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Rodents removed from remote turtle nesting refuge
After an 18-month battle against invasive rats, North West Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef has been declared pest-free by our partner Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
North West Island, located about 75 kilometres north-east of Gladstone and part of Capricornia Cays National Park, is one of the most important seabird and turtle rookeries in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
The achievement safeguards the island’s vulnerable turtles and seabirds and helps it remain a favourite remote camping and snorkelling spot.
This environmental offsets project was delivered by the Reef Joint Field Management Program and funded through the Australian Government’s Reef Trust by Australia Pacific LNG, QGC and Santos GLNG.
Sea Country Connections
Traditional Owner-Led Water Quality Improvement Program
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has released an approach to market for Phase one of the Great Barrier Reef Traditional Owner-Led Water Quality Improvement Program. The program will support Traditional Owner capabilities, strengthen partnerships, and undertake healthy water projects.
Restoring Reef Islands
The Reef Authority is rejuvenating Pine Islet in the Percy Isles group with efforts underway to remove long-dilapidated buildings and return it to its natural state. Pine Islet is one of 22 Commonwealth Islands managed by the Reef Authority within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Access to the island has been restricted for many years due to the hazard posed by asbestos-clad buildings.
Refitted Reef Ranger ready for patrol
A $2.9 million refit by the Australian and Queensland Governments upgraded the Reef Ranger with renewable fuel engines, solar power, and efficiency improvements to reduce emissions. The vessel supports multiday field trips, scientific surveys, compliance patrols, and Traditional Owner partnerships, carrying out essential conservation work across remote Great Barrier Reef locations.
Shark-smart behaviour key to sustainable fishing
Shark-smart behaviour is one of the keys to sustainable fishing on the Great Barrier Reef with new research revealing the hidden financial cost of shark depredation. Senior DPI fisheries biologist, Dr Jonathan Mitchell, led the research and said a few simple changes in fishing practices can help reduce unwanted interactions and help fishers keep more of their catch.
Early intervention the key to COTS control
The Reef Authority’s Crown-of-thorns Starfish Control Program will re-deploy resources to protect priority reefs in the Northern region over the next 12-months, with field intelligence confirming that the current COTS outbreak is intensifying on reefs between Cairns and Lizard Island. Adult COTS can grow larger than the size of a dinner plate and consume their body size in coral every day or two.
Back to school for Master Reef Guides
The ninth cohort of Master Reef Guides has experienced firsthand how the world’s only neighbouring world heritage sites - the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics rainforest - are ecologically and culturally connected as they converged in Cape Tribulation for the first time as part of the program’s latest Field Training School. Twenty guides were trained on advanced interpretation and guiding skills, using the latest science.
Fish for the future
The Reef's under pressure. Give it a breather with a few small, smart choices when you're on the water. You can do this through simple acts like fishing in the right zone, using public moorings and anchoring in the sand, and avoiding Reef grazers like parrotfish and surgeon fish. Every act you take no matter how small can make a difference to the Reef, and keep fish biting for generations to come.
Meet James
An overnight bus, a lagoon shower and a trial shift set James Unsworth on a nine‑year journey from tour guiding to Reef stewardship. Today he helps operators deliver on‑ground actions that protect the Great Barrier Reef. “One of the really special parts of tourism is knowing you’ve potentially made a lasting impression on someone – I think that’s really cool," James said.
Schools special visit during Sea Week
Sea Week 2026 saw the Reef Guardian education team reach over 900 students and teachers across 187 school bookings. A highlight of this outreach was a virtual session with St Joseph’s Catholic School, Townsville, where students learned first-hand how the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority manages the Reef for future generations with Chief Scientist Dr Roger Beeden.
New appointments to the Reef Authority Board
The Australian Government has appointed Patricia O’Callaghan, Stephen Robertson and Professor Bronwyn Harch to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Board. The three new appointments bring strong leadership and a breadth of experience across multiple sectors and portfolios. The appointments will strengthen the Board's capacity to meet the complex changes facing the Reef now and into the future.
#LovetheReef highlights
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority acknowledges the continuing Sea Country management and custodianship of the Great Barrier Reef by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Owners whose rich cultures, heritage values, enduring connections and shared efforts protect the Reef for future generations.
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