When the Great Barrier Reef is your livelihood it is important to forge strong partnerships with other organisations that also consider conserving the reef a priority.
Lady Musgrave Experience has many such partnerships with organisations such as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, with whom we work to ensure the sustainability of the reef ecosystem well into the future. Some of our joint partnerships and activities include:
Reef Monitoring and Citizen Science
Visiting the reef with us, you’ll not only create life-long memories, you can also get involved and play your part for the future of the reef. We work together with the local community, indigenous traditional owner land and sea rangers and schools to monitor and protect the reef.
Staff are trained in Eye on the Reef, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s official citizen science program for the Great Barrier Reef, the Eye on the Reef monitoring and assessment program enables anyone who visits the Great Barrier Reef to contribute to its long-term protection by collecting valuable information about reef health, marine animals and incidents that is used to understand the bigger picture and inform how we manage the Reef.
There's a number of ways to get involved and everyone's contribution is welcomed, whether you're a regular day tripper, tourist on their first visit, fisher, Marine Park ranger, marine tourism staff or marine scientist.
One of the easiest ways anyone can get involved is by downloading our free Eye on the Reef app to record reef health, animal sightings or incidents. There are also other monitoring programs for people who visit the Reef more regularly, have more time or marine biology knowledge, or are willing to be part in training.
We provide the opportunity for our local community to learn about, connect, monitor and protect the reef too, through our Reef Keeper, Schools Initiatives and Marine Biologist for a Day programs.
In addition, our team is working closely with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority as part of our commitment to keeping the reef diverse and healthy. We use citizen science methods to report sightings of key species which pose a threat to reef health and diversity, such as the Crown of Thorns Starfish. Our team is currently in close collaboration with the marine park, allowing fast and efficient response to any reef threats.
Future Leaders Eco Challenge
Part of our commitment to the environment is inspiring the next generation to care for and take stewardship of the Reef. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has a Reef Guardian Schools program, which provides schools within the reef catchments to opportunity to become involved in stewardship activities and workshops such as the Future Leaders Eco Challenge (FLEC). Lady Musgrave Experience takes part in this event each year as a partner, helping to empower and inspire students, teachers and the wider community with skills and awareness to play their part in protection of the Great Barrier Reef.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Local Marine Advisory Committee (LMAC)
Local Marine Advisory Committees are part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Management Authority’s management strategy, involving partnerships with a diverse range of local groups and marine park users. It provides a platform for exchange on management issues and engages the local community to take stewardship to reduce threats and build resilience of the reef ecosystems within which they operate. Lady Musgrave Experience is proud to be part of this local community-based collaboration to reef management.
Gidarjil Development Corporation
We work with the local indigenous land and sea rangers to foster an integrated, collaborative approach to reef protection, and of course to provide guests with a deeper understanding of traditional owner connection to country as well as perspectives on the history and importance of traditional owner presence and environmental management approaches.
Gidarjil Land and Sea Rangers are trained in reef citizen science monitoring methods and come aboard on a regular basis to exchange knowledge, share stories and contribute to sharing their history, experiences and perspective to ensure the sustainable management of the marine park.
Article by Lady Musgrave Experience
Images provided by Lady Musgrave Experience
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