Australia’s first Reef Restoration Hub is being established in the Cairns-Port Douglas region, connecting coral reef restoration activities with local knowledge and larger-scale reef restoration and adaptation efforts. Tourism operators transporting coral colonies in Cairns.
Photo: Pablo Cogollos, Reef Restoration Foundation
The Cairns-Port Douglas region is home to a number of coral reef restoration and stewardship projects led by $1.7m is being invested in total to The Great Barrier Reef Traditional Owners, scientists, establish the Hub as well as to Foundation is partnering with tourism operators and the deliver an integrated suite of the best minds and investing community. local-scale restoration projects in cutting-edge technologies to With support from the Great through to 2024. fund science-based, high- Barrier Reef Foundation, the impact projects for the long- The Cairns-Port Douglas Reef Cairns-Port Douglas Reef term health of the Reef. Restoration Hub is a partnership Restoration Hub will bring between the Great Barrier Reef As the lead charity for the these groups together to share Foundation and the Reef Reef, the Foundation brings experience, knowledge, Restoration and Adaptation everyone together – from resources and cutting-edge Program (RRAP), supported by science, government, business, technologies. funding from the Australian community and Traditional The Hub will also link local Government’s Reef Trust Owner groups – to save the restoration partners with Partnership. Reef and its wildlife for future research under way through generations. It will be supported with in-kind the Reef Restoration and investment through the National Find out more at: Adaptation Program (RRAP). Environmental Science Program’s barrierreef.org Tropical Water Quality Hub’s local-scale restoration toolkit.
3. Connecting with the larger-scale Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program. There will be opportunity to 1. Coordinating local The Hub will provide a share feedback and shape science-based efforts. network for connecting local the design of the Reef researchers and practitioners Restoration Hub and its A range of initiatives in the with larger-scale programs activities, supported by a region are supporting reef such as the recently locally based Engagement restoration and protection. announced Reef Restoration Coordinator. The Hub aims to build on and Adaptation Program this existing work, A Request for Proposals (RRAP). By supporting strengthening coordination, for the Engagement information exchange and information exchange and Coordinator is open until partnerships the Foundation partnerships. 2 July 2020. seeks to strengthen approaches and positive 2. Creating a forum for An Expression of Interest outcomes. Traditional Owners, the (EOI) for on-ground local restoration projects is tourism industry and 4. Applying a local-scale open until 17 July 2020 – community. reef restoration toolkit. eligible to both continuing current projects and starting Local reef restoration projects The local-scale coral restoration new projects. Successful deliver a range of benefits to toolkit will include live digital EOIs will be invited to the community including site- resources that incorporate further develop projects and based stewardship, research from participants and apply for funding in August partnerships, and new partners into practical tools to 2020 as part of an integrated engagement channels. Rapid support the design, suite of projects that will growth in this activity has implementation and monitoring apply the toolkit resources. created the need to coordinate of restoration projects. and strengthen processes for Traditional Owner, industry Leading this effort will be the Nominations for a Reef and community engagement. National Environmental Restoration Hub Science Program’s Tropical Reference Group including The Hub will encourage Water Quality Hub which representatives from a range opportunities for community recently completed a project of science, industry, collaboration and knowledge- that assessed coral restoration Traditional Owner and sharing between scientists, activities across the globe. community partners will be Great Barrier Reef managers announced soon. These and communities. It will Resources will be co-designed representatives will help engage in culturally with Traditional Owners and guide the design and appropriate ways that stakeholders. commencement of the Hub recognise rights and values of Toolkit resources will help for the first 12 months. Traditional Owners, support projects that are A future round of investment stakeholders and communities funded in the region. and provide opportunities for is planned specifically for communities to engage in More information about the Traditional Owner co- decision-making. Reef Restoration and designed and led Adaptation Program (RRAP) projects. and the local-scale restoration toolkit is available overleaf. Find out more at: barrierreef.org
The Foundation’s six-year, $443.3 million The Australian Government’s National partnership with the Australian Government’s Environmental Science Program Tropical Reef Trust is funding new and existing Water Quality Hub funded project, ‘Best projects to protect and restore the Reef. Practice Coral Restoration for the Great Barrier Reef’, commenced in late 2017. Local restoration projects selected through the current Expression of Interest are being The project team has spent two and a half funded through the Reef Trust Partnership’s years scouring the globe to collate evidence Community and Traditional Owner Reef about the effectiveness of coral restoration Protection components. The Cairns-Port techniques and assessing their suitability Douglas Reef Restoration Hub and in the Great Barrier Reef context. Engagement Coordinator are being established through a co-investment with For more information on the toolkit visit RRAP. gbrcoralrestoration.org/.
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The Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP) brings together the best minds and technologies, Australia’s leading marine science organisations, national and international experts to investigate new techniques to restore coral reefs and help them adapt at unprecedented scales.
It’s the world’s largest coral reefs restoration program, at the cutting edge of science. The results will have global impact for the world’s coral reefs and help the Great Barrier Reef resist, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of climate change.
RRAP’s concept feasibility study completed in 2019 was the world's most rigorous and comprehensive investigation into medium and large-scale reef intervention. It found successful intervention was possible and could double the likelihood of sustaining the Reef in good condition by 2050. It examined 160 potential options over two years and identified 43 concepts for further research and development (R&D).
RRAP is now embarking on a long-term R&D program to develop, test and risk-assess novel interventions to help keep the Reef resilient and sustain critical functions and values. Find out more at www.GBRrestoration.org.