver meaningful solutions. In SDG 14, UQ research collaboration activities directly maintain and extend both local, national and global aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity, including ecosystems under threat.

How we are achieving this

Protecting marine habitats in the Ocean Decade

Professor Peter Mumby delivered a keynote at the 2nd UN Ocean Decade Regional Conference and 11th IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific’s (WESTPAC) International Marine Science Conference in Bangkok from 22–25 April 2024. This event drew together a wide-ranging audience of stakeholders from UN agencies, government bodies, academia, and private and business sectors, in addition to philanthropists, NGOs and civil society. With a focus on exploring interventions to build coral reef resilience under global and local impacts, Peter’s keynote promoted cross-sectoral dialogue on advancing key UN activities that draw together science with pragmatic actions to advance SDG14 in the Ocean Decade.

UQ Ventures Industry Challenge

In 2024 this event focused on ocean innovation and facilitated student collaboration with UQ’s partners:

• Port of Brisbane
• Australian Marine Conservation Society
• Ocean Impact Organisation
• Orchid Energy
•  UQ Centre for Marine Science.

This challenge aimed to develop real-world solutions to some of the most complex and pressing issues affecting oceans today, including water quality, plastics and pollution, sustainable use and climate resilience. Open to students from across all disciplines, the event welcomed innovative methods from engineering and scientific solutions to service and behavioural change initiatives. The winners in 2024 were:

• HexaRoot – an innovative product to better stabilise river banks
• We Sea Change – a device to capture and breakdown microplastics in washing machines that can be installed by home-owners

• SedimentWatch –satellite-based solutions for sediment and ecosystem monitoring.

Helping South East Asian countries extend their marine protected areas (MPA)

During 2024, UQ researchers helped countries develop their MPA strategies for both biodiversity and fisheries management by co-designing and coordinating a World Bank project in Indonesia and the Philippines – 2 countries boasting the highest marine biodiversity – and developing practical tools that help governments select appropriate sites and sizes for their MPAs. These methods were rolled out in 27 regions of Indonesia and now have global application. The success led the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) to approach UQ while designing a new fisheries project for the Gulf of Thailand.

Novel uses of insurance to help communities restore marine ecosystems

In collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, Professor Peter Mumby and Dr Selina Ward worked on a project in 2024 exploring how parametric insurance can provide instantaneous funding to restore damaged coral reefs after cyclones or coral bleaching events for communities dependant on marine ecosystems in the Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.

International trade of threatened marine species as seafood

Researchers from UQ’s Faculty of Science released a study in 2024 examining the adequacy of Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act for protecting threatened marine species. The findings revealed regulatory gaps which allowed commercial trading for some threatened species, and recommended a series of reforms that would strengthen the legal framework and improve biodiversity outcomes.

Impact of flood sediments on Moreton Bay’s Ecosystem

As part of a long-term research collaboration with Queensland Government-owned Urban Utilities and the Port of Brisbane, researchers from the School of Civil Engineering published findings in March 2024 assessing the impact of flood sediments on Moreton Bay. The study, conducted after the 2022 Brisbane River flood, revealed significant sediment deposition affecting 98% of the bay, reducing clean sand areas and increasing nutrient levels, contributing to the growth of a 'dead zone'. This collaboration is vital for safeguarding Moreton Bay's ecosystem and informing global best practices for managing flood impacts and protecting marine ecosystems.

Great Barrier Reef Catchment Loads Program

In 2024, UQ secured $3.6 million in funding from the Federal and Queensland governments to enhance water quality monitoring in the Great Barrier Reef catchments. This investment, a collaboration between UQ, James Cook University and the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, has been tracking water quality since 2006 for freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystems associated with the reef, where UQ has its Heron Island Research Station. The funding will enable the deployment of advanced monitoring technologies, analysis of samples from over 100 coastal sites, and real-time satellite reporting at more than 50 locations. Additionally, it will provide UQ environmental science students with opportunities for research projects and industry placements, fostering the next generation of reef scientists.

Reviewing the Australian Government’s Outlook Report for the Great Barrier Reef

In 2024, Professor Peter Mumby provided expert review of the Australian Government Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s 5-year scientific document on the state of marine ecosystems across the reef. This is a key document to support planning for the long-term sustainability of the reef and weighs on decisions by UNESCO about the Reef’s World Heritage Status.

The Marine Ecosystems Monitoring Lab

Part of the School of the Environment, the Marine Ecosystems Monitoring Lab develops cost-effective methods for mapping and monitoring marine ecosystems to answer targeted conservation and management questions at local sites such as Moreton Bay, Heron Island and the Great Barrier Reef as well as further afield in wider Australia and the Asia-Pacific. 2024 projects focused on:

• developing seagrass and other benthic cover types to support blue carbon assessment
• improving shallow coral reef habitats in Australia
• developing a repeatable mapping approach to characterise seagrass in Tasmania.

Read more about current coastal research projects at the Marine Ecosystems Monitoring Lab.

SeaFisher sustainable fish farming pen

UQ co-led the development of SeaFisher, a sustainable fish farming pen designed to operate in deeper ocean waters, addressing the need for cleaner aquaculture. In partnership with Griffith University, the University of Tasmania and industry partners, the project aimed to reduce the impact on nearshore ecosystems and protect water quality with a design that includes water pumps that fill high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes to ensure stability during storms, while smooth, reinforced netting keeps predators out. Additionally, integrating seaweed farming uses fish waste to fertilise plants, promoting cleaner water. This collaborative effort enhances sustainable seafood production while preserving marine environments and water quality.

Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP)

In 2024, Associate Professor Pedro Fidelman and Dr Nicole Shumway of the Centre for Policy Futures continued to lead strategic projects within RRAP’s Regulatory Subprogram. These initiatives aimed to develop governance and policy frameworks for novel reef interventions, including those using new technologies, to help the Great Barrier Reef resist, adapt to and recover from the impacts of climate change. The program brings together Australian and international experts to create a suite of solutions, including technologies and practices, for reef restoration and resilience.

Coral Reef Rescue: Resilient Coral Reefs, Resilient Communities Project (CRR GEF)

UQ researchers worked with members of local communities in 6 countries (Fiji, Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Philippines, Madagascar and Tanzania), to protect climate refuge reefs that are less exposed to climate change impacts. Funded by the Global Environment Facility, working directly with communities is a key component of the project to support the development of inclusive governance approaches that empower local stakeholders to address reef threats and contribute to long-term ecosystem resilience. A major milestone was the project’s inception workshop in Bali, where UQ convened implementing and partner agencies to foster a shared approach to community engagement and conservation.

Environments, campuses and operations

UQ campuses include research stations on North Stradbroke Island in Moreton Bay and on Heron Island within the Great Barrier Reef, with the main St Lucia campus bordered by the Brisbane River and connected to the river via campus lakes and surrounding wetlands. UQ’s Gatton campus is in the Lockyer Valley, on 1068 hectares of prime agricultural land and inclusive of UQ Gatton Farm which has advanced water irrigation facilities. UQ is committed to sustainable campuses, and directly contributes to the maintenance of the river, lake and ocean ecosystems associated with UQ, and often partners with local and national communities to do so.

How we are achieving this

Aquatic ecosystems associated with UQ

Citizen scientists help manage the Great Barrier Reef

Coral Watch, a UQ-led initiative, continued its citizen science initiative throughout 2024 to address climate change challenges as they relate to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The Great Reef Census, a partnership between Citizens of the Reef (Cairns) and UQ, has involved hundreds of Queenslanders who visit the Reef, and thousands more global citizens who have helped analyse the data. Each year, including in 2024, the data collected by citizens is used to help prioritise the crown-of-thorns starfish control program. UQ also held a CoralWatch event during UQ’s Sustainability Week in 2024, where experts discussed current bleaching events occurring in the Northern Hemisphere, what this might mean for the Great Barrier Reef and what individuals can do to protect reefs.

The Reef Catchments Science Partnership (RCSP)

RCSP provides data and tools that are freely available online to support water quality improvement in freshwater and marine resource conservation, working towards sustainable use.

In particular, the Pesticide Reporting Portal and Pesticide Risk Metric Dashboard provide data to help monitor and analyse pesticide runoff directly addressing land-based pollution sources affecting coastal waters. These programs are supported by RCSP staff at the UQ School of the Environment, and delivered by the Queensland Government Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation. Sharing these resources, methodologies and findings also enhances understandings of the impacts of pesticide toxicity, and supports sustainable management and conservation efforts.

Moreton Bay and Heron Island

UQ owns and operates 2 marine research stations – Moreton Bay and Heron Island – which are critical to advancing SDG 14 through research, education and engagement.

Moreton Bay Research Station on North Stradbroke Island contributes towards conservation efforts within the greater Moreton Bay area. It supports projects on sea grasses, dugongs, whales and dolphins, sea turtles, mangroves, fish and their parasites, invertebrates, plankton, sharks and rays, migratory sea birds, habitat complexity and connectivity, as well as terrestrial work on areas as diverse as hydrology and archaeology. Read about projects at Moreton Bay Research Station. UQ has a groundbreaking partnership with the Quandamooka People, the area’s Traditional Owners, working closely as an integral part of the Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) community with UQ staff taking part in local events and wildlife rescues. Read more about cultural heritage on Minjerribah.

Heron Island Research Station, on the southern Great Barrier Reef, has supported world-class coral reef research and education for over 70 years, and continues to focus on restoring and managing coral reefs on the Great Barrier Reef, and around the world. Projects supported by Heron Island Research Station address global challenges with novel solutions, including advanced environmentally benign bioproducts, biomaterials and sources of energy. Diverse topics span bird and turtle migration and behaviour to drugs from cone shell venom to the genomes of corals, sponges and their symbionts. Read more about the impact of the station's research and conservation efforts.

UQ lakes and wetlands

Our St Lucia lakes have long been an iconic feature of UQ's grounds, with the main lake being formally reopened in 2024 after undergoing a major redesign to support a healthy and self-sustaining ecosystem. The smaller recycled water lakes irrigate the St Lucia grounds and sporting fields, and the lakes and wetlands are home to numerous native species of flora and fauna.

The lakes and surrounding wetlands are a true aquatic ecosystem: there’s life to be found above and below the surface, including mammals, reptiles, fish, insects, over 60 bird species, microflora, plants and weeds. The lakes' natural environment is beginning to flourish, and flora and fauna are repopulating, with more than 8,000 trees, palms, and shrubs and thousands of wetland plants planted in and around the lake to form range of sub-tropical habitats, including basking areas for animals to soak up the sun, woody debris, and aquatic and terrestrial native planting. Floating, submerged and emergent aquatic plants also attract a variety of insects and bugs to the lake, which provide a food source for other types of fauna including fish and birds.

The wetlands provide an ‘in-lake’ treatment system that filters out sediment before it enters the main lake, with the re-design maintaining good water quality by ensuring that water flows regularly out from the main lake to the surrounding wetlands and into the Brisbane River.

UQ Gatton Farm

UQ Gatton Farm offers comprehensive support for agricultural cropping research, including sophisticated irrigation systems (such as drip, gravity T-tape, hand-shift lateral boom and trickle systems), to ensure that crops receive optimal water distribution. UQ offers access to a variety of water sources such as potable water, fresh creek water and bores with low to medium electrical conductivity (a measure of salinity), as well as non-potable and sewage treatment plant water for experiments that require specific water quality conditions.

Campus operations, practices and policies

Water sensitive waste disposal

The UQ Gatton sewage treatment plant operates as a 100% effluent disposal to land system, eliminating any discharge to waters. The treated effluent supports agricultural irrigation, reducing freshwater demand and protecting aquatic ecosystems. The activity must adhere to strict water quality standards under the environmental permit issued by the Queensland Government.

Watershed management and water quality monitoring at UQ lakes and wetlands

We recently restored a large urban lake at our St Lucia campus to improve water quality, amenity and biodiversity. A lake water quality monitoring program has been established to monitor the ecological health of the new system, pollutant loading and removal pathways, risk factors and performance. Water quality objectives were defined for the lake using a combination of Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) 2000 trigger values and Australian Runoff Quality 2006 guidelines values.

Environment and Sustainability Policy

Our Environment and Sustainability Policy demonstrates a commitment to environmental protection and compliance with all relevant environmental legislation including:

• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth)
• National Greenhouse Energy Reporting Act 2007 (Commonwealth)
• Environmental Protection Act 1994 (QLD)
• Environmental Protection Regulation 2019 (QLD)
• Environmental Protection (Air) Policy 2019 (QLD)
• Environmental Protection (Water and Wetland Biodiversity) Policy 2019 (QLD)
• Nature Conservation Act 1992 (QLD)
• Biosecurity Act 2014 (QLD)
• Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008 (QLD)
• Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 (QLD).

The policy also states that UQ will transition towards becoming a single use plastic free university, with the campuses currently free of single-use plastic straws.

UQ’s actions in support of the policy include encouraging BYO coffee cups and water bottles, through an awareness program and promoting cafe discounts for BYO, and producing guides for campus retailers and mobile food vendors to support businesses on campus in reducing their plastic use. Additionally, a Sustainable Event Guide was available during 2024 to support staff and students in minimising waste, including plastic, at events.