Join us for an exclusive day on stunning Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) in Moreton Bay, where you'll have the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at UQ's renowned marine research hub, the Moreton Bay Research Station.
On this family-friendly day out, we'll take you on a deep dive into the marine conservation work happening at the Research Station.
You can partake in interactive experiences such as a touch tank featuring marine creatures and live experiments. Our researchers will give enlightening talks on whales, environmental change, and the health of marine life in the Bay.
This event will run from 9:30am–2pm:
9:30–10:30am: Morning tea and official welcome
10:30am–2pm: Plan your day with a range of activities
Schedule of optional activities:
Time | Activity | Location |
9:30–10am | Morning tea | Downstairs patio |
10–10:15am | Welcome to Country | Grass opposite the Station |
10:15–10:25am | Welcome to Moreton Bay Research Station and overview of the program of activities | Grass opposite the Station |
10:30–11am | Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) demonstration | MBRS courtyard |
10:30–11am | Researcher talk: do marine invertebrates have plastic for dinner? (Dr Benjamin Mos) | Downstairs lecture room |
11–11:30am | Ground penetrating radar demonstration – Australian Archaeology | Grass opposite the Station |
11–11:30am | UQ Science Demo Troupe show | MBRS courtyard |
11–11:30am | Researcher talk: Ocean Optics – decoding the colour patterns and visual systems of marine life in Moreton Bay (Associate Professor Karen Cheney) | Downstairs lecture room |
11:30am–12pm | Researcher talk: lessons from wire rush – how peatlands record environmental change on Minjerribah (Professor Patrick Moss) | Downstairs lecture room |
11:30am–12pm | Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) demonstration | MBRS courtyard |
11:30am–12:30pm | Kids workshop by CoralWatch: corals are cool and crucial | MBRS Library |
12–12:30pm | Researcher talk: the songs of humpback whales – what we know and what we don’t (Professor Mike Noad) | Downstairs lecture room |
12–12:30pm | UQ Science Demo Troupe show | MBRS courtyard |
12:15–12:45pm | Ground penetrating radar demonstration – Australian Archaeology | Grass opposite the Station |
12:30–1pm | Researcher talk: floods smother Moreton Bay in mud, nutrients and plastics (Dr Alistair Grinham) | Downstairs Lecture room |
1–1:30pm | UQ Science Demo Troupe show | MBRS courtyard |
1–2pm | Cultural talk and artifact display – indigenous knowledge sharing | Grass in front of the station |
All day activities:
Activity | Location |
South East Queensland Underwater Ecological Survey Teams (SEQUEST) display and demonstrations and Marine Society UQ (MSUQ) stall | Upstairs lecture theatre |
Marine stalls (CoralWatch, Centre for Marine Science, Cetacean Ecology Group, Sandbox) | Upstairs kitchen and balcony |
Touch tank | MBRS courtyard |
Water sensory network buoys, dive gear and boat display | MBRS courtyard |
Cephalopods, seahorses and clownfish display | Wet lab |
Artificial oyster reef displays | Wet lab |
Tabletop demos by Science Troupe | MBRS courtyard |
Getting there:
Travel to and from the island is not included in the ticket cost. See information on ferry times and costs here.
Walking from Dunwich to Moreton Bay Research Station:
- From main terminal: 15 minutes. North Stradbroke Island Passenger Ferry Timetable - SeaLink South East Queensland
- From One Mile Jetty: 5 minutes. Stradbroke Flyer - Water Taxi Boat to Stradbroke Island - Straddie
Please note this program may be amended – please check back closer to the event for the full details. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
To check out what we got up to on last year’s open day, watch the video.
About Alumni events
UQ alumni and community events take place in-person and online, across the globe, throughout the year. UQ alumni are invited to join the UQ ChangeMakers platform to access early event registrations, benefits and discounts.
