Reef Ecologic

It was a great pleasure to interview pioneer spearfisher, underwater photographer, filmmaker and Maine conservationists Ben Cropp for 'Sea Salts' for The Captain magazine. Great Barrier Reef Foundation Cairns-Port Douglas Reef Hub MOUA / Museum of Underwater Art Australian Marine Conservation Society Australian National Maritime Museum Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology Australian Underwater Federation UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY Queensland Tourism Industry Council #reef #fish #shark #underwater #shipwreck #award @Wonga #PortDouglas #Queensland #TheCaptain

Every day is an opportunity to be curious, observe and share knowledge collected by citizen scientists. The long history and recent boom in interest has been incredible as quoted in todays article in the Townsville Bulletin https://lnkd.in/gdm7jbBT Australian Citizen Science Association OzFish Unlimited Reef Check Australia TropWATER: JCU's Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research Great Barrier Reef Foundation Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority iNaturalist Coral Expeditions Australian Geographic Australian Institute of Marine Science Australian Rural Leadership Foundation Healthy Waters Partnership for the Dry Tropics

Thinking about the past, present and future helps to understand and potentially change the world. The boom in citizen science in Australia is fantastic and the potential benefits for the environment and society are hundreds of millions of dollars (potentially billions), better health, happiness, knowledge and management. https://lnkd.in/gkja3S_k Australian Citizen Science Association Citizens of the Reef Reef Check Australia MOUA / Museum of Underwater Art Coral Expeditions Australian Geographic Australian Marine Conservation Society Australian Institute of Marine Science Master Reef Guide Program Townsville City Council Townsville Enterprise (TEL) The University of Queensland North Queensland Conservation Council Nita Green Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

An updated graphic on how to use iNaturalist to identify fish and other underwater organisms. Follow this guide using the four simple steps! iNaturalist James Cook University Healthy Waters Partnership for the Dry Tropics Australian Citizen Science Association OzFish Unlimited #citizenscience #inaturalist #marinelife #fish #technology #getinvolved #snorkeling #scubadiving #fishing

This may be the most collaborative, fun and significant scientific paper I have co-written to improve the knowledge and future health of the Great Barrier Reef. Assessment of Multiple Citizen Science Methods and Carbon Footprint of Tourists in Two Australian Marine Parks Huge thank you to Joseph DiBattista Samantha Tol Leona Kustra Joanne Stacey Toni Massey Paul Hardisty Coral Expeditions Australian Geographic and sharing with Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Australian Citizen Science Association Australian Society for Fish Biology Citizens of the Reef CoralWatch | The University of Queensland Abstract Citizen or community science (CS) projects in the marine environment rarely consider carbon footprint and sustainability. In this case study, we assessed the effectiveness of ten CS methods used by tourists in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) and Coral Sea Marine Park (CSMP) who participated in the 2023 Citizen Science of the Great Barrier Reef expedition and the carbon footprint associated with these field methods. We also assessed the baseline coral reef knowledge of the tourists, observations of marine species, and the communication of our results to the public. Specifically, the tourists utilised up to ten methods: iNaturalist, CoralWatch, Great Barrier Reef Census, Eye on the Reef (EoR), environmental DNA (eDNA) testing kits, photogrammetry, social surveys, and Red Map, as well as marine debris and marine vegetation collections. A total of 10,421 data points were collected across 14 days, including 5390 records (52% of the total) uploaded to iNaturalist, comprising 640 plant and animal species. Public awareness of the CS expedition reached over 700,000 people based on estimates from advertising, media, social media, family and friends, and conference presentations. We estimated the total carbon footprint for the expedition as 268.7 tonnes of CO2 or 4.47 tonnes of CO2 per person, equivalent to AUD 112 needed to offset this input. Based on these results, our recommendations to leverage CS methods include governmental review strategies, temporal replication to allow for the measurement of changes through time, integrating sustainability into CS ecotourism platforms, and encouraging broad participation. Keywords: carbon footprint; coral; Coral Sea; fish; Great Barrier Reef; environmental DNA; iNaturalist

Last month the Reef Ecologic team ventured to the Torres Strait for a project working with Ergon Energy Network to provide a baseline survey of the benthic habitat between Horn, Thursday and Hammond Islands. Due to the waters being too unsafe to dive, we used a number of survey methods to collect the data. These include using an underwater drop camera, video tows, drone surveys and intertidal quadrat surveys at low tide. Here is a short video of some of the methods we used, as well as a nosey visitor towards the end! 🦈 Overall it was an amazing trip and was great to experience the beauty and culture of these wonderful islands. Torres Strait Regional Authority Torres Strait Island Regional Council James Cook University Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Marine Science (ATSIMS) program TropWATER: JCU's Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research #seagrass #coral #algae #conservation #culture #citizenscience #communityengagement

In October 2024, Adam and Jacinta went on a three-day expedition to 15 reefs offshore Townsville. We participated in the Great Barrier Reef Census for Citizens of the Reef, taking photos to survey reef health. In addition to this, we took many photos of fish, sharks and other marine life to upload onto iNaturalist. We would like to thank Matt and Fran from Yongala Dive for making this trip happen on their wonderful Ocean Magic boat. To see more about this amazing expedition, please watch our youtube video. #citizenscience #greatbarrierreef #coralhealth #conservation #diving #expedition https://lnkd.in/gDjRF5R6

INCREASING KNOWLEDGE OF FISH. We are very pleased to collaborate with Fraser Coast Regional Council to collate an online project, two fish guides, information and a quiz on fish. Check the 183 species observed so far and help add new ones through iNaturalist FRDC - Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Australian Society for Fish Biology Australian Marine Conservation Society Australian Citizen Science Association Hervey Bay Fishing Charter and Boating Sealink Queensland Pty Ltd Kingfisher Bay Resort Australian Museum Queensland Tourism Industry Council Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation SCF Australia • Fishing | Media | Events https://lnkd.in/gYev_MgB

BREAKING NEWS OF GIANT CORAL- Scientists on an expedition to Solomon Islands say they have discovered the world's largest coral, eclipsing previous record holders found in American Samoa. The giant standalone coral is 34 metres wide, 32 metres in diameter and 5.5 metres high. Scientists on the National Geographic expedition say the coral is healthy and provides a "beacon of hope" as nearby shallow reefs have degraded with warmer sea temperatures Australian Institute of Marine Science Australian Institute of Marine Science Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Great Barrier Reef Foundation ReefTO Reef Check Australian Geographic National Geographic Society https://lnkd.in/eWiix_Pr

This will be an interesting presentation from Iain Gordon about the health of Gladstone Harbour and the Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership