Tourism operators are valued partners in looking after the Great Barrier Reef and key contributors to ongoing reef health monitoring. The Reef is very large and the tourism industry works across many locations, on many days of the year. Operators and their guests are therefore able to provide regular data to the Eye on the Reef Program. Their input helps support Reef management agencies in maintaining situational awareness of happenings on the Reef and in targeting resources effectively.
The Tourism Effort dashboard showcases the important effort tourism operators contribute to the Eye on the Reef Program through three Eye on the Reef sub-programs:
- Rapid monitoring surveys (Rapid): For anyone who wants to be a marine biologist for a day, this program guides users through a standardised assessment of reef health to contribute to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
- Tourism monitoring (Tourism): For tourism operators, this program provides long-term trend data and detailed biological knowledge of tourism Reef sites, providing an early warning for management.
- Reef health and impact survey (Reef health): For experienced snorkelers, divers, students and scientists, this survey provides a detailed snapshot of reef health and includes a breakdown of habitat and impact assessment.
For more information or updates on this product contact rimrep@gbrmpa.gov.au