The Reef Authority is leading a mega "Eye on the Reef" training event off Cairns for one of the world's largest citizen science programs in the build-up to summer.
For the first time, the two-day program will include a "train-the-trainer" for the most experienced surveyors as well as qualifying about 80 new citizen scientists, dive instructors, Traditional Owners, and schoolteachers in the Reef Authority's "Eye on the Reef" monitoring methods.
Eye on the Reef participants will learn how to conduct Rapid Monitoring Surveys, Tourism Weekly Site Monitoring, and Reef Health and Impact Surveys (RHIS) to collect critical data that helps the Reef Authority assess coral health, track recovery, and guide management decisions.
Reef Authority Director of Reef Education Fiona Merida said the training at Flynn Reef off Cairns comes ahead of summer.
"This mega training event is about harnessing people power for reef protection. By training more eyes under the water, we're making every dive, every snorkel and every reef visit count" she said.
"Every data point collected through Eye on the Reef helps us to understand how the Reef is responding to changing conditions, including bleaching and recovery, so we can take action where it's needed most."
Tourism industry Eye on the Reef trainer and GBR Biology manager Dr Eric Fisher said the initiative is the cornerstone program to build high quality investigative research all year round.
"Building on long-term site knowledge, captured using Eye on the Reef, GBR Biology has lots of exciting research happening. This week the focus will be on assisting with natural recruitment during the mass coral spawning event. This will include coral IVF, coral seeding, and releasing food supplements to see how that supports coral growth," he said.
The Cairns mega-event follows similar training of 45 participants in the Whitsundays.
