Marine scientists and postgraduate students from throughout Australia this month met at Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Australian Coral Reef Society (ACRS).
University of Queensland Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay opened the 75th anniversary scientific meeting, organised through the University's School of Marine Science.
Professor Hay said there was an historic connection between the University and the ACRS, dating from the Society's formation, and its statutory links to the University through the 1980s.
The Society commissioned the construction of the Heron Island Research Station in 1951 and operated the station for 20 years before it was handed over to the University of Queensland as a research facility.
Professor Hay said the University's commitment to marine science was evidenced by a $1.6 million upgrade of the Heron Island Research Station, and a planned $1.8 million redevelopment of its marine research station at North Stradbroke Island near Brisbane.
'Australia's leadership in marine science can be maintained if government, universities and industry work together to ensure that the highest quality facilities are made available to academic and postgraduate scientists,' Professor Hay said.
School of Marine Science director Associate Professor Jack Greenwood said the University of Queensland had played a major role in national and international marine science for many decades.
Dr Greenwood said the University's marine science graduates also made diverse contributions.
'A very high proportion of marine science graduates find employment in relevant fields,' he said.
'Those graduates continuing to honours and beyond are very employable, especially in the rapidly-growing fields of marine resource management and environmental impact assessment, which are chiefly centred around major coastal cities, such as Brisbane.'
University of Queensland Emeritus Professor of Zoology Professor Jiro Kikkawa was made an honorary life member of the Australian Coral Reef Society to recognise his 30 years of oustanding research on the ecology of bird populations in island cays, and his long and active involvement with the Society.
The conference was sponsored by the University of Queensland's School of Marine Science, P&O Resort Holidays, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, CRC for Reef Research, and CSIRO Marine Research.
ACRS president Dr Pat Hutchings said almost all the sponsors' contributions were used to reduce the cost of student delegate attendance.
After the conference, a small coral identification workshop was held at nearby One Tree Island, primarily for postgraduate students. The workshop was supported by donations raised by the conference organising committee.
The proceedings of the 75th anniversary ACRS conference will soon be available from the School of Marine Science. To order a copy, please contact SoMS, the University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072 (telephone 07 3365 4333; fax 07 3365 4755, email: soms@mailbox.uq.edu.au).
