- Cook Labor Government partners with Western Australian Marine Science Institution and philanthropic sector to deliver a coral regeneration program in WA
- First coral regeneration trial, Ningaloo Reef Coral Larval Enhancement Trial (Ningaloo Reef Trial), now underway in Coral Bay
- Techniques being used in the initial trial have been adapted from work undertaken in the Philippines and the Great Barrier Reef
The Cook Labor Government has today launched an $11 million program, commencing with a coral enhancement trial at Ningaloo Reef.
This funding includes the $5 million Cook Labor Government investment through the Healthy Oceans Program, announced in September 2025. Additional philanthropic contributions have been received from partners, including the Angela Wright Bennett Foundation and the Jock Clough Marine Foundation.
This program is a direct response to Western Australia's 2024-2025 marine heatwave, which saw record-breaking ocean temperatures and widespread coral bleaching and mortality across the Pilbara, Kimberley and northern Gascoyne coasts.
The Ningaloo Reef Trial, led by Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI), will be the first of a series of projects across the next five years. It will bring together leading researchers and institutions across Western Australia) including Australian Institute of Marine Science , CSIRO and Southern Cross University, to maximise impact and leverage existing expertise and emerging technologies.
These future projects will be developed as a part of the Reef Regeneration Roadmap, which will be released later this year.
Over the past several weeks, marine scientists have been collecting thousands of coral spawn samples from reefs in northern Ningaloo Reef and cultivating the larvae in floating pools to maximise survival, before releasing them onto nearby reef areas in Ningaloo that have been damaged by the marine heatwave.
Traditional Owners, scientific institutions, tourism operators and local communities will be engaged throughout the program as key partners, contributing cultural knowledge, regional expertise and support for on-ground and in-water activities.
For more information about the program, visit: wamsi.org.au/projects/reef-regen
As stated by the Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn:
"The Cook Labor Government is excited to be partnering with leading scientists and philanthropists on this innovative new reef restoration program.
"By trialling innovative regeneration techniques, we are building the knowledge and tools needed to improve how we respond to future heatwaves and bleaching events, and increasing reef resilience in the face of recent cyclone activity in the region.
"We are doing this work in collaboration with researchers, Traditional Owners and local communities, ensuring the program is informed by both science, local expertise and cultural knowledge.
"Together, these efforts will help bring new life to the Ningaloo and Exmouth Gulf region."
As stated by Western Australian Marine Science Institute CEO Luke Twomey:
"The scale of coral loss across recent years has been confronting for communities, scientists and Traditional Owners across Western Australia, particularly at Ningaloo.
"This trial represents an important step in helping the reef recoverand is only possible because of the strong collaboration between researchers, government agencies, Traditional Owners and local businesses.
"WAMSI is co-ordinating this effort to bring that expertise together with a shared commitment to act quickly, collaboratively and based on the best available science. In doing so, we're giving this iconic reef system the best possible chance to regenerate."
As stated by the Angela Wright Bennett Foundation:
"The ocean connects and sustains all life on our planet, and WA's coral reefs are some of its most remarkable treasures, home to an extraordinary diversity of species and important to many communities.
"Keeping WA's reefs ingood health protects both the rich web of life they support today and the wonder they can offer future generations.
"The Angela Wright Bennett Foundation is proud to support this important workand to partner withtheState Government and the Western Australian Marine Science Institution,so these reefs can thrive for generations to come."
As stated by the Jock Clough Marine Foundation:
"The Jock Clough Marine Foundation is proud to partner with the State Government, WAMSI and Angela Wright Bennett Foundation to support the WA Coral Reef Regeneration Program."
