Ecological refuges or traps? Mapping a future for Australia’s islands

5 Nov 2025
Islands
Aerial view of the northern Whitsunday Islands, Queensland. (Photo credit: Juergen Wallstabe / Adobe Stock)

University of Queensland researchers have completed the first comprehensive studies of recent fire history and koala populations across Australia’s 9,300 islands.

The research at the School of the Environment led by Professor Salit Kark fills vital knowledge gaps about islands, which have a key role in conservation as safe havens for endangered species when managed well but may become ecological traps.

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