The Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA) celebrates its first birthday

The Museum of Underwater Art’s Coral Greenhouse, located on John Brewer Reef off the coast of Townsville, is celebrating its first birthday after one year of being open to the public.

MOUA's Coral Greenhouse structure not only looks significantly different than it did 12 months ago, but in its first year has played a crucial role in supporting the region’s marine tourism industry throughout an extremely challenging time.

“Both the Coral Greenhouse and Ocean Siren have been game-changers for our tourism industry over the past 12 months, and for many has been one of the key attractions to pull our marine operators through the pandemic recovery,” said Townsville Enterprise Director Visitor Economy and Marketing Lisa Woolfe.

As well as acting as both a world-class tourist attraction and a breathtaking art installation, the main purpose of MOUA has always been to highlight reef conservation, restoration and education. The latest surveys show encouraging results, including a 295% increase in the total number of individuals across 41 species of fish, and new "recruits" growing on the structure (a genus of stony corals commonly called cauliflower corals and brush corals).

Museum of Underwater Art Deputy Chair and marine scientist Dr Adam Smith said many marine species now call the Greenhouse home.

"The Museum of Underwater Art is encouraging people to visit the reef and observe a beautiful and thought provoking combination of art, science and nature. This unique experience is also inspiring visitors to take action to research, protect and restore the reef," he said.

Future stages of the Museum of Underwater Art are planned for Magnetic Island and Palm Island, with community consultation underway.

Want to know more? Read our guide to the Museum of Underwater Art.

Feature image: Jason deCaires Taylor