Pacific

Across more than 40 years as an archaeologist, UQ's Professor Marshall Weisler has spent much of his life in some of the world's most fascinating and untouched corners – isolated villages, an uninhabited island, and communities across Polynesia, Micronesia, Hawaii and New Zealand – all in the name of discovering what makes us human.

Women are largely being excluded from decisions about conservation and natural resources, with potentially detrimental effects on conservation efforts globally.

A study led by UQ in collaboration with Opération Cétacés from New Caledonia has found humpack whales can learn incredibly complex songs from whales from other regions.

Pacific Islanders are experiencing, firsthand, the impacts of climate change, including sea-level rises, changing temperatures and increased rainfall patterns. In response, communities in the region are leading climate adaption strategies to build the resilience of their ecosystems in the face of increasing risk.

MD-PhD candidate Rosie Stoke has won The University of Queensland’s 2021 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition and will go on to represent UQ in the Asia-Pacific 3MT Competition next month.

A whopping 191 different bat species live in the Pacific Islands across Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia — but these are, collectively, the most imperilled in the world. In fact, five of the nine bat species that have gone extinct in the last 160 years have come from this region.

Torres Strait Islander peoples intend to live on their traditional country long-term. Living on the northernmost islands of Queensland allows these “saltwater people” to maintain their cultural responsibilities, identity and kinship connections.

At our most recent ChangeMakers event, we heard from three UQ graduates working in development, sustainability and national security to discuss why our Pacific neighbours are so important.

Last month, The University of Queensland (UQ) hosted the 2021 Research Development Impact (RDI) Conference. Held online, this year’s Conference focused on the future of sustainable development and socio-economic recovery in the Pacific and Southeast Asia regions.