Great organisations saving the Great Barrier Reef!

The Great Barrier Reef is lucky enough to have a whole host of fantastic organisations working towards saving it.

These organisation as run by amazing and dedicated people, all hoping to protect the reef and its inhabitants, these are some of our favourites.

• Great Barrier Reef Foundation

  The Great Barrier Reef Foundation is working tirelessly to fund projects that have a largescale impact on the reef. They’re proud to be working closely with scientists and marine biologists to solve complex problems the reef is facing.

  The Great Barrier Reef Foundation is working towards their Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan. The organisation works closely with not only local experts but experts from across Australia and the globe, as well as Traditional Owners.

  Some of their largest projects include cryopreservation and larval restoration. Cryopreservation involves freezing coral cell samples in the hopes they can be used to sustain conversation efforts well into the future. Meanwhile, larval restoration is working in the immediate. The world’s first ‘LarvalBot’ disperses coral larvae to repopulate parts of the reef. The LarvalBot is a fantastic example of collaborative work and scientific innovation to protect the reef.

• Fight For Our Reef

  The Australian Marine Conservation Society is working hard to make changes above the water. The Fight For Our Reef campaign has been placing pressure on the Australian government and politicians to enact change. Their work includes lobbying and public education campaigns.

  From educating Australians on the impact of climate change, to preventing sea dredging their campaigns have been poignant in protecting the reef at a governmental level. Most recently they have fought against the Adani Coal Mine and its overwhelmingly negative impact on the reef. Many of the campaigns ran by Fight For Our Reef come back to a singular coal; preventing climate change.

  Fight For Our Reef works not only through donation but actively encourages individual involvement through activism and in-person support.

• Reef Restoration Foundation

  The Reef Restoration Foundation is a relatively new not-for-profit that was founded following unprecedented coral bleaching in 2016. Following these events public perception began to shift to believe the reef was dying or dead, the organisation thus helps to prevent the reefs death.

  One of the main functions of the organisation is the formation and sustaining of coral nurseries. Similar to those you find on the land, coral nurseries are used to grow corals from cuttings which are then replanted on struggling reefs. Cuttings are attached to coral tree frames that are specially designed to accelerate growth.

  Since the organisation opened the first generation of corals have been replanted on nearby reefs, with the second generation of cuttings growing well. The program is imperative to repopulation of struggling reefs across the southern coast of Australia.

Many great organisations are working hard to protect the Great Barrier Reef and ensure that it is alive and well for many generations to come. If you’re keen to learn more about the important work of these organisations jump onto their websites and see all the ways you can contribute to the protection of our beautiful reef.

Related article: Beginner Dive on the Great Barrier Reef

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