5 citizen science projects that help the Great Barrier Reef
Issued: 14 Mar 7 min read

Discover how you can contribute to protecting the Great Barrier Reef through citizen science projects.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most breath-taking natural wonders on Earth. As the world’s largest living structure, it covers a massive 344,400 square kilometres; larger than Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Its extraordinary ecosystem is home to a diverse range of wildlife, encompassing 30 species of whales and dolphins, six of the world’s seven marine turtle species, around 215 species of birds, and at least 10% of the world’s fish species.

Protecting the Great Barrier Reef is one of our utmost priorities. To do so, we collaborate with Traditional Owners, landholders, local communities, conservation groups, research organisations, councils, and the Australian Government. We also partner with the Australian Government’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, who have provided world-leading park management of the Reef since 1975.

Alongside our efforts, individuals can also help protect our Reef through their actions at home, such as recycling, reducing food waste and minimising plastic consumption.

But what if you want to be more hands on with your helping? You can! Simply participate in one of the many citizen science projects dedicated to protecting our Reef. Citizen science is scientific research conducted with participation from the public. Individuals typically gather and share data to expand resources available to researchers, leading to a deeper project understanding and hopefully, increased scientific knowledge.

With relation to the Great Barrier Reef, this means you could be monitoring wildlife, habitats, collecting data or recording refuse amounts and locations. There is something for everyone regardless of your background or skillset.

Here are some citizen science projects you can get involved in to help the Great Barrier Reef:

Eye on the Reef

Eye on the Reef is a monitoring and assessment program created by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority). It enables anyone visiting the Reef to contribute to its long-term protection by collecting information about reef health, marine animals, and incidents. This information helps the Reef Authority understand the bigger picture of how to manage the Great Barrier Reef.

Whether you're a regular day tripper, tourist on their first visit, fisher, marine park ranger, marine tourism staff or marine scientist, you can contribute. The easiest way to do so is by downloading their free Eye on the Reef app and start recording data. There are also other monitoring programs for people who visit the Great Barrier Reef more regularly, have more time or marine biology knowledge, or are willing to be part of the training.

In addition to the app, Eye on the Reef also has a few surveys, training, as well as online learning modules for keen participants.

Sea turtle swimming along ocean reef

Within the Great Barrier Reef, there are over 400 different types of coral

CoralWatch

CoralWatch, based at The University of Queensland, is a well-established citizen science program founded in 2002. The project aims to create public understanding of the value of reefs and provides opportunities to actively help save the reef through participation in scientific research and education.

Using the Coral Health chart, anyone can collect scientific data that quantifies the changes in coral colour associated with coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.

CoralWatch also provides regular workshops for communities, teachers, and students, and has developed a range of high-quality educational materials.

The Great Reef census

The Great Reef Census collects tens of thousands of images from hundreds of reefs across the Great Barrier Reef each year. They need as many people as possible from across the world to help identify types of coral, and how much of it, they can see in the provided images.

By taking part, you’re engaging in a massive citizen science project that is giving scientists and marine park managers access to quick and timely data on what’s happening at the reefs surveyed.

Simply visit the Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef website and create an account to get started.

Reef Check Australia

The goal of Reef Check Australia is to collect relevant data that can help build appreciation, understanding and protection for reef habitats. Surveying teams make regular visits to established monitoring sites to check up on reef health and log globally standardised Reef Check surveys, which document how reefs are changing over time and how our actions influence these changes.

In Queensland, Reef Check Australia monitors more than 40 sites located in 4 main regions - Cairns/Port Douglas, Townsville, the Whitsunday Islands and the Southern Great Barrier Reef (Heron Island). Before you can participate, you must become a qualified Reef Check Surveyor, which involves a four-day training course to learn reef ecology, scientific methods, identification and practical in-water survey skills. Then, participants practice and demonstrate their skills with 4 to 6 training dives.

Mangroves meeting the ocean

The Great Barrier Reef is home to 39 mangrove species, representing nearly all Australian varieties and over half of the global total

Mangrove Watch

Mangroves serve as the barrier between the land and the sea, contributing significantly to the health of fish and crab populations. They play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem and actively combatting climate change.

MangroveWatch, developed by the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC), EarthWatch Australia, and Wet Tropics Waterways, focuses on educating and training locals to monitor mangrove health and actively participate in their protection. You can engage by signing up for a boat trip or joining the Local Action Plan to support the safeguarding of these essential habitats.

In good news, the Great Barrier Reef has shown signs of recovery over recent years. In 2022, the Reef’s Long-Term Monitoring Program recorded the highest coral cover it’s ever seen in Northern and Central parts of the Reef. But more action is needed. We have committed to several proactive measures to protect this national treasure, as outlined in the joint Australian and Queensland governments’ Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan. But we need your help.

Supporting conservation groups, promoting sustainability, and choosing responsible tourism all contribute to protecting this extraordinary ecosystem. But if you want to get hands-on, join a citizen science project. Data collected will help scientists learn critical information that will be shared with decision-makers. Your contribution will aid in monitoring and safeguarding the Great Barrier Reef's biodiversity, all while working alongside scientists, new friends or your family.

Find out more about the Australian Citizen Science Association or look for projects across the country.

Your participation is crucial in protecting our incredible environment.

Tags

Related posts

More related posts