The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is calling for motivated and inspired school students to join us in this year’s Reef Guardian School Eco Challenge.

Recent research has identified 100 Jobs of the Future that are likely to be created in the next few years. In 2023, the aim of the challenge is for students to select a future job profile and showcase how they could apply their future skillset towards managing and protecting the health and longevity of the Reef.

The Reef 2050 Plan has outlined the '5 Priorities for Action' that need to be taken to help the Reef survive and thrive. Students will research one key threat facing the Reef and use their “future expertise” to develop a plan to educate the public to take action.

The challenge calls for students to work as individuals or in teams of 2 to 4 to prepare their plan of action using a poster, a power point, a computer-aided design, or prototype/physical model.

To be in with the chance to win an incursion experience delivered by the Reef Education team, students will need to upload their proposal to their school’s social media page and email the link to reefguardians@gbrmpa.gov.au before 4pm on Friday 20 October 2023.

Get started and register your students/teams today: https://forms.office.com/r/Ljt1httd3j. Upon registration you will receive a Teaching & Resource Guide with further information.

The Reef Guardian School Eco Challenge is free to participate and managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority through the Reef Guardian School program. For further information or enquiries email reefguardians@gbrmpa.gov.au.

World Oceans Day – 8 June- FREE - Introduction to the Great Barrier Reef virtual learning experience.

In recognition of World Oceans Day, were shining the spotlight on the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem. Learn about corals as the building blocks of the Great Barrier Reef and the roles that various organisms play within the Reef community. Gain an understanding of the importance of various relationships between organisms such as corals and their symbiotic algae, and anemones and anemonefish. Explore the simple actions that you can take regardless of where you live, to help protect the Great Barrier Reef and the animals that call it home.

• Thursday 8 June, commencing 8:00 am (AEST): Register for this session
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rY4sSmHGS4SYOnAjVia3gg

• Thursday 8 June, commencing 11:00 am (AEST): Register for this session
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ql3lMSzJQgG_c-SXYIqYAQ

On registering you will be sent a link to connect to the webinar(s), on the day.

World Environment Day – 5 June- FREE - Ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef virtual learning experience

To celebrate World Environment Day, join our educators to learn about the diversity of ecosystems found within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, as well as those on the adjacent Queensland landscape. Discover some of the iconic wildlife that can found within these ecosystems, and how they are all interconnected. We'll consider some of the threats facing these environments, and what we can all do locally and globally to help reduce these impacts.

• Monday 5 June, commencing 1:30 pm (AEST): Register for this session
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IfqGfQbTR2ihv7f_c87sPA

• Tuesday 6 June, commencing 8:00 am (AEST): Register for this session
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1_XFHF6NRWyNBt_RlsWpUQ

On registering you will be sent a link to connect to the webinar(s), on the day.

Let’s celebrate World Turtle Day, 2023. Join our marine educators to gain an understanding of the biology and adaptations of sea turtles. Using examples from our aquarium's Turtle Hospital, we will examine the impacts of marine debris and look at how sea turtles are affected by other human threats worldwide and what actions are being taken to help protect sea turtle populations.

• Tuesday 23 May, commencing 8:00 am (AEST): Register for this session
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IfqGfQbTR2ihv7f_c87sPA#/reg…

• Tuesday 23 May, commencing 11:00 am (AEST): Register for this session
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1_XFHF6NRWyNBt_RlsWpUQ#/reg…

On registering you will be sent a unique link to connect to the webinar(s) on the day.

Published Date Time
2 minutes 56 seconds ago

LET'S CELEBRATE SEAWEEK
Learn about corals as the building blocks of the Great Barrier Reef and the roles that various organisms play within the Reef community. Gain an understanding of the importance of various relationships between organisms such as corals and their symbiotic algae, and anemones and anemonefish. Explore the simple actions that you can take regardless of where you live, to help protect the Great Barrier Reef and the animals that call it home.

Tuesday 7 March, commencing 9am QLD, - to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bOcXzETURSuXAIkniZTm-w

Tuesday 7 March, commencing 11am QLD, - to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qGUDC2eiRm-_5gkb7aX-Qg

Wednesday 8 March, commencing 9am QLD, - to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hBcrIdO7RLep16o2MMEPiw

Friday 10 March, commencing 11am QLD, - to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oLKSnRKZRhWwmPHC-jnbLQ

On registering you will be sent a link to connect to the webinar, on the day.

We're excited to have scheduled two virtual connections with the RV Investigator on Wednesday 22 February, where Reef Guardian School teacher, Joline Lalime, will give us a tour of the vessel and introduce us to some of the researchers and the studies they’re undertaking.
Session 1: (primary schools) - Wednesday 22 February, commencing 9:00am (QLD time)
Session 2: (secondary schools) – Wednesday 22 February, commencing 12 noon (QLD time)

If you would like to join one of these connections, please email education@gbrmpa.gov.au and let us know which session you’re interested in, along with the following important details:

1. School Name & Location
2. School Year of Class(es)
3. Number of Students (approximate)
4. Unit(s) of work your students are doing in Term 1

For more information about the expedition and outreach opportunities, see:
https://www.reefed.edu.au/sites/default/files/2023-02/1.%20Sea2School%2…

Other ways you can follow the expedition online include:
@SEA2SCHOOLAU Facebook TikTok
Voyage Page: https://mnf.csiro.au/en/Voyages/IN2023_V01
Blog: https://antarctic.org.au/news/
@CANYONS_voyage on Twitter Facebook Spotify
MNF RV Investigator LiveStream https://mnf.csiro.au/

The 2022 Youth Response Conference was hosted by Pimlico State High School at the James Cook University campus in Townsville. The conference brought together over 15 industry expert organizations, 17 staff members from 14 schools and over 100 students from QLD, VIC, NSW, and SA.

The conference underpinned youth action to mitigate and bring awareness to water-themed problems. Students worked in cross-school teams to develop a project implementation plan for their school or community, which aligns to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Great Barrier Reef action goals.

The projects overarched on topics like microplastics, reef restoration, climate change, water quality management and drought related issues. Students presented their proposals for their share of $13,000 in Ripples of Change seed funding to implement their projects in 2023.

The Reef Education team are looking forward to seeing these projects continue to develop over the next year.

For any enquiries regarding the Youth Conference, please contact Rick Harting, Global Education Coordinator at Pimlico SHS via email: rhart127@eq.edu.au

The Reef Education team recently traveled to Picnic Bay in Magnetic Island to train Apex Camps staff members in using the Be a Marine Biologist for a Day suite of educational resources.

Apex Camps, part of Apex Australia, provides onsite accommodation and outdoor activities on their 10-acre grounds for School and Group camps, School Holidays, Birthday parties and Team Building events.

This is the result of a fantastic collaboration between camp supervisor Anne de Ruyter and community partnerships coordinator Jo Marks for MICDA’s (Magnetic Island Community Development Association) Community Action Plan project "Community Partnerships for Ecosystem Monitoring Community".

Be a Marine Biologist for a Day gives Apex Camps a flexible opportunity to include an educational component to their water-based activities and aligns with one of MICDA’s project goal to record, report and communicate the Island’s marine and coastal ecosystem health.

If you are a tourism operator, teacher, or Reef guide that is interested in learning more about the Be a Marine Biologist for a Day program, please email us at reefguardians@gbrmpa.gov.au.

FREE Introduction to the Great Barrier Reef virtual learning experiences

Learn about corals as the building blocks of the Great Barrier Reef and the roles various organisms play within the Reef community. Gain an understanding of the importance of various relationships between organisms, such as corals and their symbiotic algae, and anemones and anemonefish. Explore the simple actions that you can take, regardless of where you live, to help protect the Great Barrier Reef and the animals that call it home. Questions are welcome throughout the sessions.

Thursday 17 November 1-2pm QLD:
Please register for the session through this link
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_C0A20T0hSt-TZqvDTxATbQ

Friday 18 November 9-10am QLD:
Please register for the session through this link
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NueKRYNTST6exJhD4afU1Q

All registrants will be sent a unique link to connect to the webinar on the day.

FREE - Turtle Connections virtual learning experiences

Gain an understanding of the biology and adaptations of sea turtles, including their life cycles and feeding adaptations. Using case studies from the Reef HQ Aquarium Turtle Hospital, we will examine the impact of marine debris and look at how sea turtles are affected by other human threats worldwide and what actions are being taken to help protect sea turtle populations. Questions are welcome throughout the sessions.

Thursday 10 November 1-2pm QLD:
Please register for the session through this link
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YywMwflvTcW4Tr5HIlFvNQ

Friday 11 November 9-10am QLD:
Please register for the session through this link
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZTPDuUfkTMOvT2Kv1WRHkg

All registrants will be sent a unique link to connect to the webinar on the day.