Australia's Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP) is one of the world's largest collective efforts to help a significant ecosystem become more resilient to climate change.
RRAP has delivered world-leading solutions to help reefs adapt, recover and be more resilient. This includes solutions to:
- cool and shade areas of the Reef
- assist coral species to adapt to a changing environment
- support natural restoration of damaged and degraded reefs.
This work was delivered through the RRAP Research and Development (R&D) phase. The R&D phase commenced in 2020 and involved more than 300 Australian and international experts.
These solutions are now transitioning to the next phase. This involves testing real-world deployment on the Reef at scale.
This work is being delivered through the RRAP Pilot Deployments Program (PDP). The PDP launched in 2025. Two RRAP interventions are currently undergoing pilot deployment through the PDP:
- seeding of coral larvae in the wild
- seeding of corals propagated by aquaculture.
Work delivered through the PDP is providing exciting prospects for coral reefs. During the mass spawning event in 2025, millions of corals were reared and deployed on the Reef to test survival, growth, and resilience for future restoration.
In the May Budget, the Australian Government announced $30 million to support the PDP. This funding will ensure the RRAP mission continues to progress and accelerate through the PDP.
RRAP is funded by the partnership between the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and the Australian Government's Reef Trust.
The PDP is funded by the Australian Government's Reef Trust and led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
