CMERC

25/10/2026

11/10/2026

CMERC seagrass flower collections have their 10 year anniversary this week and to celebrate we had a whopper flower collection yesterday - 35 of CMERC’s finest volunteers and staff collected 18L of seagrass flowers which we will be able to collect 1000s of seed from! And on Thursday 15 of our fantastic funders and supporters came out to help collecting 8L!A massive thank you to all that came on these and all our collections over the decade, you are a wave of energy and action creating real change for scaling seagrass restoration in the GBR! More photos soon CQUniversity Australia Great Barrier Reef Foundation

03/10/2026

20/09/2026

🌱 Tiny flowers. Big impact.

CQUniversity CMERC researchers are calling on the community to help collect seagrass flowers at Curtis Island on Saturday 26 September.

The tiny flowers collected contain seeds that play a big role in rebuilding vital marine habitats, improving ecosystem resilience and supporting the long-term health of our oceans. 💚🌊

Interested in getting involved? The free event includes ferry transfers, an information session and the opportunity to contribute to real-world environmental research.

🔗 Read more and register: https://ow.ly/QRQK50ZO64j

19/09/2026

🌱 Seagrass flowering season has officially begun, which means it's time to get muddy!

Join local seagrass scientists for a hands-on volunteer event helping restore precious seagrass meadows across our region.

📍 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵
Help collect seagrass flowers for the nursery at Coral Sea Marina in Airlie Beach, supporting vital restoration efforts at Sarina Inlet. You'll also learn how seagrass meadows sustain marine life, explore the intertidal zone and enjoy free snacks with fellow ocean lovers.

Dates:
- Saturday 26 September
- Saturday 10 October

No experience needed, just bring your enthusiasm and be prepared to get a little muddy!

👉 Register your interest: https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01n3wV0

The Seaforth events are funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and delivered by Reef Catchments in partnership with CQUniversity Australia and OzFish Unlimited.

CMERC

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19/09/2026

Thank you Woppaburra TUMRA Aboriginal Corporation for inviting us to share the Welcome the Whales festival day with you. What an amazing amount of projects you all do on such stunning Sea Country. It’s great to work on a small part of it with you. Fantastic day and the whales and Dugongs seemed to agree! 🐋 🔥 🌱 🦪 🪸

17/09/2026

CMERC’s Threatened Species Bake Off! People’s Choice - name yourfavourite in the comments 🙂.

1. Live-Bearing Sea Star (Parvulastra vivipara)
⭐️Conservation Status: Endangered.
⭐ Interesting Fact: In a unique survival strategy, the strongest baby sea stars may consume their siblings while still inside their mother, emerging only after this gruesome feast.

2. Southern Bent-Wing Bat (Miniopterus schreibersii)
🦇 Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
🦇 Interesting Fact: This bat species is known for its long migrations and plays a crucial role in pest control, helping to maintain ecological balance.

3. Mangrove Whipray (Himantura granulata)
🦈 Conservation Status: near Threatened
🦈 Interesting Fact: These rays are vital to coastal ecosystems and their presence indicates healthy mangrove habitats, which are crucial for biodiversity. Maybe we will see it in the Mangrove CMERC are researching restoration techniques for one day!

4. Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus)
🐆Conservation status: Endangered
🐆Interesting Fact: Quolls are carnivorous marsupials that have a fascinating reproductive strategy, often giving birth to a large number of young, only a few of which survive to adulthood.

5. Capricorn Yellow Chat (Epthianura crocea)
🐥 Conservation Status: critically endangered
🐥Interesting Fact**: This small bird is known for its vibrant plumage and is primarily found in coastal habitats, relying on specific vegetation for nesting and feeding. CMERC has a project with Gladstone Ports Corporation to help this rare species through habitat improvement.

6. Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea*)
🐸 Conservation Status: Endangered
🐸 Interesting Fact: This striking frog is known for its vibrant green and golden colors and plays a vital role in controlling insect populations in its habitat.

7. Flatback Turtle (Natator depressus)
🐢 Conservation Status: vulnerable
🐢 Interesting Fact: Flatback turtles are endemic to Australia - true ozzies!

8. Southern Right whale (Eubalaena australis)
🐋 Conservation Status: Least Concern (but still protected)
🐋 Interesting Fact: These gentle giants can grow up to 18 meters in length and used to come up to boats making them easy to catch - the “ right” whale to fish 😞

9. Dugong (Dugong dugon)
🌱Conservation Status: Vulnerable
🌱 Interesting Fact: Dugongs are herbivores that feed on seagrass, consuming an average of 40 kg a day, and they play a crucial role in maintaining healthy seagrass ecosystems by helping to spread seeds.

10. Red and Yellow Mountain Frog (Philoria kundagungan)
💊Conservation Status: Endangered
💊 Interesting Fact: This unique frog is endemic to a small area and is known for its bright coloration, which serves as a warning to predators about its toxicity.

This collection of fascinating species highlights the incredible biodiversity we have and the importance of conservation efforts. Each species plays a significant role in its ecosystem, and understanding their habits and challenges can inspire greater efforts to protect them.

16/09/2026

🌱 Did you know not all seagrass meadows are the same?

Research by CQUniversity graduate Dr Elizabeth Andrews at CMERChas revealed that even neighbouring seagrass populations can have very different characteristics and environmental tolerances, potentially influencing restoration success.

Her findings could help guide more effective restoration of coastal ecosystems in Queensland and beyond.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/8Z9C50ZN7mR

28/08/2026

Come join us at CQUniversity Gladstone Campus with Gladstone Region Youth Council, The Plastic Country and Gladstone Conservation Council, 12 September 2026.

This feature event is the screening of "The Plastic Country", a feature documentary from Kal Glanznig!

A panel discussion will include Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre (CMERC)'s very own Dr Angela Capper 👏

The event promises to be informative, inspiring and free!

📅 Saturday, 12 September
🕰️ 5:30pm
📍 CQUniversity Gladstone Campus, Leo Zussino Building https://lnkd.in/gVT_26QA

For tickets and more information, check out the page: https://lnkd.in/gzncYCkY

Come join us at CQUniversity Gladstone Campus with Gladstone Region Youth Council, The Plastic Country and Gladstone Conservation Council, 12 September 2026. This feature event is the screening of "The Plastic Country", a feature documentary from Kal Glanznig! A panel discussion will include Coastal...