The Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (CRC Reef) completed its contract with the Australian Government in 2006 after thirteen years.

The Centre decided in May 2006 that the successor organisation for handling its contracts and assets would be the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC). The RRRC commenced operations in 2006 and has incorporated the results of CRC Reef into this website to ensure outputs of the CRC remain available to the general public.  The CRC Reef website is now 'static'.  New scientific products will be made available via the MTSRF website.

CRC Reef was a knowledge-based partnership of coral reef managers, researchers and industry. CRC Reef provided research solutions to protect, conserve and restore the world's coral reefs by ensuring industries and management were sustainable and that ecosystem quality was maintained. The needs of end-users were incorporated into the design, instigation and progress of the research.

Centrally located to the Indo-Pacific region, in Townsville in far northern Queensland, CRC Reef and its partners were an internationally-recognised focus of expertise and experience in coral reef science, technology and management.

The CRC Reef was established and supported under the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Program.