Word on the Reef

S3 E20: The Last Saw: Saving Sawfish with Dr Barbara Wueringer 20.07.2026 45Min.

Sawfish, the extraordinary relatives of sharks and rays, once roamed tropical and subtropical waters around the globe. Today they've vanished from much of their former range, with Northern Australia remaining one of their last global strongholds. All five sawfish species are now listed as critically endangered, yet most Australians know surprisingly little about these remarkable animals. So, what exactly ARE these crazy-looking critters? Are they really as scary as they look? What can we do t...

S3 E19: Protecting Paradise: The Future of the Coral Sea Marine Park 12.07.2026 40Min.

Beyond the Great Barrier Reef lies one of the world's largest marine protected areas: the Coral Sea Marine Park. Home to spectacular reefs, abundant marine life and some of the planet's best dive sites, it's one of Australia's last great ocean wildernesses. But is it getting the protection it deserves? On today's show, hosts Tanya Murphy and Brett Goodban are joined by Dive Queensland Principal Terry Cummins and Save Our Marine Life Coral Sea Campaigner Steve Ryan to explore what makes the Co...

S3 E18: Gone Buggo: Tiny Animals of the Reef and Rainforest with Steven Gill 08.07.2026 56Min.

Reef and Rainforest tour guide Steven Gill is on a mission to bug you... in the best possible way. Armed with a camera, a handful of LEGO bricks and an infectious love for the tiny creatures we usually overlook, he's proving that the smallest critters often have the biggest personalities. Along the way we'll meet Katy Perry, get business advice from a cleaner wrasse, and explore the surprising connection between the world's oldest surviving rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. We'll discove...

S3 E17: CoralWatch: Citizen Science in Full Colour 04.07.2026 43Min.

Fifty shades of coral? Not quite... but those colours tell an incredible story. This week we're diving into CoralWatch, the world's longest-running DIY reef science project. Discover how anyone with a mask, a colour chart and a love of coral can help scientists monitor reef health. Diana Kleine from the University of Queensland (pictured in the episode thumbnail image) joins us to prove that citizen science is anything but black and white. She also shares insights on the 'What Can I Do' proje...

S3 E16: Fish out of their (Usual) Waters: Why Marine Life are Moving Poleward 08.06.2026 41Min.

Scientists have discovered that marine species are migrating away from the equator at a rate of 40 to 70 kilometres per decade to get to cooler waters as climate change heats up our ocean. But far from being a viable escape plan, this mass poleward relocation of marine life is opening up a sea of problems. On this week's episode of Word on the Reef, hosts Tanya Murphy and Brett Goodban are joined by James Cook University's Professor Jan Strugnell for a deep dive into climate-driven marine spe...

S3 E15: Seafood Fishing and Aquarium Harvesting on the Great Barrier Reef: Are they Sustainable? 05.06.2026 46Min.

Every year up to 7,000 tons of seafood is caught on the Great Barrier Reef, while up to 190 tons of coral is collected for the international aquarium trade. But how sustainable are these fisheries? And as consumers, how can we make sure we're making Reef-friendly choices? In this episode of Word on the Reef, Simon Miller from the Australian Marine Conservation Society joins hosts Tanya Murphy and Brett Goodban for a deep dive into the world of commercial fishing on the Great Barrier Reef. Do...

S3 E14: Reef Fish Beneath our City: Restoring Cairns' Urban Waterways and Oyster Reefs with Phil Laycock 02.06.2026 43Min.

Did you know that some Great Barrier Reef fish species are spending part of their life cycle in the middle of our city? That's right, marine fish species could be as close as your nearest concrete storm water drain, swimming among abandoned shopping trolleys and discarded beer bottles. In fact, recent research has found more than 60 species of native fish in these waterways. On todays' episode of Word on the Reef, host Tanya Murphy is joined by Phil Laycock from OzFish Unlimited, to explore t...

S3 E13: The First Scientists: How Indigenous Knowledge can Help Protect our Oceans 28.05.2026 1Std. 9Min.

For 65,000 years before computers, satellites, and scientific journals, Australia's first peoples were reading tides, stars, seasons, animal behaviour, currents, and ecosystems with extraordinary precision. Yet until recently, their knowledge was not formally considered alongside Western Science. Now, more research and conservation organisations are recognising that in order to protect places like the Great Barrier Reef, not only do we need better technology and data, but we also need to list...

S3 E12: Mud, Blood and Sea Turtles: Caitlin's Quest to Give Turtles a Future 20.05.2026 54Min.

In 2022, a mass stranding of more than 600 sick turtles devastated Hervey Bay in South East Queensland. As volunteers worked tirelessly to rescue them, scientists got to work on solving the puzzle: what caused this disaster? Dr Caitlin Smith is one of the scientists racing to unravel the threats facing our sea turtles before it’s too late. Her work has seen her fearlessly leaning out of helicopters to survey seagrass, slip-sliding across stinky mud bogs to rescue half-ton turtles, studying tu...

S3 E11: Project Manta: The Secret Lives of Gentle Giants 10.05.2026 1Std. 22Min.

Professor Kathy Townsend knew she wanted to be a marine biologist from the age of five, and completed her very first dive in a frozen Canadian lake. But it was the moment a five-metre manta ray draped its tail over her shoulder like an affectionate cat that she knew she had truly found her calling. Since then, Kathy has followed manta rays around the world, appeared in a documentary with Sir David Attenborough, and even been swept into a swirling manta-ray feeding vortex. She greets her favou...

S3 E10: Dugong Wars: The Fight to Save Mermaids with Professor Helene Marsh 08.05.2026 48Min.

When Professor Helene Marsh first began researching dugongs on the Great Barrier Reef, the only ones she encountered were dead - tangled in fishing nets. Then, in the 1990s, Queensland became the centre of a fierce conservation battle known as the “Dugong Wars”. No torpedoes were fired, but the conflict between marine scientists, industry groups and governments was intense, as researchers like Professor Marsh fought to remove nets from critical dugong habitat. Today, dugongs face even greater...

S3 E9: Meet Gary, the King of Nudibranchs (AKA the Ocean’s Craziest Sea Slugs) 19.04.2026 47Min.

He's broken several world records: largest group skydive, longest scuba dive on a single tank—and the most species of nudibranchs ever found on a single dive (71). He's spent 23 years chasing these tiny creatures, building a global following of more than 60,000 people who are equally obsessed. But what even is a nudibranch—and why are thousands of people going nuts over them? Well, they dress like drag queens, some of them can fire miniature deadly spears out of their flubbery bits, and some ...

S3 E8: UNESCO Sounds Alarm on the Great Barrier Reef + Cyclone Narelle’s Fallout 10.04.2026 49Min.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is concerned about the Great Barrier Reef - warning Australia to do more to protect it or risk an “In Danger” listing. So how serious is this threat, and are governments doing enough to respond? This week we're joined by marine ecologist Dr Lissa Schindler from the Australian Marine Conservation Society to unpack what’s behind UNESCO’s warnings - and what we need to do about it. Plus, we take a closer look at a summer of extremes: from coral bleaching to Cy...

S3 E7: The Aeroplane that Flies Underwater: A Game Changer for Marine Science? 02.04.2026 47Min.

Critics said it would never work. But after 30 years of surveying reefs the hard way - diving with a slate and pencil - marine ecologist Brett Kettle knew there had to be a better way. So he built one. In this episode of Word on the Reef, Tanya Murphy sits down with Brett and the team behind Flying Fish Technologies to reveal the Vertigo 3 Glider—an underwater drone that could revolutionise how we monitor and protect the ocean. Support the show Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat! Please take ...

S3 E6: Starfish vs. The Great Barrier Reef: Can We Stop Them? [EXTENDED VERSION] 22.03.2026 1Std. 15Min.

What has eyes on the tips of its 20 arms, venomous spines, is almost impossible to kill — and is munching the world’s largest reef? Meet the crown-of-thorns starfish. Professor Morgan Pratchett has spent years studying this formidable predator. He’s been on the pointy end of one more than once — and lived to tell the tale. In this episode, he reveals new research that could help tackle this army of millions. Support the show Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat! Please take 2 minutes to fill ou...

S3 E5: Eco-Grief: Why Loving Nature Can Hurt - and What To Do About It [EXTENDED DIVE] 15.03.2026 56Min.

As climate change, coral bleaching and biodiversity loss dominate the news, many people are experiencing something psychologists now call eco-grief or climate anxiety — the emotional response to witnessing environmental change. To unpack the connection between mental health, climate change and our relationship with nature - this week we're joined by Dr Chloe Watfern, an artist and postdoctoral psychology researcher with the University of New South Wales and the Black Dog Institute, who lives ...

S3 E4: Reef Time Capsules: What Coral Cores Reveal About the Reef’s Past 07.03.2026 43Min.

Did you know coral skeletons contain a record of every flood event in Queensland since 1648? We often hear that climate and water pollution conditions on the Great Barrier Reef have changed dramatically since pre-industrial times. But how do we actually know that? After all, weather records only stretch back just over a century, and systematic water quality monitoring only began in the 1980s. The answer is written in the corals themselves. By extracting a core sample — much like studying tree...

S3 E3: Coral 2.0: Can Technology Save the Great Barrier Reef? 01.03.2026 1Std. 1Min.

For thousands of years, the Great Barrier Reef has had the power to regenerate itself — so until 2017, coral transplantation was illegal. The rule was simple: let nature recover itself. Then mass bleaching events driven by global warming changed everything. This summer, scientists released tens of thousands of baby corals - attaching them to ceramic stars and dropping them from boats in a bid to boost survival. The ambitious goal of this government-funded project is to plant millions of these...

S3 E2: Dissolving Coral: Ocean Acidification and the Future of Coral Reefs 23.02.2026 47Min.

Our oceans are 40% more acidic than pre-industrial times, making it harder for corals, molluscs, crustaceans and plankton to build their calcium carbonate skeletons. It's a crucial planetary boundary we've crossed — threatening reefs, fisheries, tourism, food security, and coastal communities. And almost no one is talking about it. So what’s driving it? What does it mean for the Great Barrier Reef? And what can we do? This week on Word on the Reef, we’re joined by Dr Katharina Fabricius from ...

S3 E1: Flantastic Discovery: Giant Dessert-Shaped Seamount Teems with Rare Marine Life 15.02.2026 44Min.

CSIRO scientists have discovered a massive underwater mountain, shaped like a half-eaten flan, rising 3,000 metres from the seafloor off the coast of North Queensland. That's taller than Australia’s highest mainland peak, Mount Kosciuszko. And it’s teeming with life. To guide us on a deep dive into this 40-million-year-old extinct volcano and its flantastic inhabitants, our guest on Word on the Reef this week is Marine Geophysicist Dr Chris Yuleridge. Dr Yuleridge also takes us '20 thousands ...