UQ open day highlights diversity of sharks

UQ’s Moreton Bay Research Station will celebrate the wonderful diversity of sharks and rays found in Moreton Bay at its annual open day next month.

UQ SHARKFEST 2005 will be held on Saturday, November 26, from 10am-3pm, the same weekend and within strolling distance of the famous Stradbroke Island Oyster Festival.

The day will be a very casual, family orientated affair, with a wide variety of shark-related activities for people of all ages.

These include a day-long seminar series, station tours, hands-on experiments, displays and exhibits of some local sharks and rays commonly found in Moreton Bay. The popular “Marine Mystery Animal Quiz” will test people’s shark and ray knowledge with UQ prize packs for the winners.

Event coordinator and Education Officer Dr Kathy Townsend said UQ SHARKFEST 2005 gave members of the community an opportunity to find out about the diversity of sharks and rays living in the area. The day would also inform people about the extensive shark and ray research being carried out in the Moreton Bay area from the UQ research station.

“A recent study of southeast Queensland indicates that there are over 111 different species of sharks and rays in and around Moreton Bay,” Dr Townsend said.

“It is not surprising then that The University of Queensland’s sharks and ray group is one of our biggest and most productive research teams working from the station.”

UQ SHARKFEST 2005 will also highlight the shark conservation and research work undertaken by groups including Australian Marine Conservation Society, Moreton Bay Marine Parks and Underwater World.

UQ SHARKFEST 2005 will be held at Moreton Bay Research Station, located at the corner of Flinders Avenue and Fraser Street, Dunwich, North Stradbroke Island. Entry is free and children must be accompanied by an adult.

For further information, contact including public transport to the island, visit www.marine.uq.edu.au/mbrs or contact Moreton Bay Research Station (telephone 07 3409 9058, email: mbrs@uq.edu.au).