Subscribe to receive the latest news and campaign alerts from the Australian Marine Conservation Society.
The Reef is part of our world heritage and its beauty lifts our spirits. Spanning 2,300 kms along the Queensland coast, it can even be seen from space.
But our Great Barrier Reef’s future is threatened. The mining and burning of coal and gas is heating our planet and cooking our oceans, causing devastating mass coral bleaching. After an unprecedented three mass coral bleaching in just five years, climate change is here and now for the lives and livelihoods our Reef supports. Our Reef is still beautiful but we need urgent action on climate change to give it the best chance for the future. This means we cannot let giant mining corporations like Adani and Clive Palmer’s Central Queensland Coal dig for new coal right in our backyard.
Simultaneously, water pollution is damaging our Reef. Chemicals and sediment from land-based activities flows into waterways after rainfall and this pollution finds it way into Reef waters. Poor land-use practices like land clearing and the overuse of fertilisers causes an increase in sediment and nutrients in the Reef waters which can result in algal blooms, a buildup of pollutants and sediment and reduce light and smother seagrasses and corals.. We need to restore our Reef inshore waterways and limit the amount of chemicals like pesticide and fertilizer used on the land. A win-win for landowners and our Reef.
Our Reef’s ecosystem is also feeling the pressures of commercial and recreational fishing. The removal of top predators like sharks, can throw the delicate ecosystem out of balance. Many people are not aware that damaging fishing practices like gillnet and trawl fisheries operate in our Reef. These fisheries can impact fragile habitats and are responsible for the bycatch of endangered species. Massive gillnets are indiscriminate killers of iconic threatened species like dugongs, turtles, sawfish and dolphins.
Our Reef is feeling the pressure. But we know what we need to do. Together, we can call on our leaders and corporations to:
Thousands of people are already taking action to Fight For Our Reef by writing to leaders, businesses and attending our community events. If we are loud – they will listen. Our leaders have a legal and moral responsibility to protect our Reef and together we will hold them to it.
Our World Heritage listed Reef and the 9000 species that call it home are irreplaceable.
An expert scientific report contains 22 solutions to protect our Reef and there's no time to lose.
There is more to wetlands than meets the eye.
Wetlands are biodiverse ecosystems that provide multiple benefits to society and our environment.
Coral bleaching is threatening the future of our coral reefs and their sea turtles & colourful fish
The longer we wait, the worse it gets. We have to act now.
Hundreds of coal ships plough through Great Barrier Reef waters every year, shipping coal globally.
Just one collision, one mistake, or one spill could result in an environmental catastrophe.
The natural beauty of our stunning Reef draws thousands of people every year. Help ensure the Reef is here for generations to come. Whether you become an online ambassador or join us to talk with community members at presentations, stalls or doorknocks, we need all hands on deck.
The Queensland and the Australian governments have committed to remove gillnets from the Great Barrier Reef and improve fisheries transparency. The majority of gillnets will be removed in 2023, with all to be phased out by 2027. Threatened hammerhead sharks can no longer be taken and new net-free zones will prioritise critical dugong habitat this year.
The Queensland and the Australian governments have committed to remove gillnets from the Great Barrier Reef and improve fisheries transparency. The majority of gillnets will be removed in 2023, with all to be phased out by 2027. Threatened hammerhead sharks can no longer be taken and new net-free zones will prioritise critical dugong habitat this year.
In February 2023, the Federal Environment Minister rejected the Central Queensland Coal mine proposed only 10km from the Reef. After a six year community-driven campaign that highlighted the mine's risks, the government agreed with independent scientific modelling that sediment from the mine may have increased water pollution and threatened turtle and dugong strongholds.
In February 2023, the Federal Environment Minister rejected the Central Queensland Coal mine proposed only 10km from the Reef. After a six year community-driven campaign that highlighted the mine's risks, the government agreed with independent scientific modelling that sediment from the mine may have increased water pollution and threatened turtle and dugong strongholds.
In November 2015, we secured a ban on dumping millions of tonnes of dredge spoil in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The ban from the Queensland Government was a significant conservation victory for the Great Barrier Reef and belongs to scientists, mums and dads, Australians young and old, and concerned citizens around the world who fought alongside us.
In November 2015, we secured a ban on dumping millions of tonnes of dredge spoil in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The ban from the Queensland Government was a significant conservation victory for the Great Barrier Reef and belongs to scientists, mums and dads, Australians young and old, and concerned citizens around the world who fought alongside us.
After a year of nation-wide protest, the Queensland Premier stood up to Adani and vetoed the use of our taxes through the NAIF loan to fund their reef-wrecking mine. Over 70,000 of us made our voices heard!
After a year of nation-wide protest, the Queensland Premier stood up to Adani and vetoed the use of our taxes through the NAIF loan to fund their reef-wrecking mine. Over 70,000 of us made our voices heard!
The fight isn’t over. We must remain vigilant to stop new attempts to use our taxes to subsidise Adani’s Carmichael Mine.
After a long campaign, the Queensland Government committed in September 2019 to new regulations applicable to agricultural, urban and industrial activities within Reef catchments to limit pollution and meet minimum standards.
After a long campaign, the Queensland Government committed in September 2019 to new regulations applicable to agricultural, urban and industrial activities within Reef catchments to limit pollution and meet minimum standards.
Chemical and sediment pollution threatens inshore ecosystems, such as corals and seagrass meadows, habitat of threatened turtles and dugongs.
In May 2018, the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators (AMPTO) signed a formal Declaration demanding strong climate policies to protect the future of our Reef.
The Declaration was signed by AMPTO members at a summit in Cairns hosted jointly with the Australian Marine Conservation Society.
We continue to Fight for our Reef at the global level, representing the Great Barrier Reef at the World Heritage Committee and speaking up about the threats to its future, especially from climate change. In 2017 we delivered 50,000 signatures to the World Heritage Committee, which then called on all countries to make ambitious reductions in carbon pollution to save the world’s coral reefs.
Over the last four years, divestment pressure has meant bank after bank has pulled out of deals to fund the Adani mine. Now 28 financial institutions have ruled out investing in Adani, including Westpac, Commbank and four of the world’s biggest banks.
We stopped proposed coal port developments near the mouth of the pristine Fitzroy River south of Rockhampton and in the untouched region of Cape York in Far North Queensland. These fragile places are home to rare and unique sea life like snubfin dolphins and dugongs. Their homes were saved thanks to ocean lovers speaking out in their defence.
In September 2019, after a long community campaign, the Queensland Government passed new water quality laws to clean up sediment and chemical pollution flowing into our Great Barrier Reef. This gives our Reef a fighting chance for the future.
After years of campaigning, the Queensland Government developed the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy in 2017. As part of this strategy, fisheries management is set to be modernised and fish stocks returned to healthy levels. In 2020 we also celebrated an end to a loophole that allowed sharks to be finned on the Reef.