Our local ecosystems are feeling the love and the value of technological advancement thanks to a series of new programs monitoring the health of the Great Barrier Reef and its marine life.
Dolphins, fish, sea cucumbers, seabirds, corals, and even rats and ants are in the sights of a new wave of science projects funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
Great Barrier Reef Foundation Managing Director Anna Marsden said the Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program is developing more and better ways to manage Reef health.
“Our Reef is the size of Japan, or Italy, or 70 million football fields, so the task of monitoring an ecosystem that size is enormous,” Ms Marsden said.
“Leveraging innovative technologies like underwater drones, artificial intelligence and environmental DNA techniques, these 11 new critical monitoring projects will help close some big knowledge gaps that currently exist on the Great Barrier Reef.”
This project will see the first of many studies take place.
Underwater drones and remote sensing will be used to learn more about the impacts of commercially fishing sea cucumbers, including protected and threatened species.
The three key species of inshore dolphins in the wild – Australian snubfin, Australian humpback and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins – will also be monitored to assess potential threats.
Aerial drones and acoustic recording devices will collect information on significant seabirds including the little tern, bridle tern, crested tern and brown booby.
The program will also introduce the first ever Integrated Reef Fish Monitoring Program revealing important insights about different fish habitats, including fish nurseries for priority species such as coral trout, stripey snapper, damselfish, and butterflyfish.
DNA and artificial intelligence will be used to supercharge biosecurity surveillance to get the jump on high-risk ant and invasive rodent species such as yellow crazy ants, electric ants, tropical fire ants and red imported fire ants as well as black and brown rats.
These in initiatives will all help guide our local ecosystems towards the broader Reef 2050 Plan and will be aided by citizen scientists and traditional landowners as well as other reef research partners.
Images:
1: Underwater drones are used to monitor marine life
2: Aerial drones will look into seabird populations
3: Potential threats of inshore dolphins in the wild will be assessed
Publishers Indemnity. Any individual or entity that places advertising, supplies copy material, or submits editorial content to Core Life Publishing agrees and undertakes to ensure that all such material:- Does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights;- Is free from any content that could be considered defamatory, libelous, or slanderous;- Does not infringe upon any rights related to privacy or breach of confidence;- Contains no obscene, indecent, or otherwise unlawful material;- Complies fully with the Trade Practices Act and all other applicable laws, regulations, or statutes.Furthermore, by submitting or placing such material, these individuals or entities agree to indemnify and hold harmless the publisher, Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd, and/or its agents from and against any and all investigations, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, costs, or judgments arising out of or in connection with the material provided. All material is believed to be accurate at the time of printing and remains the copyright of Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd.
© 2024 Mackay and Whitsunday Life Pty Ltd.
