Dubbed the ‘heart of the Great Barrier Reef’ The Whitsunday region is iconic for its continental islands with fringing reefs and stunning offshore reefs. The community of Airlie Beach hosts a large tourism industry, which relies heavily on local reefs. Tourism in the Whitsundays is critically important, with more than 40% of visitors to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park visiting the region.
One of our very first surveys launched in the Whitsundays, at Blue Pearl Bay around Hayman Island. Today, we continue to monitor a number of long-term sites.