What do underwater art museums, bomb tests, and citizen science have in common? They're all part of the story of the Great Barrier Reef’s past, present—and possible future.

In this episode, we dive into how art, science, and storytelling are being used in powerful ways to protect one of the world’s most iconic ecosystems. You'll discover how public art installations beneath the sea are connecting people to the reef, how citizen science is turning everyday adventurers into ocean guardians, and what we can learn from extreme events like ship groundings and out-of-control seaweed outbreaks.

Our guest this week is Dr. Adam Smith—freediver, marine biologist, and founder of Reef Ecologic, a Townsville-based social enterprise leading innovative reef conservation through research, education, and community action.

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PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Tide: Join your local climate action group!

CONTACT US

• Got questions? Email info@wordonthereef.com
• Support Word on the Reef on Patreon
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on...

Today we're traveling back to South Australia for an update on the devastating toxic algal bloom that's been unfolding there over the last seven months, and what it it's been like for the divers who know and love these waters.

Marine Biologist and Divemaster Sarah Franke from Divers for Climate has just returned from a research trip to learn about how the disaster is impacting the South Australian community. She'll also take us inside the Senate Inquiry into the disaster, and let us know which of SA's dive sites are still safe to visit.

• Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• www.instagram.com/diversforclimate

Support the show

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Tide: Join your local climate action group!

CONTACT US

• Got questions? Email info@wordonthereef.com
• Support Word on the Reef on Patreon
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on...

First Nations people have been caring for land and sea along the Great Barrier Reef Coast for thousands of years. In this powerful interview, Traditional Owner Gavin Singleton explains the enduring connection First Nations people have with the Reef, what they're doing to help protect it, and how we can all foster a stronger connection with each other and the Reef.

The didgeridoo recording at the end of this episode is from Gavin's 2018 TEDx Talk at JCU.

More information:

• Dawul Wuru Aboriginal Corporation
• Yirrganydji Land and Sea Ranger Program

💸 WIN $100! Fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey before 30 September 2025 to go in the draw. ENTER HERE.

Support the show

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Tide: Join your local climate action group!

CONTACT US

• Got questions? Email info@wordonthereef.com
• Support Word on the Reef on Patreon
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on...

💸 WIN $100! Fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey before 30 September 2025 to go in the draw.

🪸 Scott Reef, Australia’s largest remote offshore reef, is a breathtaking sanctuary for corals, fish, rare sea snakes, nesting turtles, and pygmy blue whales. But this natural wonder is under threat from a mega gas drilling and carbon dumping proposal. Fossil fuel campaigner Louise Morris from the Australian Marine Conservation Society joins us to explain what’s at stake and how we can fight back.

Plus: we unpack Australia’s new 2035 climate target with AMCS Reef Campaigner Lissa Schindler — and why experts say it’s not enough to protect our oceans.

Thumbnail Image Credit: Nush Freedman Photography

• Sign the Petition: Help Save Scott Reef from Woodside's Gas Plans
• Documentary Film: Coral's Last Stand
• Cairns Snap Action: 'Sleep-In For Climate,' Monday 22 September, 4pm
• Read the Australian Government's recently released National Climate Risk Assessment Report Summary & Sign the Petition

Support the show

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Tide: Join your local climate action group!

CONTACT US

• Got questions? Email info@wordonthereef.com
• Support Word on the Reef on Patreon
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on...

Cyclones are part of life in the tropics, but climate change is making them stronger and more destructive. On the Great Barrier Reef, their force can pulverise thriving coral gardens into unstable rubble fields where baby corals struggle to grow. But there’s hope! In this week’s episode, we dive into an innovative solution that’s helping damaged reefs bounce back — and discover how you can play a role in bringing them back to life again!

This week's guest: Freda Nicholson, marine biologist and Program Manager for Mars Sustainable Solutions.

💸 WIN $100! Fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey before 30 September 2025 to go in the draw.

Shout-out to our latest Patreon supporter, Dr Sally Gregory -- check out her underwater cleanup project at Tallebudgera Creek on the Gold Coast!

Support the show

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Tide: Join your local climate action group!

CONTACT US

• Got questions? Email info@wordonthereef.com
• Support Word on the Reef on Patreon
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on...

💸 WIN $100! Fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey before 30 September 2025 to go in the draw.

🌱 Seagrass meadows are the unsung heroes of the Great Barrier Reef – nurseries for fish, food for turtles and dugongs, and a frontline defence against climate change. But after a massive die-off, Dr Tim Smith and the team at JCU TropWATER faced a huge challenge: how do you restore these fragile ecosystems while dealing with crocodiles, stingers, and waist-deep mud?

The answer: helicopters, hovercraft, dugong poo, 2,000 baby seagrass plants – and an army of everyday volunteers.

🎧 In this episode, dive into a world-first tropical seagrass restoration project and discover how you can be part of the solution.

👉 Sign up to volunteer: https://ozfish.org.au/events

Support the show

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Tide: Join your local climate action group!

CONTACT US

• Got questions? Email info@wordonthereef.com
• Support Word on the Reef on Patreon
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on...

Ever dreamed of exploring the Great Barrier Reef for free—while making a real difference? With Reef Check Australia, volunteers can join survey dives and help clean up marine debris, all while experiencing the Reef up close. But what does it take to become a qualified reef surveyor? In this episode, Reef Check Australia’s General Manager, Jodi Salmond, shares how you can get involved and play a hands-on role in protecting this natural wonder.

• Sign the Petition: Support Cameras on Trawl Fishing Boats.

Support the show

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Tide: Join your local climate action group!

CONTACT US

• Got questions? Email info@wordonthereef.com
• Support Word on the Reef on Patreon
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on...

What has no arms, no legs, and no brain, but can flash like a disco light, help control pests and kill you in minutes? Queensland Museum's mollusc expert Darryl Potter has spent three decades fearlessly tracking down these armoured beasts all along the Great Barrier Reef, and he's here to tell us why they're more than just an ornament for your bathroom. It's one shell of a show!

Support the show

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Tide: Join your local climate action group!

CONTACT US

• Got questions? Email info@wordonthereef.com
• Support Word on the Reef on Patreon
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on...