Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Let's talk dark blue zones! One of the simplest things you can do to protect our beautiful Reef - is the right thing. Play your part and get familiar with Zoning for details on what you can and can’t do, and where. Download zoning maps from our website or grab a copy from: - Your local bait and tackle shops - Boating suppliers - Marinas - Visitor centres Prefer paperless? We’ve got an app for that 📱 Keep useful zoning information handy and download our Eye on the Reef app from Google Play or the App Store. #LovetheReef #EyeontheReef

Meet Jake Sanders, a senior compliance officer dedicated to patrolling and preserving the Great Barrier Reef. Based out of Gladstone, Jake grew up around Agnes Water and 1770, developing a lifelong passion for the ocean. Whether it’s fishing, snorkelling, or spearfishing, Jake has always felt at home on the water. While most of his contemporaries were flipping burgers or mowing lawns, Jake spent his after-school hours working on local tourism boats. Now, he combines his love for the sea with his commitment to conservation. Spending his days on the Great Barrier Reef, Jake feels fortunate to be safeguarding his favourite fishing spots for future generations and making a real difference protecting the incredible biodiversity of the Reef. The Reef Joint Field Management Program (RJFMP) is a strategic partnership between the Australian and Queensland governments which delivers practical on-ground actions to protect and maintain well-functioning marine and island ecosystems that support economic, traditional, and recreational uses of the Great Barrier Reef. The #GreatBarrierReef remains a vibrant, beautiful ecosystem of immense value to Australia and the world. But global and local actions are needed to protect it. Click the link in our bio to discover how you can help. #LoveTheReef #InGreatHands

Not only is marine debris a threat to the health of the Reef itself, it's also a threat to the animals that call the Reef home. Marine debris can float, sink, become entangled on rocky outcrops or reefs, or become buried in the sea floor where it can resurface after disturbances, such as cyclones and floods. But there is one simple thing you can do to give back to the Reef, and that's to become involved in a beach clean with Tangaroa Blue Foundation. A good New Year's resolution, don't you think? 😉 This rubbish was collected on a beach cleanup at Alva Beach with Tangaroa Blue. #marinedebris #GreatBarrierReef #ReefClean

Sea turtles hold deep cultural, ecological and economic value for the Great Barrier Reef, and those who depend on it. Like so many other marine animals, they face an uncertain future in the face of a changing climate. The Great Barrier Reef Green Turtle Research Program is working to understand what’s happening in green turtle populations throughout the Great Barrier Reef and the Torres Strait islands through a range of projects and studies. Collectively, this information not only aims to understand what’s happening now and how we can focus our management actions to support turtles and their habitats, but how we can best protect these sea turtles for the future. The Great Barrier Reef Green Turtle Research Program is funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and implemented by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation’s Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. This project is being delivered in partnership with the Kuuku Ya’u Traditional Owners and Meriam Nation Traditional Custodians of the eastern Torres Strait. For more information, visit our website. #LovetheReef #ReefTrust #QldParks

Join our pod with our monthly Reef in Brief newsletter. We issue regular updates on what's happening on the Great Barrier Reef, including regular Reef health updates over summer. Sign up here - https://lnkd.in/gWhMtV9J #LovetheReef

The Great Barrier Reef is in great hands. Steph's hands. Meet Stephanie Hinks, Master Reef Guide and resident of Magnetic Island (Yunbenun), an idyllic, tropical island nestled within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area off the coast of Townsville. Alongside her husband, Steph has been at the helm of Aquascene Magnetic Island for over 15 years, offering visitors an unforgettable journey through the wonders of the stunning fringing reefs and marine life of the island. As a Master Reef Guide, Steph is among an elite group of world-leading guides and interpreters that share the wonders of the World Heritage Area. As Reef ambassadors they impart up-to-date scientific and management information about the Reef and explain what people can do to make a difference. While the #GreatBarrierReef remains a vibrant, beautiful ecosystem of immense value to Australians and the world, global and local actions are needed to protect it. Find out how you can help via our website. #lovethereef #ingreathands Master Reef Guide Program

Reef health update | 18 December 2024 The summer has commenced with global sea surface temperatures remaining at near record highs, and forecast models predicting elevated ocean temperatures across the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park over the coming months. This forecast indicates a risk of exposure to thermal stress building across the Reef during summer, and we are starting to see it now. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch has the Central and Northern regions of the Marine Park on a “bleaching warning” with accumulated heat stress of 1 degree heating week, which means coral bleaching is possible, particular for sensitive coral species. From December to March, there is a high chance of unusually high rainfall for catchments adjacent to the Reef, particularly Cape York Peninsula, with above average falls predicted for all other Marine Park catchment areas. It’s important to note that local and regional factors will play a crucial role in determining the health of the Reef. The specific conditions in the area, such as water quality, currents, and local weather patterns, will ultimately influence the Reef’s outcomes this summer. From mid-November to December 12, 2024, 739 Reef Health Impact Surveys (RHIS) were conducted across 79 reefs in the Marine Park. These surveys, carried out by trained and experienced managers and researchers, are designed to quickly assess the condition of the reefs. Low levels of coral bleaching were observed on some of the surveyed reefs, mainly in the Central and Northern regions of the Marine Park. Sea surface temperatures are currently high enough to cause heat stress to corals, increasing the risk of coral bleaching during this time of year. Reef protection continues to be a year-round activity, but our focus is heightened over summer when the Reef is more at risk from cumulative impacts including elevated sea surface temperatures, cyclones and freshwater inundating the marine environment. For more information, visit - https://lnkd.in/grrKAAYh #LovetheReef #ReefHealth #GreatBarrierReef

Protecting the Great Barrier Reef isn’t all done on the water, it starts right here – on land! Our Reef Guardian Councils deliver environmentally sustainable practices and projects, all aimed at reducing the impacts of land-based activities, protecting, rehabilitating and restoring natural habitats and limiting the impacts of climate change. Now covering over 75% of the Great Barrier Reef catchment, these councils play a critical role in the effective management and protection of the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns is not only one of the gateways to visit the Great Barrier Reef, it’s also a Reef Guardian Council. Amongst a range of projects undertaken by Cairns Regional Council, is their litter education campaign – A little litter is a Big Problem. Launched in August 2024, A Little Litter is a Big Problem is a campaign aimed at raising awareness of litter impacts and the importance of responsible litter disposal. With targeted messaging and youth focused communication channels, the campaign plays an important role in reducing Cairns' litter impacts on the Great Barrier Reef. Litter, or marine debris, poses a risk to the animals that call the Great Barrier Reef home through ingestion or entanglement. Campaigns like this are critical in educating communities of the impacts of litter, and the benefits for the Reef and us, in having clean waterways and Reef systems. This campaign is being delivered as part of the Australian Government’s Reef Guardian Council – Activating Local Councils’ Reef Action Plans $17.48m grant program. To discover more about Reef Guardian Councils, visit – https://bit.ly/3SoyPgJ #CairnsRegionalCouncil #ReefGuardianCouncils #LovetheReef #GreatBarrierReef

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is pleased to announce a new Chair and members of the Indigenous Reef Advisory Committee (IRAC). Chaired by Gurang elder Mr Shayne Blackman, new committee members bring immense experience, knowledge and skills across all appointments. The IRAC provides advice to the Marine Park Authority Board through the Reef Authority on the management of the Great Barrier Reef. Committee members include: Mr Troy Johnson (Northern Great Barrier Reef) Mr Keron Murray (Far Northern Great Barrier Reef) Mr Jacob Cassady (Far Northern Great Barrier Reef) Mr Matthew James (Torres Strait, Far Northern Great Barrier Reef) Ms Karrell Ross (Queensland Government and Olkola People, Cape York) Ms Marie Shipton (Far Northern Great Barrier Reef) Mr Quinn Ross-Passi (Torres Strait, Far Northern Great Barrier Reef)(Absent) Ms Madeline Jones (Central Great Barrier Reef)(Absent) The committee met in early December, which marked the first meeting of the 2024-27 term. Learn more about the committee: https://bit.ly/3JRDCFs #LovetheReef

Coral spawning is essential for maintaining - and for the future - healthy coral reef ecosystems on the Great Barrier Reef. Triggered by a number of natural factors, millions of egg and sperm bundles are released by coral polyps. Once fertilised, the eggs develop into planulae, which float in the water for several days or weeks before settling on the reef. These newly settled larvae begin to bud and grow into new coral colonies. The resilience of these corals is vital for the long-term health and resilience of the Reef. Like all living things, reproduction is an energy intensive and stressful event for all species - and corals are no different. With mounting pressures on the Great Barrier Reef - from bleaching to extreme weather impacts - protecting corals with reproductive capabilities has never been more important. These spawning corals - which have survived multiple bleaching events - are genetic gold for Reef resilience. The transfer of their resilient genes to the next generation of corals will be pivotal for the long-term survival of the Great Barrier Reef. Our ongoing management actions are assisting in this protection through actions addressing poor water quality, illegal fishing and direct interventions - such as controlling coral eating predators through the Crown-of-thorns Starfish Control Program. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gaBpJHPX