Word on the Reef
Diving into marine science adventures on the Great Barrier Reef and beyond!
Episodes
55 episodes
S2 E39: Saving Sea Lions & Albatrosses PLUS Good News about Australia's Nature Laws!
What do the world's largest flying bird, with a wingspan of up to 3.5 metres, and the Australian Sea Lion have in common? Both are endangered due to their high risk of entanglement in fishing nets!Today's guest, Zoologist Alexia Wellbelo...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 39
•
41:14
S2 E38: Before the Flood: How Fossils Built the Great Barrier Reef (and the Pyramids!)
What do the Egyptian Pyramids, the Greek Parthenon, the Notre Dame Cathedral and Melbourne's Parliament House all have in common? They are all built out of fossilised reefs, aka limestone!Today we’re taking a journey through deep lime - ...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 38
•
56:09
S2 E37: Pig of a Problem: Saving Baby Sea Turtles from Porky Predators on the Great Barrier Reef
Pigs can't fly, nor can they dive in the ocean. But they are posing a serious threat to endangered sea turtles by pigging out on turtle eggs and hatchlings in Cape York. This is not the good kind of bacon and eggs combo. It's Ham-ageddon for ou...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 37
•
40:29
S2 E36: Disappearing Islands: The Race to Save Turtle Eggs from Rising Seas
As the planet warms, more than 3000 sea turtle eggs have been evacuated from low-lying Raine Island on the Great Barrier Reef to save them from rising sea levels.It's an emergency intervention never attempted before on the Great Barrier ...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 36
•
44:11
S2 E35: Muddying the Waters: Deforestation and the Water Pollution Crisis on the Great Barrier Reef
Did you know Australia has one of the highest deforestation rates in the developed world? About 20% of Queensland's vegetation has been bulldozed since colonisation -- one million hectares in the last three years alone -- mainly for cattle farm...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 35
•
42:17
S2 E34: Coral Spawning Research and Protecting Mangroves on the Great Barrier Reef
Spring has sprung and it’s baby-making season on the Great Barrier Reef! In this episode we talk coral spawning with marine scientist Dr Katie Chartrand, plus, we dive into the world of mangrove forests with CAFNEC's Shannon Bredeson<...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 34
•
44:41
S2 E33: Top 50 Dive Sites of Australia and the Great Barrier Reef: Part II
Marine biologist and scuba legend Steve Sinclair is back again this week to finish revealing the Top 50 Dive Sites in Australia. Steve has spent over five decades exploring every reef, wreck and cave from Tasmania to the Top End —...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 33
•
40:48
S2 E32: Top 50 Dive Sites of Australia and the Great Barrier Reef
Think you know Australia’s best dive sites? Think again! Marine biologist and scuba legend Steve Sinclair has spent over five decades exploring every reef, wreck and cave from Tasmania to the Top End — and now he’s revealing the Top 5...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 32
•
44:31
S2 E31: Art Meets Ocean: How Creativity, Science & Community Are Protecting the Great Barrier Reef
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.Our guest this week is Dr. Adam Smith—freediver, marine biologist...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 31
•
47:11
S2 E30: Seeing Green: Divers Investigate South Australia's Algal Bloom Disaster
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 Biol...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 30
•
42:18
S2 E29: Caring for Yirrganydji Sea Country on the Great Barrier Reef with Gavin Singleton
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 ...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 29
•
38:19
S2 E28: Corals' Last Stand: The Fight to Save Scott Reef
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 pro...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 28
•
42:39
S2 E27: Stronger Storms, Stronger Solutions: Saving Coral After Cyclones
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 gro...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 27
•
41:17
S2 E26: Restoring Seagrass on the Great Barrier Reef with Dr Tim Smith
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
•
Season 2
•
Episode 26
•
39:36
S2 E25: Just Say Yes: Why You Should Volunteer with Reef Check on the Great Barrier Reef
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 e...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 25
•
43:09
S2 E24: Not Just a Pretty Shell: The Beautiful and Terrifying Molluscs of the Great Barrier Reef
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 fearles...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 24
•
40:13
S2 E23: Swimming Against the Current: Overcoming Fear, Failure, and Neurodivergence to Become a Global Shark Advocate
Growing up with ADHD and Dyslexia, Aliah Banchik never thought she could achieve calm focus, let alone become a successful scientist, artist and Netflix star. Then she discovered sharks.In this inspiring episode, Aliah shares her mission...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 23
•
43:04
S2 E22: Dammed if you Don't: Saving Fish from Migration Mayhem
Did you know some of our marine fish are living DOUBLE LIVES? That’s right, they want the best of both worlds, saltwater and freshwater. So one minute they’re living the dream on a beautiful coral reef, next minute they’ve decided they need a t...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 22
•
40:50
S2 E21: SPOTTED: The Great Barrier Reef's first known Whale Shark Aggregation Site
Whale sharks—harmless, majestic giants—have long been mystery visitors on the Great Barrier Reef, their movements shrouded in secrecy... until now. In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have identified the Reef’s first known whale shark agg...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 21
•
40:59
S2 E20 Everything Kirsty Webeck Needs to Say About Sea Creatures
Australian comedian Kirsty Webeck loves sea creatures. She's learned a lot about them through her lifelong passion for snorkelling - and now she's here to share what the sperm whales don't want...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 20
•
40:57
S2 E19: Modern Day Castaway: A Gruelling 50 Days Alone on the Reef
Meet Mike Atkinson — former military pilot turned solo adventurer, survival expert, and filmmaker. In one of the boldest voyages ever attempted, Mike hand-carved a dugout canoe and sailed it 1,500 kilometres up the Great Barrier Reef — from ...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 19
•
43:33
S2 E18: Sex Under the Sea: The Weird World of Marine Reproduction
Welcome to the ocean -- where your genitals are on your face, males give birth, and gender is more of a suggestion than a rule. You can snooze in a bubble of your own vomit or switch sexes overnight without anyone batting a fin. What a world!
•
Season 2
•
Episode 18
•
38:23
S2 E17: Trawl Wars: The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park vs. The Fishing Industry
The 1990s was a wild west era for fishing on the Great Barrier Reef. Even after being declared a Marine Park and a World Heritage area, more than 95% of the Great Barrier Reef was still being fished, and things were heading downhill fast. Then ...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 17
•
44:15
S2 E16: Shark Tracker: The Wild Life of Richard Fitzpatrick
Richard Fitzpatrick wants to change the way you think about sharks.Ever since he kept a pet shark as a kid, Richard has made it his life’s mission to rewrite the story of one of the ocean’s most misunderstood predators. Now an Emm...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 16
•
48:12
S2 E15: Save the Reef from your Sofa: Citizen Science with Nicole Senn
Did you know you can help with coral research on the Great Barrier Reef without even leaving your couch? On this week's episode of Word on the Reef, get ready to swipe right on high-value corals as we dive into the incredible world of ...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 15
•
44:52