Research Summary
St. Bees Island, Queensland, Australia — Although koalas on the mainland are in decline, the islands of southern Australia harbor growing koala populations. On the mainland, koalas appear to be destroying their fragmented habitats, the very reserves intended to save them. But on St. Bees Island off Queensland, there appear to be just the right number of koalas, providing the perfect laboratory for investigating a healthy, unmanaged koala population. To help shed light on the question of why koalas are stripping their eucalypt habitat on Victorian and South Australian islands but not here, Dr. Alistair Melzer and Dr. William Ellis are gathering information to estimate the island's carrying capacity, which could guide more successful koala conservation and reintroduction efforts across the continent.
Meet the Scientists
Dr. Alistair Melzer
Director, Centre for Environmental Management
Despite their universal appeal, koalas are a bit of a headache for wildlife managers. In some areas, there are too many, and others, too few. But on St. Bees Island, the site of our study, the koala population seems to be in balance. In trying to discover the secret of their success, we work long hours on a very hilly island, but it is the most attractive place I've ever studied koalas — tropical vegetation and climate, abundant insect life, wallabies and birds and great scenery.