Word on the Reef

Beyond the Great Barrier Reef lies one of the world's largest marine protected areas: the Coral Sea Marine Park. Home to spectacular reefs, abundant marine life and some of the planet's best dive sites, it's one of Australia's last great ocean wildernesses.But is it getting the protection it deserves?On today's show, hosts Tanya Murphy and Brett Goodban are joined by Dive Queensland Principal Terry Cummins and Save Our Marine Life Coral Sea Campaigner Steve Ryan to explore what makes the Coral Sea so extraordinary, why the Australian Government's review of marine parks is a rare opportunity to strengthen protection, and why that's good news for both ocean wildlife and recreational fishers.Thumbnail Image: Diving in the Coral Sea, by Cathie CumminsSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Reef and Rainforest tour guide Steven Gill is on a mission to bug you... in the best possible way. Armed with a camera, a handful of LEGO bricks and an infectious love for the tiny creatures we usually overlook, he's proving that the smallest critters often have the biggest personalities.Along the way we'll meet Katy Perry, get business advice from a cleaner wrasse, and explore the surprising connection between the world's oldest surviving rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. We'll discover why eels don't have genitals, why a clean car windscreen is actually bad news, and why monocultures are a terrible idea.www.gonebuggo.comwww.instagram.com/gone_buggowww.daintreetours.comwww.calypsoreefcruises.comSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Fifty shades of coral? Not quite... but those colours tell an incredible story. This week we're diving into CoralWatch, the world's longest-running DIY reef science project. Discover how anyone with a mask, a colour chart and a love of coral can help scientists monitor reef health. Diana Kleine from the University of Queensland (pictured in the episode thumbnail image) joins us to prove that citizen science is anything but black and white. She also shares insights on the 'What Can I Do' project, revealing surprising data about how people engage with climate action in their everyday lives.More info:www.coralwatch.orgWhat Can I Do? - www.actionplan.coralwatch.orgSAVE SCOTT REEF!As discussed in the episode introduction - Please sign the petition here: www.marineconservation.org.au/actions/econsideration-consultation-period-browse-scott-reef/Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Scientists have discovered that marine species are migrating away from the equator at a rate of 40 to 70 kilometres per decade to get to cooler waters as climate change heats up our ocean.But far from being a viable escape plan, this mass poleward relocation of marine life is opening up a sea of problems.On this week's episode of Word on the Reef, hosts Tanya Murphy and Brett Goodban are joined by James Cook University's Professor Jan Strugnell for a deep dive into climate-driven marine species redistribution on the Great Barrier Reef and beyond.Thumbnail Image: A spine-cheeked anemonefish, photographed by Tanya Murphy at Ellison Reef, near Mission Beach - 140 kilometres south of its usual range. Submitting images like this to the Redmap project can help scientists understand how species distribution is changing.For more info and to submit sightings: www.redmap.org.auSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Every year up to 7,000 tons of seafood is caught on the Great Barrier Reef, while up to 190 tons of coral is collected for the international aquarium trade. But how sustainable are these fisheries? And as consumers, how can we make sure we're making Reef-friendly choices?In this episode of Word on the Reef, Simon Miller from the Australian Marine Conservation Society joins hosts Tanya Murphy and Brett Goodban for a deep dive into the world of commercial fishing on the Great Barrier Reef.Don't worry - you can still have an aquarium and eat seafood! But this episode will empower you to make sustainable choices to ensure we can all continue to enjoy seafood and coral for generations to come.Thumbnail Image: Comedian Kirsty Webeck (right) auctions off an 'Australian scoly' coral from the GBR in a performance raising awareness about the international coral trade.Sign the Petition: End coral harvesting on the Great Barrier Reef - support aquaculture.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Did you know that some Great Barrier Reef fish species are spending part of their life cycle in the middle of our city? That's right, marine fish species could be as close as your nearest concrete storm water drain, swimming among abandoned shopping trolleys and discarded beer bottles. In fact, recent research has found more than 60 species of native fish in these waterways.On todays' episode of Word on the Reef, host Tanya Murphy is joined by Phil Laycock from OzFish Unlimited, to explore the amazing biodiversity of our urban waterways, what's being done to restore their habitat, and how we can learn to be better neighbours to our fishy friends. We'll also discuss how restoring long-lost oyster Reefs can revolutionise ecosystems.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

For 65,000 years before computers, satellites, and scientific journals, Australia's first peoples were reading tides, stars, seasons, animal behaviour, currents, and ecosystems with extraordinary precision. Yet until recently, their knowledge was not formally considered alongside Western Science.Now, more research and conservation organisations are recognising that in order to protect places like the Great Barrier Reef, not only do we need better technology and data, but we also need to listen more carefully to the voices of the world's oldest continuous living cultures.This week we're joined by Libby Evans-Illidge from the Australian Institute of Marine Science for an inspiring chat about bridging the divide between two cultures, one step at a time.In this special Reconciliation Week episode, we'll discover how making space for a knowledge system different to our own, can help us better understand and conserve our environment, while also rebuilding our connection with each other.Thumbnail Image: The 'dark emu,' a dark spot in the milky way, with its long neck extended upward in the night sky, was more than just a story. It carried valuable environmental knowledge.Sources and Recommended Reading:Aboriginal people - how to misunderstand their science, by Ray Norris,Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Astronomy & Space Science.Aboriginal memories of inundation of the Australian coast dating from more than 7000 years ago by Patrick D. Nunn and Nicholas J. ReidLynne KellyThe Memory Code by Lynne KellyFirst Knowledges book collectionWatch: The Australian WarsWatch: The First Inventors Watch: First AustraliansWoppaburra RangersSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

In 2022, a mass stranding of more than 600 sick turtles devastated Hervey Bay in South East Queensland. As volunteers worked tirelessly to rescue them, scientists got to work on solving the puzzle: what caused this disaster?Dr Caitlin Smith is one of the scientists racing to unravel the threats facing our sea turtles before it’s too late.Her work has seen her fearlessly leaning out of helicopters to survey seagrass, slip-sliding across stinky mud bogs to rescue half-ton turtles, studying turtle blood samples, and putting baby turtles through fitness tests to understand how our actions are impacting them.In this episode, she explains why these ancient animals are so magnetic, and what we need to do to save them.More info:Assessing the impacts of contaminant exposure on green sea turtles - Dr Caitlin Smith, UniSCPost-flood monitoring of seagrass in Hervey Bay and Great Sandy Strait - JCU TropwaterDugongs and turtles are starving to death in Queensland's seas - and La Nina's floods are to blame - Professor Kathy Townsend, The Conversation.Mon Repos Turtle CentreUniSC Milbi Centre: Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Professor Kathy Townsend knew she wanted to be a marine biologist from the age of five, and completed her very first dive in a frozen Canadian lake. But it was the moment a five-metre manta ray draped its tail over her shoulder like an affectionate cat that she knew she had truly found her calling.Since then, Kathy has followed manta rays around the world, appeared in a documentary with Sir David Attenborough, and even been swept into a swirling manta-ray feeding vortex. She greets her favourite mantas with a wink, and some even come to her for toothbrush scratches.But these intelligent and gentle giants are under threat. In this episode, Kathy shares the magic of manta rays, the mysteries scientists are still trying to solve, and why the race to understand and protect them has never been more urgent.We just HAD to make this a bonus-length episode because Kathy has SO many incredible stories about mantas which are absolutely not-to-be-missed!Thumbnail Image: Professor Townsend collecting a DNA sample with a toothbrush. Photo by Amelia Armstrong.Submit manta sightings: Project MantaProf Townsend's book: A Field Guide to the Vertebrates of Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

When Professor Helene Marsh first began researching dugongs on the Great Barrier Reef, the only ones she encountered were dead - tangled in fishing nets.Then, in the 1990s, Queensland became the centre of a fierce conservation battle known as the “Dugong Wars”. No torpedoes were fired, but the conflict between marine scientists, industry groups and governments was intense, as researchers like Professor Marsh fought to remove nets from critical dugong habitat.Today, dugongs face even greater threats, from climate change and habitat loss to extreme weather and declining seagrass meadows. In this episode, Professor Marsh shares the remarkable story of the Dugong Wars, the science behind these elusive “mermaids of the sea”, and the urgent mission to ensure they survive into the future.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

He's broken several world records: largest group skydive, longest scuba dive on a single tank—and the most species of nudibranchs ever found on a single dive (71).He's spent 23 years chasing these tiny creatures, building a global following of more than 60,000 people who are equally obsessed.But what even is a nudibranch—and why are thousands of people going nuts over them?Well, they dress like drag queens, some of them can fire miniature deadly spears out of their flubbery bits, and some can even walk on water like Jesus — but upside down, and with only one foot.In this fun and outlandish interview with the world's biggest nudie fanatic, we get up close and personal with these outrageously beautiful, neon-coloured ocean jewels found in every corner of our seas.Listeners be warned: nudibranchs can be surprisingly addictive.(I mean, JUST LOOK at the nudibranch in the thumbnail image. Does he look like he's the slightest bit bothered by ANYTHING or ANYONE? Go off, you fabulous creature!)More info:Gary's Website, Gallery and Blog: www.nudibranch.com.auGary's Facebook Page: Nudibranch Central'My Nudibranch Passion': Short film about Gary showing his dive site at the Mooloolah River and many of the nudibranchs discussed in this episode."Dive Into the Exotic World of Nudibranchs, the Spectacular Slugs of the Sea" - article about Gary in Smithsonian Magazine.Cyclone Maila News Audio: Australian Broadcasting Association.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is concerned about the Great Barrier Reef - warning Australia to do more to protect it or risk an “In Danger” listing. So how serious is this threat, and are governments doing enough to respond?This week we're joined by marine ecologist Dr Lissa Schindler from the Australian Marine Conservation Society to unpack what’s behind UNESCO’s warnings - and what we need to do about it.Plus, we take a closer look at a summer of extremes: from coral bleaching to Cyclone Narelle’s impacts on marine life and coastal communities from the Great Barrier Reef to Ningaloo Reef.Thumbnail Image: Clownfish in bleached anemone, 28 March 2026, Tanya Murphy.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Critics said it would never work. But after 30 years of surveying reefs the hard way - diving with a slate and pencil - marine ecologist Brett Kettle knew there had to be a better way. So he built one.In this episode of Word on the Reef, Tanya Murphy sits down with Brett and the team behind Flying Fish Technologies to reveal the Vertigo 3 Glider—an underwater drone that could revolutionise how we monitor and protect the ocean.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

What has eyes on the tips of its 20 arms, venomous spines, is almost impossible to kill — and is munching the world’s largest reef?Meet the crown-of-thorns starfish.Professor Morgan Pratchett has spent years studying this formidable predator. He’s been on the pointy end of one more than once — and lived to tell the tale.In this episode, he reveals new research that could help tackle this army of millions.To listen to the EXTENDED version of this interview, subscribe here!Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

What has eyes on the tips of its 20 arms, venomous spines, is almost impossible to kill — and is munching the world’s largest reef?Meet the crown-of-thorns starfish.Professor Morgan Pratchett has spent years studying this formidable predator. He’s been on the pointy end of one more than once — and lived to tell the tale.In this episode, he reveals new research that could help tackle this army of millions.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

As climate change, coral bleaching and biodiversity loss dominate the news, many people are experiencing something psychologists now call eco-grief or climate anxiety — the emotional response to witnessing environmental change.To unpack the connection between mental health, climate change and our relationship with nature - this week we're joined by Dr Chloe Watfern, an artist and postdoctoral psychology researcher with the University of New South Wales and the Black Dog Institute, who lives on Magnetic Island on the Great Barrier Reef.We'll cover why environmental grief and climate anxiety are normal human responses, how creativity can help people process ecological loss, how parents can talk to children about climate change without overwhelming them, and much more.It’s an honest, thoughtful and ultimately hopeful conversation about loving the places that matter to us — even when they’re under threat.To hear the extended version of this episode, subscribe on Patreon: www.patreon.com/wordonthereefpodcastMORE INFO:Writing Through Eco-Grief Workshop: Cairns, Tue 24th March 2026, 6pm-7:30pm.EcoMinds Open Letter by mental health professionals - Climate science, not climate silence: Safe, accurate climate education helps, not harms, young Australians’ mental health.Psychology for a Safe ClimateClimate Cafe EventsSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

As climate change, coral bleaching and biodiversity loss dominate the news, many people are experiencing something psychologists now call eco-grief or climate anxiety — the emotional response to witnessing environmental change.To unpack the connection between mental health, climate change and our relationship with nature - this week we're joined by Dr Chloe Watfern, an artist and postdoctoral psychology researcher with the University of New South Wales and the Black Dog Institute, who lives on Magnetic Island on the Great Barrier Reef.We'll cover:Why environmental grief and climate anxiety are normal human responsesHow creativity can help people process ecological lossHow to stay engaged in climate action without burning outHow parents can talk to children about climate change without overwhelming themThe mental health benefits of spending time in nature and the oceanIt’s an honest, thoughtful and ultimately hopeful conversation about loving the places that matter to us — even when they’re under threat.Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/wordonthereefpodcastMORE INFO:Writing Through Eco-Grief Workshop: Cairns, Tue 24th March 2026, 6pm-7:30pm.EcoMinds Open Letter by mental health professionals - Climate science, not climate silence: Safe, accurate climate education helps, not harms, young Australians’ mental health.Psychology for a Safe ClimateClimate Cafe EventsSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Did you know coral skeletons contain a record of every flood event in Queensland since 1648?We often hear that climate and water pollution conditions on the Great Barrier Reef have changed dramatically since pre-industrial times. But how do we actually know that? After all, weather records only stretch back just over a century, and systematic water quality monitoring only began in the 1980s.The answer is written in the corals themselves. By extracting a core sample — much like studying tree rings — scientists can read the chemical signatures locked inside the growth layers of coral skeletons, revealing what ocean conditions were like hundreds of years ago.So what stories are those coral cores telling us? To find out, we’re joined today by Dr Stephen Lewis, Senior Principal Research Officer specialising in water quality at James Cook University in Townsville.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

For thousands of years, the Great Barrier Reef has had the power to regenerate itself — so until 2017, coral transplantation was illegal. The rule was simple: let nature recover itself. Then mass bleaching events driven by global warming changed everything.This summer, scientists released tens of thousands of baby corals - attaching them to ceramic stars and dropping them from boats in a bid to boost survival. The ambitious goal of this government-funded project is to plant millions of these devices using robots.But can engineered human intervention work at the scale of an ecosystem the size of Japan? Is restoration a lifeline - or a distraction from cutting climate emissions? And what’s riskier: playing God with nature, or doing nothing?This week, we're joined by Dr Cedric Robillot, Executive Director of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program, to explore what the Reef’s future looks like.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Our oceans are 40% more acidic than pre-industrial times, making it harder for corals, molluscs, crustaceans and plankton to build their calcium carbonate skeletons. It's a crucial planetary boundary we've crossed — threatening reefs, fisheries, tourism, food security, and coastal communities. And almost no one is talking about it.So what’s driving it? What does it mean for the Great Barrier Reef? And what can we do?This week on Word on the Reef, we’re joined by Dr Katharina Fabricius from the Australian Institute of Marine Science — a global leader in coral reef ecology and ocean acidification research — to unpack the science and the solutions.Read Dr Fabricius's research: Volcanic bubbles help foretell the fate of coral in more acidic seasThumbnail image: CO2 bubbles emerging from volcanic seeps in Papua New Guinea. Dr Katharina FabriciusSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

CSIRO scientists have discovered a massive underwater mountain, shaped like a half-eaten flan, rising 3,000 metres from the seafloor off the coast of North Queensland. That's taller than Australia’s highest mainland peak, Mount Kosciuszko. And it’s teeming with life.To guide us on a deep dive into this 40-million-year-old extinct volcano and its flantastic inhabitants, our guest on Word on the Reef this week is Marine Geophysicist Dr Chris Yuleridge.Dr Yuleridge also takes us '20 thousands leagues under the sea' to explore lost shipwrecks, follow submerged Aboriginal song lines, meet the faceless cusk eel, and dive inside the recently erupted Hunga Tonga volcano.If you're a big flan of science, this episode is for you. But be warned - listening may cause cravings for lava pudding, creme brulee and other volcano-shaped desserts.RV Investigator Livestream CameraCoral Sea Expedition, Including Images of Sea CreaturesSeafloor Mapping HighlightsSeabed Data Portal: https://portal.ga.gov.au/Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Have you ever felt confused by conflicting media reports about the health of the Great Barrier Reef? If so, you're not alone. New research shows news coverage has often failed to clearly communicate the risks climate change poses to the reef, sometimes fuelling misinformation and climate denial.So what's really happening on the Great Barrier Reef? To help unpack this, our guest today is Dr. Gabi Mocatta, Senior Research Fellow in Climate Science Communication at the University of Tasmania.PLUS it's our last show of the year and we're going out with a bang! Hosts Tanya and Brett celebrate their 40th and final episode of the year and look back at the highlights of 2025.SOURCES:The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) 2022 Media Release as discussed in the episode: https://www.aims.gov.au/information-centre/news-and-stories/highest-coral-cover-central-northern-reef-36-yearsAndreotta, M., Mocatta, G., Lubicz-Zaorski, C. et al. Steering Great Barrier Reef climate science narratives through the mediasphere in a time of misinformation. npj Clim. Action 4, 99 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-025-00235-4Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

What do the world's largest flying bird, with a wingspan of up to 3.5 metres, and the Australian Sea Lion have in common? Both are endangered due to their high risk of entanglement in fishing nets!Today's guest, Zoologist Alexia Wellbelove gives us a birds-eye view on how changes to fishing practices can help bring Albatrosses and Sea Lions back from the brink. We'll also unpack recent changes to Australia's nature laws which scientists hope will help slow the alarming rate of extinctions in Australia.AMCS's Threatened Species Campaign:  https://www.marineconservation.org.au/threatened-species/Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

What do the Egyptian Pyramids, the Greek Parthenon, the Notre Dame Cathedral and Melbourne's Parliament House all have in common? They are all built out of fossilised reefs, aka limestone!Today we’re taking a journey through deep lime - I mean time - to answer some of those burning questions like: How old is the Great Barrier Reef? What ancient forces built this coral colossus? Why are there fossilised reefs hundreds of metres above sea level and kilometres inland? And perhaps most importantly... What do these lessons from the ancient karst - I mean past - mean for our future?To help us dig up the answers, we’re joined by Russell Kelley - a coral geologist, biologist, and author of the acclaimed Be Your Own Guide coral identification book series - who knows corals both living and extinct like the back of his hand.Check out Russell's Books at www.BYOGUIDES.comSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Pigs can't fly, nor can they dive in the ocean. But they are posing a serious threat to endangered sea turtles by pigging out on turtle eggs and hatchlings in Cape York. This is not the good kind of bacon and eggs combo. It's Ham-ageddon for our nesting sea turtles!Cape York Natural Resource Management representatives Dr Manuela Fischer and Scott Morrison (no relation to the former Australian PM) are working on a solution! Today they join us in the studio to explain how we can deal with this a-pork-alypse and give our sea turtles a chance for the future.Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Kf1aDsr0p9ASupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

As the planet warms, more than 3000 sea turtle eggs have been evacuated from low-lying Raine Island on the Great Barrier Reef to save them from rising sea levels.It's an emergency intervention never attempted before on the Great Barrier Reef. But can the eggs survive the relocation? And what does this egg-sistential crisis mean for the future of our sea turtles and other island-dwelling animals? Dr Mark Read from the Marine Park Authority explains all in this eye-opening episode.Learn more about the Raine Island Recovery Project.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Did you know Australia has one of the highest deforestation rates in the developed world? About 20% of Queensland's vegetation has been bulldozed since colonisation -- one million hectares in the last three years alone -- mainly for cattle farming. What impact is this having on the Great Barrier Reef, and what can we do to fix it? To find out, this week we're chatting with Dr Maximilian Hirschfeld, Water Quality Campaign Manager at the Australian Marine Conservation Society.Take Action:Sign a Submission to strengthen Australia's nature laws to prevent deforestation and other threats to our oceansSign the Petition asking the Australian Government for a Stronger Water Pollution Reduction PlanSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Spring has sprung and it’s baby-making season on the Great Barrier Reef! In this episode we talk coral spawning with marine scientist Dr Katie Chartrand, plus, we dive into the world of mangrove forests with CAFNEC's Shannon Bredeson.More information:JCU Tropwater Spawning SchoolCAFNEC's Mangrove Watch ProgramSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Marine biologist and scuba legend Steve Sinclair is back again this week to finish revealing the Top 50 Dive Sites in Australia. Steve has spent over five decades exploring every reef, wreck and cave from Tasmania to the Top End — and now he’s sharing his secret spots with us!From world-famous coral gardens on the Great Barrier Reef to secret, world-class dive spots you’ve never heard of, Steve shares insider stories and tips from a lifetime beneath the waves.Plus — find out how you could win free dive trips by joining Steve’s Top 50 challenge and ticking off dives from your bucket list!Image: Steve diving at the world-famous Cod Hole in October 2025.Join the challenge: 50greatdives.comSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Think you know Australia’s best dive sites? Think again! Marine biologist and scuba legend Steve Sinclair has spent over five decades exploring every reef, wreck and cave from Tasmania to the Top End — and now he’s revealing the Top 50 Dive Sites in Australia.From world-famous coral gardens on the Great Barrier Reef to secret, world-class dive spots you’ve never heard of, Steve shares insider stories and tips from a lifetime beneath the waves.Plus — find out how you could win free dive trips by joining Steve’s Top 50 challenge and ticking off dives from your bucket list!Join the challenge: 50greatdives.comSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

What do underwater art museums, bomb tests, and citizen science have in common? They're all part of the story of the Great Barrier Reef’s past, present—and possible future.Our guest this week is Dr. Adam Smith—freediver, marine biologist, and founder of Reef Ecologic, a Townsville-based social enterprise leading innovative reef conservation through research, education, and community action.In this episode, we dive into how art, science, and storytelling are being used in powerful ways to protect one of the world’s most iconic ecosystems. You'll discover how public art installations beneath the sea are connecting people to the reef, how citizen science is turning everyday adventurers into ocean guardians, and what we can learn from extreme events like ship groundings and out-of-control seaweed outbreaks.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Today we're traveling back to South Australia for an update on the devastating toxic algal bloom that's been unfolding there over the last seven months, and what it it's been like for the divers who know and love these waters.Marine Biologist and Divemaster Sarah Franke from Divers for Climate has just returned from a research trip to learn about how the disaster is impacting the South Australian community. She'll also take us inside the Senate Inquiry into the disaster, and let us know which of SA's dive sites are still safe to visit.Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statementwww.instagram.com/diversforclimateSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

First Nations people have been caring for land and sea along the Great Barrier Reef Coast for thousands of years. In this powerful interview, Traditional Owner Gavin Singleton explains the enduring connection First Nations people have with the Reef, what they're doing to help protect it, and how we can all foster a stronger connection with each other and the Reef.The didgeridoo recording at the end of this episode is from Gavin's 2018 TEDx Talk at JCU.More information:Dawul Wuru Aboriginal CorporationYirrganydji Land and Sea Ranger Program💸 WIN $100! Fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey before 30 September 2025 to go in the draw. ENTER HERE.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Scott Reef, Australia’s largest remote offshore reef, is a breathtaking sanctuary for corals, fish, rare sea snakes, nesting turtles, and pygmy blue whales. But this natural wonder is under threat from a mega gas drilling and carbon dumping proposal. Fossil fuel campaigner Louise Morris from the Australian Marine Conservation Society joins us to explain what’s at stake and how we can fight back.Plus: we unpack Australia’s new 2035 climate target with AMCS Reef Campaigner Lissa Schindler — and why experts say it’s not enough to protect our oceans.Thumbnail Image Credit: Nush Freedman PhotographySign the Petition: Help Save Scott Reef from Woodside's Gas PlansDocumentary Film: Coral's Last StandCairns Snap Action: 'Sleep-In For Climate,' Monday 22 September, 4pmRead the Australian Government's recently released National Climate Risk Assessment Report Summary & Sign the PetitionSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Cyclones are part of life in the tropics, but climate change is making them stronger and more destructive. On the Great Barrier Reef, their force can pulverise thriving coral gardens into unstable rubble fields where baby corals struggle to grow. But there’s hope! In this week’s episode, we dive into an innovative solution that’s helping damaged reefs bounce back — and discover how you can play a role in bringing them back to life again!This week's guest: Freda Nicholson, marine biologist and Program Manager for Mars Sustainable Solutions.Shout-out to our latest Patreon supporter, Dr Sally Gregory --  check out her underwater cleanup project at Tallebudgera Creek on the Gold Coast!Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Seagrass meadows are the unsung heroes of the Great Barrier Reef – nurseries for fish, food for turtles and dugongs, and a frontline defence against climate change. But after a massive die-off, Dr Tim Smith and the team at JCU TropWATER faced a huge challenge: how do you restore these fragile ecosystems while dealing with crocodiles, stingers, and waist-deep mud?The answer: helicopters, hovercraft, dugong poo, 2,000 baby seagrass plants – and an army of everyday volunteers.🎧 In this episode, dive into a world-first tropical seagrass restoration project and discover how you can be part of the solution.👉 Sign up to volunteer: https://ozfish.org.au/eventsSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Ever dreamed of exploring the Great Barrier Reef for free—while making a real difference? With Reef Check Australia, volunteers can join survey dives and help clean up marine debris, all while experiencing the Reef up close. But what does it take to become a qualified reef surveyor? In this episode, Reef Check Australia’s General Manager, Jodi Salmond, shares how you can get involved and play a hands-on role in protecting this natural wonder.Sign the Petition: Support Cameras on Trawl Fishing Boats.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

What has no arms, no legs, and no brain, but can flash like a disco light, help control pests and kill you in minutes? Queensland Museum's mollusc expert Darryl Potter has spent three decades fearlessly tracking down these armoured beasts all along the Great Barrier Reef, and he's here to tell us why they're more than just an ornament for your bathroom. It's one shell of a show!Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Growing up with ADHD and Dyslexia, Aliah Banchik never thought she could achieve calm focus, let alone become a successful scientist, artist and Netflix star. Then she discovered sharks.In this inspiring episode, Aliah shares her mission to reshape how we see both sharks and neurodivergence, revealing the beauty in misunderstood animals and people alike.We’ll also chat about her journey on Netflix’s All The Sharks - no spoilers, we promise!Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Did you know some of our marine fish are living DOUBLE LIVES? That’s right, they want the best of both worlds, saltwater and freshwater. So one minute they’re living the dream on a beautiful coral reef, next minute they’ve decided they need a tree change, and they’re swimming up into our rivers. What are they doing there? And importantly – what happens when humans build dams, causeways and other watery traffic jams that block these fish from finishing their migration missions?This week's guest: Sean Georgeson, Fish Ecologist and founder of www.coralition.org  |  www.instagram.com/coralition_orgRing the Fish Doorbell (Livestream where you can open the door for migrating fish): https://visdeurbel.nl/en/ Thumbnail Image: Sean and colleague using electrofishing to capture fish for research purposes in New Zealand. Note: Do not attempt this in crocodile inhabited waters in Far North Queensland!Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Whale sharks—harmless, majestic giants—have long been mystery visitors on the Great Barrier Reef, their movements shrouded in secrecy... until now. In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have identified the Reef’s first known whale shark aggregation site. Join us as we uncover where these elusive creatures have been hiding with Ingo Miller—marine biologist turned shark detective. On a mission to find and protect the world’s largest fish before it’s too late, Ingo followed the clues to their secret gathering spot. Want to know where it is? You’ll have to tune in to find out.LEARN MOREBiopixel Oceans Foundation Website: biopixeloceans.orgFollow Ingo on Instagram: www.instagram.com/ingo.ben.millerFollow Biopixel Oceans Foundation on Insta: www.instagram.com/biopixeloceansTrack the tagged whale sharks: biotracker.tvSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Australian comedian Kirsty Webeck loves sea creatures. She's learned a lot about them through her lifelong passion for snorkelling - and now she's here to share what the sperm whales don't want you to know.  She is currently touring with her live standup show called Everything I Need to Say About Sea Creatures and it's a real hoot to have her joining us on Word on the Reef this week!We also chat with Dave George from the Cairns Nautilus Scuba Club, who shares why joining your local dive club might be the best decision you make for your social life, your scuba skills, and your connection to the underwater world.If you're someone who enjoys a good whale tale with a side of comedy, this episode’s for you!Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Meet Mike Atkinson — former military pilot turned solo adventurer, survival expert, and filmmaker. In one of the boldest voyages ever attempted, Mike hand-carved a dugout canoe and sailed it 1,500 kilometres up the Great Barrier Reef — from Townsville to the Torres Strait — using only traditional, handmade fishing and hunting tools. No engine. No GPS. No esky.Surviving on stingray, dried kangaroo, and sheer determination, Mike faced crocodiles, storms, and solitude — all in a quest to reconnect with nature and spotlight the urgent need to protect the Reef and honour Indigenous knowledge.This is more than a survival story — it’s a challenge to all of us to rethink how modern life is pulling us away from what truly matters. What Mike discovered out there will both shock and inspire you.FOLLOW MIKEMike's Website: outbackmike.comMike's Insta: instagram.com/outback_mikeSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Welcome to the ocean -- where your genitals are on your face, males give birth, and gender is more of a suggestion than a rule. You can snooze in a bubble of your own vomit or switch sexes overnight without anyone batting a fin. What a world!This week we’re joined by Mike Scotland - marine biologist, underwater photographer, and editor of DiveLog Magazine. With 50 years of diving, thousands of dives, and two books under his weight belt (Marine Biology in the Wild and Diving With Sharks), Mike’s here to tell us why humans have more in common with flatworms than we’d like to admit -- and how to keep your spines clean if you’re a sea urchin. Dive in!Thumbnail Image: Gold-speckled flatform (Thysanozoon nigropapillosum)Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

The 1990s was a wild west era for fishing on the Great Barrier Reef. Even after being declared a Marine Park and a World Heritage area, more than 95% of the Great Barrier Reef was still being fished, and things were heading downhill fast. Then came a bombshell report that exposed what was really going on beneath the surface -- and all hell broke loose. What followed was a fierce battle known as the ‘Trawl Wars,' and unfortunately, it did not happen in a galaxy far, far away.In this episode, we’re joined by legendary conservationist Imogen Zethoven, who was made Officer of the Order of Australia for her groundbreaking campaign to create the largest network of no fishing zones, also known as Green Zones, in the GBR Marine Park. Imogen shares how the fight was won -- and why the battle to protect our oceans is far from over.Thumbnail Image: Imogen Zethoven in front of a van owned by a Mackay local at a meeting in the early 2000s.Glossary of Australian Terms for our International ListenersPrawns = what we call shrimps in Australia!Tucker = a slang term for foodCanberra = our capital city, where Parliament House is located (we know you've never heard of it)GBRMPA = Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (also known as the Reef Authority).CSIRO "Sigh-Row" = Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Australia's national science agency).AFMA = Australian Fisheries Management AuthorityTake Action on Overfishing:Australian Marine Conservation Society (Fisheries Campaign)WWF (GBR Campaign)-------------------------------Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Ever since he kept a pet shark as a kid, Richard Fitzpatrick has made it his life’s mission to rewrite the story of one of the ocean’s most misunderstood predators. Now an Emmy-winning cinematographer, marine biologist and shark researcher, he’s spent more than 15,000 hours swimming with sharks — filming them, tagging them, and tracking them for science, often using wildly unorthodox (and very hands-on) methods.In this episode of Word on the Reef, learn how to rope and tame a wild shark, why jokes can come back to bite you in the butt (literally), and why you should always watch your footing when you’re standing on a boat surrounded by sharks.We bust some myths about shark behaviour, and explore how cutting-edge research is helping protect both humans and these vital apex predators. Whether you’re afraid of sharks, fascinated by them, or a bit of both — this episode is for you.Learn MoreBiopixel Oceans Foundationwww.instagram.com/biopixeloceansSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Did you know you can help with coral research on the Great Barrier Reef without even leaving your couch? On this week's episode of Word on the Reef, get ready to swipe right on high-value corals as we dive into the incredible world of citizen science.Our guest is Nicole Senn, Head of Engagement at Citizens of the Reef and passionate ocean advocate, who reveals how everyday people all over the world are helping monitor coral health - no snorkel or flippers required! Nicole shares how the data you analyse on your phone or laptop can make a real-world difference for Reef conservation... And win you a free trip to the real Reef!Find out how you can become a citizen scientist, contribute to global coral research, and be part of the solution.Find out More:www.greatreefcensus.orgwww.instagram.com/citizensofthereefSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Did you know that deforestation up to 1,000 kilometres inland can harm coral reefs and potentially fuel outbreaks of coral-eating starfish? This week we explore one of the lesser-known but critical threats to the Great Barrier Reef: declining water quality due to land clearing.Our guest this week is Sarah Sims, a conservation and land management expert, dive instructor, and underwater photographer based in Cairns. Sarah's love of the Reef has inspired her to trace water pollution back to its roots: literally. Sarah is the powerhouse behind two not-for-profit reforestation initiatives - TreeForce Cairns and Holloways Beach Coast Care. Sarah helps us unpack the staggering extent of land clearing in Queensland, and what we can all do to reforest our riverbanks and restore the health of our oceans.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

Did you know Aussies are among the worst plastic polluters on the planet - second only to Singapore for our use of single-use plastic packaging? Every year, 145,000 tonnes of plastic waste leak into our environment, and most of it comes from our supermarkets.Many of these plastics are not recyclable, and even when binned “correctly," they escape - blown by wind, swept by rain - ending up in rivers, oceans, and inside marine life. From turtles mistaking bags for jellyfish to seabirds literally crunching from the plastic in their guts, our throwaway culture is devastating wildlife… and it’s coming back to poison us too.But there are solutions.This week, we’re joined by Tara Jones, Plastics & Packaging Program Manager at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, who reveals the shock findings from her supermarket plastics investigation. It's infuriating and eye opening, but it also holds the key to what we can do to stop the plastic tide.💙 Plus: Find out how to join our Fin Club and receive a personalised video message from your favourite marine animal at the Cairns Aquarium!Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

In South Australia, a toxic algal bloom has resulted in more than 12,000 marine animals from nearly 450 different species washing up dead on local beaches, turning once-thriving ecosystems into underwater graveyards and leaving locals traumatised... But what's causing this disaster, and what can we do about it?This week's guest: Stefan Andrews, marine biologist, filmmaker, educator, and Co-Founder of the Great Southern Reef Foundation,www.greatsouthernreef.comwww.instagram.com/greatsouthernreefSupport the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...