The reefs off Townsville and Cairns and the Gold and Sunshine coasts have long been attractive spots for marine ecology research.

Now, CQU is focusing efforts on their ‘less-sexy’ cousins, the southern reef and central coastline located between Bundaberg and Mackay.

The University’s Marine Ecology Program, within the Centre for Environmental Management, has quietly built up its track record, expertise and resources and is now ready to promote its capabilities further.

The program has its own team of active researchers and can draw on expertise from other units of the Centre for Environmental Management, including freshwater ecology, ecotoxicology and coastal processes. It also has collaborative links with a range of local, State and national marine ecology organisations.

Marine Ecology Program coordinator Dr Peter Stratford said the program’s interests included the southern reef and the central coast, including ports, beaches, estuarine areas, rivers and freshwater areas.

“Our main area of expertise is the long-term environmental monitoring of marine and estuarine ecosystems, especially those associated with industrialised and urbanised coastlines,” he said.

“Our research interests include mangrove, seagrass, seabed and fish community relationships, relationships between coastal wetlands, mangroves and intertidal communities, and coral and encrusting community biology, monitoring and preservation,” he said.

“We have staff based in Gladstone, Bundaberg, Mackay and Rockhampton, enabling a comprehensive coverage of the Southern Great Barrier Reef and Capricorn Coast.”.

Dr Stratford said the Marine Ecology Program provided local communities with an understanding of their environmental challenges via workshops, conference presentations and membership on various boards and steering committees.

“Our links with community, government and industry stakeholders ensure accurate results, as well as continuing development of the MEP’s staff and their specialist knowledge.” .

Dr Stratford said the program’s capacity included water quality monitoring, ecosystem health indicators, management strategies, environmental impact assessment, ecological inventories and biological surveys, catchment management, compliance monitoring, sediment analysis and long-term environmental monitoring.

He said the program had had considerable involvement in research supporting the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality and the Natural Heritage Trust programs at regional level.

For details call Dr Stratford via 4970 7274.