NQBP is a government owned Queensland port authority responsible for facilitating trade across the ports of Abbot Point, Hay Point, Mackay, and Weipa. NQBP’s role spans strategic planning, infrastructure and business development, environmental management, security, and safety at each of these ports.
NQBP is also the only port authority in the world that manages three major ports within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area; a responsibility we take very seriously.
At James Cook University (JCU), the Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) team brings together some of the leading minds in marine and estuarine science in Australia. Their research delivers sciencebased solutions to industries, communities and governments to better manage, protect and restore our tropical water ecosystems.
For more than 20 years, NQBP has worked in collaboration with JCU scientists, building a longstanding partnership dedicated to the stewardship of marine environments around our ports.
Together, we’ve delivered worldclass monitoring, empowered Traditional Owner engagement, fostered the next generation of marine scientists, and advanced breakthrough research in areas such as seagrass, coral, and water quality.
Today, this nationally awarded collaboration is recognised as a strong model for how industry and research can work together to deliver long lasting stewardship for the environment and our communities.
Our vision
“The world’s leading university and port industry partnership, delivering best practice science, monitoring, and management of port marine environments, and training the next generation of industry and job-ready science graduates.”
The 2025-2030 chapter of the partnership includes many exciting initiatives coming to life, including the application of real-time monitoring with accessible data, developing approaches to restoring coastal ecosystsystems, studying dugongs and turtles, expanding training with Traditional Owners and planning for future partnership opportunities.
Extensive ambient marine environmental monitoring of water quality, coral and seagrass by JCU is used to assist is used to assist in the management and operation of NQBP’s ports with robust scientific data.
JCU’s Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) has a world-leading team of researchers and specialists in marine water quality, coastal habitat, seagrass, coral ecology and resource management.
The scale of NQBP’s and JCU’s seagrass monitoring program covers 30,000 hectares across its four trading ports.
For marine water quality monitoring, the partnership has had monitoring sites next to the ports of Mackay and Hay Point since 2014 and expanded to the ports of Abbot Point and Weipa in 2017. Measurements are taken by high frequency water quality loggers every ten minutes, which record water depth, root mean square water depth, temperature, turbidity and photosynthetically active radiation. With 17 permanent loggers across for ports, there are almost 900,000 individual marine water quality records collected every year.
Coral monitoring sites are in position at Mackay, Hay Point and Abbot Point, another important facet to monitoring reef health. This program spans across six inshore islands and researchers dive and record coral health for over 6km of transects (paths) each year.
Education and outreach have been central to the success of the Partnership.
Our program connects industry with students through guest lectures, dedicated subject modules, internships, and scholarship opportunities. Together, we’re helping to train the next generation of port, environmental, and industry leaders.
Dugongs, sea turtles and other marine megafauna live in and around NQBP ports.
This initiative sees the partnership engage and train Traditional Owners to advance knowledge and understanding of dugongs, sea turtles and other marine megafauna, combining JCU's scientific expertise with local knowledge and stewardship.
The partnership is deepening its work with Traditional Owners across the Sea Country where we operate. Building on existing connections with the Juru and Yuwi Traditional Owner Peoples, we'll expand engagement with the Alngith people in Weipa.
Odette Langham
Senior Manager Environment,
North Queensland Bulk Ports
Dr Nathan Waltham
TropWATER Co-Director and Deputy Director of JCU’s Marine Data Technology Hub
Dr Michael Rasheed
Associate Professor and Co-Director
JCU’s TropWATER
Nicola Stokes
Principal Advisor Environment,
North Queensland Bulk Ports
