The Great Barrier Reef Project

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The Great Barrier Reef Project has been running since 2001 and involves long-term monitoring of more than 30 key dive sites on the Great Barrier Reef and Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea.

This flagship project has had the support of the Australian Government Envirofund, the Low Isles Preservation Society and more than 20 dive operators along the length of the Reef. These operators recognise the importance of looking after their reefs, and support the project by providing in-kind berth space for our teams for surveys and training.

This remarkable achievement has been achieved through the enthusiasm and commitment of over 50 volunteers. As well as taking part in surveys our volunteers have assisted with training, survey coordination and reporting. Teams are now coordinated from several sites along the Great Barrier Reef - Cairns & Port Douglas, Townsville, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, with plans to set up another team in the Mackay and Whitsunday region.

Since monitoring began most sites have remained relatively unchanged. However, some reefs in the Cairns and Townsville regions have been affected algal blooms of blue-green algae. This suggests high nutrient levels in the water. Some sites in the Townsville region have been affected by crown-of-thorns starfish, which feed extensively on hard coral. Coral bleaching was recorded at many sites during the summers of 2002 and 2004 with sites at Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea suffering more than those on the Great Barrier Reef. However, the corals at most sites appear to have recovered. Incidences of coral-eating snails (Drupella spp.) and coral disease have been reported at a few sites.

Download the Great Barrier Reef Project: Ten Year Report. (293KB pdf)