Want to know what's been going on at the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre? The RRRC Annual Highlights report for 2018-2019 has been published.

Welcome to our annual highlights publication for 2018-19, briefly showcasing some of RRRC’s major activities and considerable achievements throughout this period.
These include:

» Continued successful management and delivery of the National Environmental Science Program’s Tropical Water Quality Hub, which has invested in 82 projects to date and involves 220 researchers from six partner research institutions

» Ongoing application of science-based integrated pest management principles to control crown-of-thorns starfish continued to demonstrably save live coral cover across 42 high-value priority reefs

» Completion of the Reef 2050 Traditional Owners (TO) Aspirations project, which was TO-led and has already delivered better understanding of aspirations for the protection and management of the Great Barrier Reef. This project concluded this year on-time and on-budget, and the new knowledge was repatriated back to GBR Traditional Owners.

» Working with our marine tourism partners to collect ~400 million measurements of water temperature and flow and enhance understanding of the fine-scale hydrodynamics during “coral bleaching weather”, through the Reef Havens Research Project platform at Moore Reef

» Continued success in the Treaty Villages of Papua New Guinea building community capacity and the ongoing Ranger Program, including the development of several micro-businesses that are beginning to provide economic opportunities for these challenged communities on Australia’s border.

This year also saw a number of Board members’ terms reach completion, including that of Chair Dr Ian Poiner who took up the role of Chair of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority in March 2019. Ian’s term as our Chair has been a period of activity and prosperity and we wish him well in his new role. Deputy Chair Russell Beer took on the role of Acting Chair in the interim. In addition, the RRRC board was pleased to welcome Dr Liz O’Brien and Mr Alan Wallish as new directors in 2018-19. We thank them for their valuable expertise and commitment to the consortium.

RRRC’s key skill is centred around being able to translate the latest scientific research into improved environmental and social outcomes. Our programs and associated research site range in location from South East Queensland to the Treaty Villages in Southern PNG and our products are being used by over 80 organisations, including the Australian Government, Papua New Guinea Government, regional natural resource management groups, local government, industry (tourism, agriculture, and fisheries), various conservation organisations, and Indigenous bodies.

Danae Jones | admin@danaejones.com.au | 0487 901 054