How to become a Guardian of the Reef
Tourism operators helping to protect the Reef
Queensland is home to a passionate group of Great Barrier Reef operators who are recognised for offering quality, sustainable services and are independently certified by an environmental certification scheme (EarthCheck, Ecotourism Australia or the Zoo and Aquarium Association).
Many are also recognised as High Standard Tourism Operators and are acknowledged by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority for their commitment to preserving the Reef.
Level 1: Above the water
Recognised for its world-leading tourism management, The Great Barrier Reef is a global icon. It's our great privilege and responsibility to protect this breathtaking ecosystem.
Did you know?
- Visiting the Great Barrier Reef is one of the single best ways you can help its conservation. Every visitor to the Reef pays an Environmental Management Charge as part of their ticket price, which contributes to the day-to-day management of the marine park and funds protection and conservation activities, improving long-term resilience through interventions that provide a helping hand.
- You can experience the Great Barrier Reef with a Master Reef Guide. As reef ambassadors, Master Reef Guides impart up-to-date scientific and management information about the Reef and explain what you can do to make a difference. Guides have to undergo formal training and be considered the best in reef storytelling and experienced delivery. When you tour with a certified Master Reef Guide, you know you're in the best possible hands.
- The Traditional Owners of Australia are deeply connected to the Great Barrier Reef through their culture. Around 70 Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal groups are based along the Great Barrier Reef and maintain a strong connection to their Land and Sea Country. Together with the Reef Authority, they blend traditional knowledge and modern management to protect this irreplaceable World Heritage Area.
- The Great Barrier Reef has some great spots to fish. This popular pastime allows you to connect with nature while spending quality time with mates on the water. We can all do our part to maintain a healthy reef. By making sure you are familiar with the zoning rules and following sustainable fishing practices, you’re helping to ensure the Reef remains one of Queensland’s top destinations to drop a line.
Level 2: Uncover the facts
The Great Barrier Reef is a natural wonder and one of the world's best-managed marine areas, but like all tropical coral reefs, it's facing threats.
Global climate change
Global climate change is the greatest threat to the world's coral reefs. Most coral reefs have already declined due to global sea temperatures rising, and are facing irreversible change. While recent recovery demonstrates that the Great Barrier Reef is resilient, its capacity to tolerate and recover is jeopardized by a rapidly changing climate. Each sustainable choice we make at home creates a meaningful impact.
Coral bleaching
The most misunderstood part of coral bleaching is what it actually means. When corals face stress, they bleach to protect themselves, much like how humans get a fever to fight the flu. Importantly, bleached corals aren't dead—they're in "protection mode." When scientists talk about coral mortality, it doesn't always mean an entire colony is gone; it can just be parts of it. So, outside of mass bleaching events, coral bleaching is just a natural way for corals to cope with stress, like their immune system kicking in to help them recover.
Crown-of-thorns starfish
Crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks cause significant damage to coral reefs across large spatial scales and are one of the major causes of coral decline across the Great Barrier Reef over the past 40 years. The Crown-of-thorns Starfish Control Program supports coral growth and recovery by effectively controlling coral predators to ecologically sustainable levels.
Level 3: Maximise your reef experience
The Great Barrier Reef makes up 10% of the world's coral reef ecosystems and is one of the best-known and most complex natural systems on Earth. The Reef includes some 3,000 coral reefs, 600 continental islands, 300 coral cays and about 150 inshore mangrove islands to be explored.
Did you know you can be a marine biologist for a day?
Assist conservationists in monitoring surveys, learn from Master Reef Guides, identify fish and coral species, and even learn about coral restoration efforts. Or, join the Eye on the Reef program, which invites travellers to become citizen scientists by reporting observations through an app. Anyone with a GPS-enabled phone can share sightings of wildlife, fish species, and special events like coral spawning. Why not also experience the reef with Indigenous guides?
The Great Reef Census
You can be a Citizen of the Great Barrier Reef from your home. The Great Reef Census collects tens of thousands of images from hundreds of reefs across the Great Barrier Reef each year. We need as many people as possible from across the world to help us identify what type of coral, and how much of it, they can see in these images. By taking part, you're engaging in a massive citizen science project.
Reef regeneration
As Australia's lead managers of the Great Barrier Reef, the Reef Authority work with the tourism industry, Traditional Owners, local community, and government to protect this great natural wonder. Explore the programs and projects currently taking place to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
Explore more of the Great Barrier Reef
We acknowledge the continuing Sea Country management and custodianship of the Great Barrier Reef by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Owners whose rich cultures, heritage values, enduring connections and shared efforts protect the Reef for future generations.
