Southern Cross University joins world-leading RRAP program to boost reef resilience

The Federal Government today announced $150 million to drive innovations to boost Reef resilience, officially launching the research and development phase of the RRAP program.

The initial $150 million will be invested in the new phase of the government’s Reef Restoration and Adaptation work, following the government’s endorsement of a two-year feasibility study led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) into a range of science-based interventions.

RRAP is a partnership between AIMS, CSIRO, University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, James Cook University, Southern Cross University and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation working closely with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Watch: How can we help protect The Great Barrier Reef? (1:40)

• Examining ways to collect and freeze coral larvae for use in year-round coral seeding
• seeding reefs with corals that are more resilient to heat to help coral reefs to evolve and adapt to the changing environment
• developing technologies that increase the survival rate of coral larvae and that can produce and deploy large quantities of more resilient coral larvae
• an ambitious concept to shade and cool large areas of reef at risk of bleaching by spraying microscopic saltwater droplets into clouds to make them more reflective of sunlight
• investigating methods to physically stabilise damaged reefs, after cyclone and bleaching events, to facilitate faster recovery.

Watch: Why do we need to help the Great Barrier Reef? (1:30)

The Federal Government is committing $100 million through the $443.3 million Great Barrier Reef Foundation – Reef Trust Partnership with a further $50 million in research and scientific contributions from the consortium partners. Ten per cent of the Reef Trust Partnership funding will be allocated to Traditional Owner led restoration and adaptation activities.

The Great Barrier Reef Foundation proposes to raise another $100 million in philanthropic donations from the private sector, with R&D providers committing to a matching $50 million in-kind investments, lifting overall investment in this critical effort to $300 million.

Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said the research underlined the Federal Government's collaboration with world-leading marine scientists in managing the reef.

“Climate change remains the biggest threat to the world’s coral reefs and while a global response is needed to tackle emissions, Australian science can lead the way in developing adaptive technologies to help protect the reef,” Minister Ley said. 

Chief Executive of AIMS Dr Paul Hardisty said that the new research phase was the start of a critical national effort to help sustain and safeguard our reefs for the future, and stressed that adaptation efforts needed to go hand-in-hand with reducing global emissions.

“The Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program is Australia’s opportunity to shine in showing the world how we can support coral reefs to adapt and rebuild. For example, we have already seen some amazing results from the feasibility study in terms of simulated coral growth.”

Managing Director of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Anna Marsden said there was strong community, business and philanthropic support for the efforts to ensure the reef remained a Global ecological icon.

“The feasibility study reveals that 71% of the Australian public support large scale efforts to help reefs adapt,” Ms Marsden said.

The study also shows these efforts could result in tens of billions of dollars of net benefit to Australia, particularly to reef communities.

Read more about the Reef Adaptation Investment case here: www.GBRrestoration.org

Download the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program Fact Sheet.