Published by Tanya Murphy
Diving into marine science adventures on the Great Barrier Reef and beyond!
Listen on Apple PodcastsJoin us aboard the luxury liveaboard boat Mikumba Dua for a journey into one of the world's most incredible destinations! We'll explore local culture with our guide Filan , climb mountains, and enjoy some of the top rated scuba diving in the world. This episode includes an interview with local dive instructor Wili, and along the way we'll answer all your questions: How do I get to Komodo and what can I see there? Which are the best dive sites to visit? When's the best time to see manta rays? Can I visit if I'm not a diver? What marine life can I expect to see? What threats is this marine park facing and what are local communities doing to protect it? This interview was recorded in October 2025. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION ON YOUTUBE Watch the YouTube version to see the interview on the dive boat with Wili, plus lots of footage of the incredible marine life we encountered on the trip! Tours Mentioned: https://filantravel.com https://www.instagram.com/mikumbadua No sponsorships were received. Support the show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising Tide: ...
Sawfish, the extraordinary relatives of sharks and rays, once roamed tropical and subtropical waters around the globe. Today they've vanished from much of their former range, with Northern Australia remaining one of their last global strongholds. All five sawfish species are now listed as critically endangered, yet most Australians know surprisingly little about these remarkable animals. So, what exactly ARE these crazy-looking critters? Are they really as scary as they look? What can we do to help ensure they continue to survive in our rivers, estuaries and coastal waters? And perhaps the most important question of all: who would win in a showdown between a sawfish and a crocodile? Joining hosts Tanya Murphy and Brett Goodban to answer these questions is Dr Barbara Wueringer, founder, director and lead scientist at Sharks and Rays Australia. Support the show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising Tide: ...
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 Cummins Support the show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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.com www.instagram.com/gone_buggo www.daintreetours.com www.calypsoreefcruises.com Support the show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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.org What Can I Do? - www.actionplan.coralwatch.org SAVE 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 show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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.au Support the show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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 show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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 show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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. Reid Lynne Kelly The Memory Code by Lynne Kelly First Knowledges book collection Watch: The Australian Wars Watch: The First Inventors Watch: First Australians Woppaburra Rangers Support the show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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, UniSC Post-flood monitoring of seagrass in Hervey Bay and Great Sandy Strait - JCU Tropwater Dugongs 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 Centre UniSC Milbi Centre: Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Support the show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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 Manta Prof Townsend's book: A Field Guide to the Vertebrates of Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef. Support the show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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 show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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.au Gary'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 show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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 show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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 show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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 show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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 to stay engaged in climate action without burning out How parents can talk to children about climate change without overwhelming them The mental health benefits of spending time in nature and the ocean It’s an honest, thoughtful and ultimately hopeful conversation about loving the places that matter to us — even when they’re under threat. S upport us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/wordonthereefpodcast MORE 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 Climate Climate Cafe Events Support the show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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 show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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 show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising 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 seas Thumbnail image: CO2 bubbles emerging from volcanic seeps in Papua New Guinea. Dr Katharina Fabricius Support the show Help 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 Statement Australian 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 Change Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef! WWF Australia: Protect Nature Rising Tide: ...