Throughout October 2019, organisations and their amazing volunteers undertook citizen science and on-ground actions across Queensland to help look after the Reef as part of ReefBlitz 2019.
Central to ReefBlitz 2019 was ReefClean, which aims to remove and prevent marine debris along the Great Barrier Reef region. The ReefClean initiative is funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and delivered by Tangaroa Blue Foundation in partnership with Conservation Volunteers Australia, AUSMAP, Capricornia Catchments, Eco Barge Clean Seas, OceanWatch Australia, Reef Check Australia, South Cape York Catchments.
REEFCLEAN 2019
Here is a snapshot of just a few of the 47 clean up and citizen science data collection events that engaged 1170 volunteers to remove 7 tonnes of rubbish from our coasts and oceans in October.
On day 1 of the ReefClean Great Barrier Reef Clean-up, over 170 people joined the four events that took place in Rollingstone/Townsville, Innes Park/Bundaberg, Mackay and Hinchinbrook Island with well over a tonne of marine debris and litter removed!
Shout outs to Tangaroa Blue Foundation, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Windswell Kitesurfing and Standup Paddle Port Douglas, Absolute North Charters, Girringun Aboriginal Corporation, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Queensland Science Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Queensland Environment Department, Reef Check Australia, Capricornia Catchments.
985kgs of debris was removed along 5kms of Curtis Island beaches thanks to 35 dedicated volunteers. The clean-up team had wonderful support from 9 different organisations and businesses including Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Gladstone Regional Council, Curtis Ferry Services, Veolia Australia & New Zealand, Gidarjil Development Corporation, CQUniversity Australia, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Tangaroa Blue Foundation, and Gladstone Local Marine Advisory Committee.
The Curtis Island Clean-up is this event is a ReefClean event funded by the Federal Government’s Reef Trust and delivered by Tangaroa Blue Foundation with support of CVA and also supported by Fitzroy Basin Association Inc, through funding from both the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and Shell’s QGC LNG plant on Curtis Island.
Eighteen horticulture students from TAFE Queensland led by lecturer and clean up champion, Wade, lent a hand to clean-up Clifton Beach with Tangaroa Blue Foundation staff. Debris was mainly collected from scrub adjacent to the beach, which extended into mangroves forming part of a local reserve at Deadman's Gully.
Large items collected included outdoor plastic chairs, hazard mesh, scrap metal and 6m pipe section. Total weight amounted to 84.25 kg. Top items were Soft Plastic Remnants (197), Broken Glass (147) and Cigarette Butts (145).
ReefClean headed out to Fitzroy Island and Hook Island with the Reef Check Australia team running a series of clean-up events both underwater and on the beach at Welcome Bay and Nudey Beach.
These clean ups include both a beach and underwater clean-up at the site, enabling an opportunity to compare what is washing up on a beach versus was is sinking to the ocean floor.
Similar to their previous visit in April most items found in the water were items that have been discarded (bottles), fishing gear (line, hooks and sinkers) or items that had been blown overboard (a shirt, a towel and snorkelling gear) with everything being recorded in the AMDI Database.
Every quarter, the Tangaroa Blue crew heads up to Cape Kimberley to undertake long-term monitoring and record how trends are changing. This month 12 volunteers removed 142kg - 22 bags across 3km of the beach, which was reported in the AMDI Database!
99 eco-warriors joined forces with Capricornia Catchments on Farnborough Beach, to clean up 3,648 pieces of rubbish from a 12km stretch of coastline!
At the Hinchinbrook Island Clean-up, Tangaroa Blue Foundation had the support of 130 volunteers and partners tacking two beaches on the Island. Just under 2 tonnes of marine debris was removed from Mulligan's Bay and Sunken Reef Bay and documented for the AMDI Database!
Thanks to all the partners who supported the event this weekend including: Absolute North Charters, Windswell Kitesurfing, Standup Paddle Port Douglas, Queensland Parks And Wildlife Service, Hinchinbrook Shire Council, Cassowary Coast Regional Council, Reef Check Australia.
MANY MORE COMMUNITY EVENTS
Cleaning up and reporting on marine debris was an enormous task and a key focus with the tag team of ReefClean and ReefBlitz 2019.. Yet volunteers also lent a hand contributing time, effort and piles of citizen science data to other worthy initiatives. From saltmarsh to soft corals, check out some of the event results!
Across the month of October, CoralWatch volunteers monitored 1421 corals across Queensland's reefs from Fitzroy Island to the Fraser Coast. Nicole Bonney from Bundaberg was the highest monthly contributor for the program, surveying 120 corals at Lady Musgrave Island. Nicole undertook many surveys with Rob Geary, one of the Gidarjil Land and Sea Rangers, who is also a CoralWatch surveyor. As traditional custodians who have a traditional use of marine resources agreement (TUMRA) with GBRMPA, this activity has proven an ideal way for them to actively utilise science with traditional knowledge to enable them to manage their sea country.
Cairns and Far North Environment Centre organised a team of Super Saltmarsh Saver volunteers in Cairns to establish 3 new saltmarsh monitoring sites. This action has laid the foundation for long-term monitoring of the health of a vital but under-valued ecosystem.
For those who don't know, saltmarsh is an incredibly important estuarine ecosystem that could be referred to as mangrove's low lying cousin, occurring on the landward side of the tidal zone. We have adopted the Super Saltmarsh Savers methodology developed by MangroveWatch researchers. Volunteers had a busy day learning new species names and facts.
This program is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
In October, Lady Musgrave Experience launched their Marine Biologist for a Day program! The program brings together the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's Eye on the Reef program with CoralWatch to help more reef guests get involved in citizen science! This included a partnership with a the new Bundaberg Reef Keepers - a community group working hard to learn about and collect reef health information with Lady Musgrave Experience and Master Reef Guides. Look out for them in your community as they set out to share their learnings and become ambassadors for the beautiful Great Barrier Reef!
This program is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
THANK YOU.
Big thanks and congratulations to those of you who joined in for ReefBlitz and are out there regularly lending a hand to look after the Reef and coasts! Volunteers gave over 5,000 hours of time to help look after their local marine and coastal environment in October 2019. That is something to celebrate.
ReefBlitz is coordinated by Reef Citizen Science Alliance members and partners. The Alliance is hosted by Conservation Volunteers Australia through the One Reef program. The ReefBlitz 2019 event series was supported by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
The ReefClean initiative is funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and delivered by Tangaroa Blue Foundation in partnership with Conservation Volunteers Australia, AUSMAP, Capricornia Catchments, Eco Barge Clean Seas, OceanWatch Australia, Reef Check Australia, South Cape York Catchments.
REEFBLITZ 2019 EVENT PARTNERS INCLUDE:
Absolute North Charters | Badu Rangers| Badu Island Community members | Cairns and Far North Environment Centre | Cairns TAFE | Capricorn Coast Landcare Group| Capricornia Catchments | Cassowary Coast Regional Council | Central Queensland University Science Experience 2019 | Cleanwater Group | Conservation Volunteers Australia | CoralWatch | Discovery Coast Environment Group | Eco Barge Clean Seas Inc.| Fitzroy Basin Association | Friend's of Conservation Gladstone | Gidarjil Development Corporation | Girringun Aboriginal Corporation | Gladstone Local Marine Advisory Committee | Gladstone Regional Council | Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority | Gunggandji | Hinchinbrook Shire Council | Mangrove Watch | North Keppel Island Environmental Education Centre | Parkers Liquid Waste | Port Curtis Ferry Services | Queensland Environment Department | Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service | St Catherine's Catholic College | Standup Paddle Port Douglas | Tagai College |Tangaroa Blue Foundation | Team Turtle CQ | Torres Strait Regional Authority | Violia | William Rankine | Windswell Kitesurfing | Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council | Yeppoon State High
REEFBLITZ 2019 - that's a wrap! Looking for more ways to get involved?