Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef | Non-profit organisation

Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef

Address: The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Website: https://citizensgbr.org

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25.01.2022 The Reef has lost one of its greatest conservationists, John Rumney. His dedication to the Great Barrier Reef is an inspiration for all of us. Our thoughts are with John's family and everyone at Great Barrier Reef Legacy

25.01.2022 Check out the epic journey of Katya2, a bull shark tagged by Biopixel Oceans Foundation at the start of 2020 in the Whitsundays! citizensgbr.org/explore/reef-tracks/b-katya2 This 2.9 metre bull shark travelled all the way to Raine Island in the far northern Great Barrier Reef, just in time for the turtle migration...! After a pretty big feed, she travelled over 2,000km down to Noosa, outside of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, even spending some time in the river! Sharks are incredible animals that play a vital role in the ocean ecosystem. You can track more sharks, turtles and even whale sharks on our marine life tracker, Reef Tracks!

24.01.2022 Amazing work by marine biologist and Master Reef Guides, Cale from GBR Biology and Reef Magic Cruises! Here he is installing an acoustic shark receiver at Moore Reef for JCU: James Cook University, Australia researcher Adam Barnett (you may remember him as our expert from Shark Week). These acoustic receivers speak to the acoustic tags that are fitted onto Sharks. Whenever a tagged shark swims within ~500m from the device, it records the time and date so that researchers can understand more about the movements of sharks in the area! If you want to track some sharks for yourself, head over to reeftracks.org where we track sharks and other marine animals using satellite trackers

23.01.2022 When populations are controlled, Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) are a key part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park! They eat faster growing corals, giving slower growing corals the chance to catch up. However, due to factors such as excess nutrients and over-fishing, COTS are prone to outbreaks. The Australian Institute of Marine Science's 'dipstick test' can easily detect very low numbers of the starfish which can be difficult to spot with current survey methods. Using the same technology as home pregnancy tests, this new system can help to keep COTS under control and our reefs healthy!

23.01.2022 Have you heard of the Skyscraper reef found off the coast of Cape York? It's part of what is known as a 'Detached Reef', a reef that is attached to the ocean floor and not part of the main body of the Great Barrier Reef. A cluster of these reefs were found in 1800's and are now know as the 'Great Detached'. We currently have a #GreatReefCensus Expedition on Aroona Luxury Boat Charters Cairns Australia planning to visit the Great Dethatched with scientists from The Univers...ity of Queensland and CoralWatch! Though they won't be visiting the Skyscraper reef as it is quite deep, we're certain they'll be coming across some incredible things! The Great Reef Census is a trial in using Citizen Scientists to collect valuable data to give an up to date picture of the health of the Great Barrier Reef. Expeditions like this, will bring back survey data from rarely visited reefs, giving a broad picture of what's happening beneath the surface. The Great Reef Census is a Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef project delivered in partnership with The University of Queensland Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Australian Institute of Marine Science and funded by the partnership between the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s #ReefTrust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation Prior Family Foundation Reef and Rainforest Research Centre with support from JCU: James Cook University, Australia

22.01.2022 It's Shark Week! Sharks come in all shapes and sizes in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, from the 'walking' epaulette to the powerful tiger shark. As apex predators, sharks play a vital role on coral reefs but a worrying recent report has shown that sharks are functionally extinct on every 1 in 5 reefs globally Loving the Great Barrier Reef means loving sharks! Head to our marine life tracker reeftracks.org to follow some of these incredible animals live as they jo...urney around the Reef! Biopixel

22.01.2022 A few weeks ago, Nicole from the Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef team went out with Ocean Safari to Mackay Reef, just off the coast of Cape Tribulation to do some #GreatReefCensus surveys! They visited two locations on Mackay Reef - Turtles Reef (Guess how it got that name ) and the wild side or front reef. The wild side faces open sea, so you need a pretty calm day to be able to snorkel there. Luckily, they were able to get out and survey the amazing coral wall. Check ...out this video to get a glimpse of Mackay Reef and see how easy the Great Reef Census surveys are! The Great Reef Census is a Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef project delivered in partnership with The University of Queensland Great Barrier Reef Marine ParkAustralian Institute of Marine Science and funded by the partnership between the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s #ReefTrust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation Prior Family Foundation Reef and Rainforest Research Centre with support from JCU: James Cook University, Australia

22.01.2022 We've been busy this week testing our latest project with some excited tourists (and now citizen scientists) on Reef Magic Cruises! Thanks Tim and Paige From photographing stunning corals to spotting whales on the trip out to Moore Reef , check out our stories to see what we got up to! Soon we're going to need the help of citizen scientists from all over the world Stay tuned over the coming months to find out how to take part in our upcoming project!

20.01.2022 Australian Institute of Marine Science completed their annual long term monitoring report last week Coral reefs are incredible ecosystems that can and do recover from disturbances such as bleaching. However, climate change is causing the time in between these events to be shorter, making it increasingly difficult for corals to recover. Building reef resilience in the face of climate change teamed with urgent action on emissions, gives our Reef the best chance for it's f...uture. Dr Mike Emslie explains the latest findings from the 86 reefs that were surveyed along the GRB and you can read more about the monitoring program here https://bit.ly/2CJwImC

17.01.2022 September is #NationalBiodiversityMonth! You may have heard us mention that the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet... but what is biodiversity and why is it so important for the Reef? Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms on earth - from the almost invisible micro-organisms, to the massive blue whale! But it's not just a measure of how many species there are, it also encompasses things like genetic differences and variatio...ns across habitats! The Great Barrier Reef relies on a healthy and diverse ecosystem to help withstand, recover and adapt to stresses such as bleaching. Biodiversity is also what creates such a remarkable ecosystem. : Biopixel

17.01.2022 Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and economically valuable ecosystems on earth, providing vital services to both humans and marine life. Check out our stories for 4 reasons why coral reefs are so important Biopixel

16.01.2022 How many babies can a sea horse give birth to? Comment the answer below Male seahorses do something extremely rare in the animal kingdom... they get pregnant! Though there is no clear reason why seahorses evolved this way, scientists theorise that this may be a tactic to help the species survive. While the female makes the eggs, the male carriers and fertilises the eggs, so that by the time he gives birth, the female is ready to deposit her eggs inside his pouch once a...gain. Seahorses may be extremely efficient when it comes to pregnancy, but unfortunately, survival rates for baby seahorse are extremely low... only 1 in 5,000 survive! They are so tiny they tend to get carried away by ocean currents and end up becoming part of the zooplankton other animals eat! This low survival rate may be why seahorses share baby duties more than other creatures Watch this incredible natural phenomenon thanks to Biopixel

15.01.2022 Meet Matt Bressington! He works out on Marineland Melanesia Croc Park Green Island, just off the coast of Cairns. Green Island is the only coral cay on the Great Barrier Reef to have Crocodiles! Crocodiles are the largest living reptile, they've been around since dinosaurs, in fact, they are an ancient form of life, with fossils from 200 million years ago! Matt is passionate about his work with animals in the Far North and wants to give as many people as possible the opportunity to appreciate and respect these incredible living dinosaurs! At the croc park, he raises awareness about our important natural ecosystems and habitats that we rely on so dearly!

15.01.2022 We're so excited to be featured in the new summer issue of Robb Report AU! Thanks to a fantastic chat with Editor-in-Chief @richardclune, you can check out the #GreatReefCensus write up here Pic: @damianbennettphoto Pic: @johnny_gaskell... The Great Reef Census is a Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef project delivered in partnership with The University of Queensland Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Australian Institute of Marine Science and funded by the partnership between the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s #ReefTrust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation Prior Family Foundation Reef and Rainforest Research Centre with support from JCU: James Cook University, Australia

13.01.2022 Over the past 6 weeks, we've been gathering photo data from up and down the Great Barrier Reef with tourism operators, scientists, tug boats and Master Reef Guides! Soon, we're going to be calling on Citizen Scientists from all around the globe to analyse this data and help conserve the Reef! If you'd like to get involved, make sure you've signed up to become a Citizen citizensgbr.org so you'll be first to hear when we need your help! The Great Reef Census is a Citiz...ens of the Great Barrier Reef project delivered in partnership with The University of Queensland Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Australian Institute of Marine Science and funded by the partnership between the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s #ReefTrust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation Prior Family Foundation Reef and Rainforest Research Centre with support from JCU: James Cook University, Australia See more

12.01.2022 We can always count on Biopixel to capture the complex biological processes of the Reef, and coral bleaching is no exception. See those golden brown dots? Those are the microscopic Zooxanthellae algal cells being expelled from the coral polyp. This process happens when corals are under heat stress, causing them to loose their colour and bleach. Luckily, this is not a death sentence! If the heat stress decreases, the Zooxanthellae can move back into their coral polyp homes , and bring back the stunning colours of the reef! Stresses such as coral bleaching are becoming increasingly more common in the face of climate change, calling for urgent actions and interventions to give the Reef the best chance for the future.

11.01.2022 We never say no to a chance to get out on the Reef! So when Mars Sustainable Solutions asked us to come along and help them install their 'Reef Stars' out on Moore Reef we jumped at the opportunity! The incredible MARRS Reef Stars are a web of hexagonal limestone structures that suport the long-term resilience of the Great Barrier Reef's marine ecosystem. Check out our video to see how it's done Teaming up with Reef Magic Cruises marine biologists and Master Reef Gui...des, as well as JCU: James Cook University, Australia scientists and the Dawul Wuru Aboriginal Corporation Yirrganydji Land and Sea Rangers, we installed 60 stars off the Reef Magic - Marine World Pontoon! The MARS team plans on adding 50 stars to the current instalation every 6 months! We love to see the reef community working together! Not only will this be great for Moore Reef, but it will also contribute to JCU's studies to trial the system's effectiveness in stabilising the coral rubble which resulted from Cyclone Yasi in 2011.

10.01.2022 Did you know that the Great Barrier Reef is home to the worlds largest population of dugongs? Dugongs play an important role in maintaining coastal ecosystems. Their constant grazing of seagrass beds encourages regrowth - ensuring critical habitat and feeding sites for a host of other marine species, including sea turtles Though dugongs do a lot to support their underwater friends, their closest relatives (aside from Manatees) are actually Elephants! ... Biopixel

10.01.2022 Have you ever found Nemo on the great barrier reef? Comment below! You may notice that there are many different types of 'Nemo' or anemonefish of the GBR... that's because there are 30 species! About a third of these can be found on the Reef, like this Pink anemonefish for example Pink anemonefish, just like all anemonefish, have a symbiotic, mutualistic relationship, with sea anemones! The sea anemone protects the anemonefish from predators and provides food through the scraps left from the anemone's meals and occasional dead anemone tentacles. In return, the anemonefish defends the anemone from its predators and parasites.

09.01.2022 Great news for the MARS reef stars! This awesome reef resilience project brings together Indigenous Reef Rangers, Master Reef Guides, and Marine Bios to help protect the Great Barrier Reef! The incredible MARS Reef Stars are a web of hexagonal limestone structures that support the long-term resilience of the Great Barrier Reef's marine ecosystem. With less than 0.01% mortality and 87 reef stars out on Moore Reef, we love hearing about the success of this project

08.01.2022 Read more and watch the video about how we're working with Dell Technologies and Intel to enable more efficient data upload as part of our #GreatReefCensus project! The Great Reef Census is a Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef project delivered in partnership with The University of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Australian Institute of Marine Science with support from JCU: James Cook University, Australia. The project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government's Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the Prior Family Foundation and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre.

07.01.2022 Did you know that the Great Barrier Reef is as big as the United Kingdom, Holland and Switzerland combined?! Check out our stories to learn some interesting facts about the most famous Reef in the world! : Biopixel

06.01.2022 ALERT! We're SO excited to announce the winners of our Reef RADicals competition in partnership with JCU: James Cook University, Australia!! We had some incredible entries from passionate reef-loving kids across the country but after much deliberation, we're excited to announce our winner as Rosie Stephen from Ulladulla Public School in NSW! Fed up with seeing plastic tees from a local golf course littering the beach, Rosie invented a biodegradable tee made from na...tural and locally-sourced ingredients We'll share her brilliant video later this week! But that's not all! Our runners up and winners of a live Virtual Reef Connection for their class from Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium are Cassius Boyle from Footscray North Primary School Emma Friskin & Rori Whitton from St Joseph's School, Cairns Taj Cruz Lakin from St Columba Anglican School Port Macquarie and Hannah Yap from Abbotsleigh Junior School Huge congratulations to all the Reef RADicals who took part! Check out our competition highlights reel to see some of the incredible things students around the country are doing every day to protect our planet

06.01.2022 What an incredible collaborative effort between Master Reef Guides and #GreatReefCensus on Kiana Whitsundays In just one week, 11 reefs were surveyed for both the Great Reef Census and Eye on the Reef. The reefs selected on this trip were chosen either because they were unsurveyed or weren't regularly surveyed - so this data will give an important look at the condition of these reefs! The data they collected illustrates the patchwork nature of the Reef, with some of ree...fs pristine, and others still struggling with the impacts of Cyclone Debbie from 3 years ago. Thanks Pablo Cogollos for the The Great Reef Census is a Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef project delivered in partnership with The University of Queensland Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Australian Institute of Marine Science and funded by the partnership between the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s #ReefTrust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation Prior Family Foundation Reef and Rainforest Research Centre with support from JCU: James Cook University, Australia

05.01.2022 The first Tug Boat surveying reefs for the #GreatReefCensus left today! The amazing team at Tim North Marine will be surveying an additional 20-30 reefs from Townsville all the way up to Lizard Island! While doing maintenance work on moorings up and down the Great Barrier Reef, the team will jump in the water, and snap a few Census photos at each reef they visit. Mobilising boats that are already out on the water to collect #CitizenScience photo data is exactly what ...the Great Reef Census is all about! We love seeing the Reef community come together with a united goal to protect the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Reef Census is a Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef project delivered in partnership with The University of Queensland Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Australian Institute of Marine Science and funded by the partnership between the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s #ReefTrust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation Prior Family Foundation Reef and Rainforest Research Centre with support from JCU: James Cook University, Australia

05.01.2022 #GreatReefCensus Update! It's been just over 6 weeks since we kicked off the Great Reef Census and so far we've surveyed around 45 reefs up and down the Great Barrier Reef and received close to 4,000 images! So far, we've seen some examples of the patchwork of the Reef's health, with some looking like this picture by @ikatere_photography, and others, doing not so great. Together with scientists, Master Reef Guides, tug boats, tourism operators and many others, we've been a...ble to cover significant areas of the Great Barrier Reef, and we still have much more to come! Make sure you're signed up on citizensgbr.org so you don't miss out! : @ikatere_photography The Great Reef Census is a Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef project delivered in partnership with The University of Queensland Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Australian Institute of Marine Science and funded by the partnership between the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s #ReefTrust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation Prior Family Foundation Reef and Rainforest Research Centre with support from JCU: James Cook University, Australia

04.01.2022 Another #GreatReefCensus expedition has come back from sea! Over the last week, a group of scientists, divers and conservationists headed up to the rarely visited far northern reefs of the Great Barrier Reef on Aroona Luxury Boat Charters Cairns Australia! With Diana Kleine from CoralWatch and Chris Roelfsema from The University of Queensland's Coral Reef Habitat Mapping project and Allen Coral Atlas on board - it was a week of Citizen Science! The team surveyed 9 Reef...s from Lagoon Reef all the way up to Wishbone Reef, with many an unnamed (and unsurvey) reef in-between! A massive thanks and huge shout out to the Aroona crew and the incredible divers who helped collect citizen science data! : PhlipVids The Great Reef Census is a Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef project delivered in partnership with The University of Queensland Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Australian Institute of Marine Science and funded by the partnership between the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s #ReefTrust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation Prior Family Foundation Reef and Rainforest Research Centre with support from JCU: James Cook University, Australia

03.01.2022 We've passed the halfway point in our marine operations for the #greatreefcensus! So far, we've surveyed at least 70 reefs across the GBR and over 4500 images have been uploaded - an incredible effort driven by the support of the reef community We're so excited for the first ticketed expedition to depart on Spirit Of Freedom on Monday! IG @johnny_gaskell / IG @master_reef_guide_michelle Coral Sea Foundation / Kiana Whitsundays / Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom - Cairn...s Premier Reef & Island Tours / Master Reef Guides The Great Reef Census is a Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef project delivered in partnership with The University of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Australian Institute of Marine Science with support from JCU: James Cook University, Australia. It is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government's Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Prior Family Foundation and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre.

02.01.2022 Leopard Shark or Zebra Shark? Like many species on the Great Barrier Reef, this shark, Stegostoma tigrinum, has more than one common name. These sharks start life out with vertical stripes on their backs which resemble those of a Zebra! This pattern then develops into leopard spots in adulthood, so you can see how the confusion comes about! ... : Biopixel

02.01.2022 Our very own Andy Ridley has joined our friends at Dell Technologies on their podcast, Future Extraordinaire, coming out tomorrow! We'll post a link as soon as it goes live keep an eye out so you dont miss Andy chatting about his favourite topic

02.01.2022 It's #NAIDOCWEEK2020, a time to celebrate the history, culture & achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our community! For over 80,000 years, the Great Barrier Reef region has been a big part of Indigenous culture and history. There are approximately 70 Traditional Owner clan groups whose sea country includes the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Their rich cultures, heritage values, connection and shared efforts protect, conserve and enhance the re...silience of the Great Barrier Reef Shoutout to the Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel Indigenous Rangers who share cultural and marine science with the world! #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe

02.01.2022 "Despite being one of the best-studied marine ecosystems on Earth, there are fundamental knowledge gaps around the Great Barrier Reef." After 3 mass bleaching events in five years, we not only need urgent action on emissions, we also need to fill these gaps in knowledge to give the Reef the best chance for the future.

01.01.2022 Hands up if you've swum with a hammerhead shark Did you know that hammerheads are some of the youngest sharks around? Molecular evidence suggests that hammerheads developed around 20 million years ago... which makes them young considering sharks have existed for around 420 million years! In this 'short' time frame, 10 species have been identified, with the biggest of the species, the Great Hammerhead shark (captured here thanks to @Biopixel), growing up to 6m long!

01.01.2022 Ready to test your knowledge on all things reefy? We've got some trivia in our stories today, so click on our profile icon and give it a shot! Let us know in the comments how many you get right!

01.01.2022 Incredible images from our Great Reef Census expedition on Kiana Whitsundays with Master Reef Guides on board! Collaborating with existing marine monitoring programs like Eye on the Reef is a key part of the Great Reef Census. The more up-to-date data we have from across as much of the Reef as possible, the more we can understand how its 3,000 individual reefs are responding to disturbance events like coral bleaching and cyclones The Great Reef Census is a Citizens of the... Great Barrier Reef project, delivered in partnership with The University of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Australian Institute of Marine Science with support from JCU: James Cook University, Australia. The project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the Prior Family Foundation and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre. See more