Climate change is the greatest threat facing our ocean, and fossil fuels lie at the heart of this crisis. Rising seas, warming waters, acidification and extreme weather are already reshaping Australia’s marine ecosystems and threatening the communities that depend on them. 2025 has been a reckoning: our great coral reefs bleached at alarming levels, simultaneously for the first time, coast to coast. Soon after, a toxic algal bloom off South Australia devastated marine life and local economies. These events are stark warnings that our ocean and coastlines are at breaking point.
Despite commitments to reform, Australia’s Government continues to open vast areas of the ocean to fossil fuel development. Australia remains one of the world’s largest fossil fuel exporters, with offshore exploration expanding ever further into ecologically rich marine environments. Seismic blasting and proposed drilling place endangered wildlife, vital coral ecosystems, and Sea Country at risk, undermining cultural heritage and ocean health. The window to avert irreversible damage is closing, and the world is tracking to breach crucial thresholds, but every fraction of a degree matters to avoid the worst of the impacts.
That’s why AMCS is campaigning to end all new offshore fossil fuel development, stop seismic blasting, and secure a rapid phase-out of existing ocean fossil fuel production. At the same time, we are championing a just transition to renewable energy—ensuring offshore wind and other renewables progress in ways that minimise impacts on ocean ecosystems, uphold Traditional Owner leadership, and earn community trust.
Cutting emissions is critical to protecting our reefs. But some impacts are already locked in. Even under strong climate action, reefs will face increasing stress. The question is whether we allow continued decline or act now to support their recovery.
After six mass bleaching events and unprecedented coral loss on the Great Barrier Reef, we are shifting our focus to strengthening coral health and resilience. As climate change, a warming ocean, and water pollution intensify, we are investing in ecosystem restoration and coral health to improve coral ‘immunity’, accelerate recovery, and give our reefs the best possible chance of survival.
Our work includes stronger water pollution laws, wetland restoration, a Great Barrier Reef Emergency Response Plan, science-backed coral restoration trials at Ningaloo, and blue carbon investment to protect high-impact ecosystems.
Your investment will help hold governments accountable, drive bold climate and ocean policy, and secure a future where Australia’s ocean is resilient and protected.
If you are interested in funding this work, explore these special projects below:
All donations over $2 are 100% tax-deductible. The projects featured in the Funding Prospectus are priority campaign activities and needs for which we are urgently seeking funds – current at the time of posting or going to press. As time progresses, there may be some cases in which the project you have selected may already be fully funded. In that instance, we would be delighted to discuss where the need is greatest at the given time. All of our campaigns work in symbiotic support of our mission to protect our oceans. Please be assured your gift will go to work to be the voice for Australia’s oceans, working on the big issues that risk our ocean wildlife.
