New paper shows nutrients play vital roles in coral bleaching Key Points Coral bleaching involves the break-up of symbiosis between corals and their algal partners and has resulted in rapid and severe reductions to coral cover and recruitment on the Great Barrier Reef This break-up is currently and almost exclusively explained by damage to photosynthesis […]

Decision-makers involved in the Australian government’s National Environmental Science Program (NESP) saw the recovery of corals on the Great Barrier Reef first-hand last week courtesy of a local tourism operator. The group, which included representatives from the Australian and Queensland Governments, the agricultural industries, the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC) and senior researchers, serve […]

Key Points The Palm Island Community Ranger proposal is based on community ranger development principles proven to be very successful in high-challenge communities in Papua New Guinea’s borderlands with Australia The pilot ranger program to be launched by RRRC in partnership with the Manbarra people will train 20 rangers to deliver multiple new economic opportunities […]

Key points: A pair of Community Rangers from the Treaty Villages on Papua New Guinea’s borderlands with Australia have attended an indigenous ranger conference in Cairns The PNG rangers are making contacts and swapping knowledge with Australian indigenous Rangers including overcoming challenges for women and girls in low-development communities The rangers are employed under a […]

A finished Ranger Family Toilet     Key points:   The Treaty Villages are a string of small fishing villages along the south coast of Papua New Guinea less than 4km from Australian territory and suffer from severe development barriers The Building Resilience in the Treaty Villages (BRTV) Program, a joint Australian-PNG culturally-based Community Rangers […]

The Reef and Rainforest Research Centre welcomes the announcement of the new Chief Executive Officer of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). RRRC Managing Director Sheriden Morris said strong regional leadership for the Great Barrier Reef is crucial. “This is a challenging time for the Great Barrier Reef as the Reef recovers from […]

Stings from venomous box jellyfish common in tropical waters are highly painful and can be fatal. The ability to predict when higher concentrations of jellyfish – known as ‘smacks’ – appear is an attractive prospect to scientists, surf lifesavers and tourism operators alike. NESP Tropical Water Quality Hub scientists have studied where and when swimmers […]

  RRRC’s managing director Sheriden Morris has been appointed the chairperson of the board of directors for the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia, a $75 million body that will assist businesses, governments and researchers to work together to identify opportunities for business and growth in northern Australia. See the media release below for […]

Rangers trained under RRRC’s Treaty Village Resilience Program have rebuilt the derelict hospital in Mabuadan Village, PNG. This will give  new access to healthcare for the community, particularly women. Read more…

Another survey dive mission on key tourism reefs in the Cairns area have revealed that these reefs have avoided the worst of the damage in the recent mass coral bleaching event. Read more…