Reef Clean
Remove and Reduce Marine Debris on the Great Barrier Reef
The Coral Sea Academy is proud to support the ReefClean program, funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and delivered by the Tangaroa Blue Foundation.
The ReefClean program was launched in 2019 and the project aims to remove and prevent marine debris in the Great Barrier Reef region through various initiatives such as clean-up events, education initiatives and through collecting valuable marine debris data. Through these targeted marine debris activities, ReefClean has stopped more than 97.5 tonnes of debris from entering the Great Barrier Reef.
Here at Coral Sea Marina, we actively encourage all marina guests, locals and visitors to the region in the collection and removal of marine debris during their time in the Whitsundays and on their onward journeys.
Marine Debris is one of the biggest threats to the Great Barrier Reef.
Since the ReefClean program started in 2019, more than 97.5 tonnes of marine debris have been collected. That is the equivalent weight of around 3 humpback whales.
More than 6,500 hectares across the Great Barrier Reef region has been cleaned, thanks to the help of thousands of volunteers.
The most common types of marine debris collected during clean-up events were plastic lids and bottle caps, foam insulation and packaging, plastic drink bottles, rubber thongs and lots of small plastic fragments and microplastics.
‘”Marine debris remains one of the major threats to the health of the Great Barrier Reef and its incredible marine life, but through programs such as ReefClean we’re helping empower the community to action,” says Tangaroa Blue CEO Heidi Tait.
How can you help?
There are various opportunities for marina guests and members of the public to get involved with the ReefClean programs and contribute to the many initiatives that take place throughout the marina and region.
Become a Citizen Scientist
You don’t need to attend an event to help protect the reef. Simply collect any litter you see on your travels and upload the information to the Australian Marine Debris Initiative Database
Join a Clean-Up Day
Every year, the Coral Sea Academy hosts community clean-up days throughout Airlie Beach and the surrounding areas. Join us to help stop litter from entering our waterways
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THE CORAL SEA ACADEMY IS PROUD TO PARTNER ON THE FOLLOWING REEFCLEAN INITIATIVES
Marine Debris
We actively encourage any visitor to the Whitsunday region or Great Barrier Reef to join the citizen science movement and assist in the Australian Marine Debris Initiative, whereby the collection and removal of land or marine debris is logged online via the Australian Marine Debris Initiative App. This free app provides valuable data for research and analysis through which education and source reduction programs can be developed.
Clean Up Australia Day
The Coral Sea Academy hosts an annual Clean Up Australia Day event, on the first Sunday in March. This community-driven event welcomes all to attend and step up to clean up! Take a stroll along the scenic coastal trail, jump in your car and visit a nearby National Park, wander the Airlie Beach Main Street or hop on your own boat and take to the water… Spend the morning at land or at sea collecting litter you find along the way. All litter will be sorted by Tangaroa Blue and the data will contribute to their Australian Marine Debris Initiative.
Ditch the Flick
The Ditch the Flick campaign is an initiative to help drive behavioural change among smokers around the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian Marine Debris Initiative Database shows cigarette butts are one of the many items of single-use plastic litter impacting the reef and waterways across Australia. Keep an eye out for our dedicated Cigarette Butt Bins located throughout the marina and dispose of your butts in the bin and – ditch the flick! Tangaroa Blue are then monitoring the number of cigarette butts in these dedicated bins and comparing with the quantity before dedicated signage had been installed.
We’re not encouraging smoking, we’re encouraging smokers to change their behaviour and Ditch the Flick.
Let’s Strain the Drain
In conjunction with Healthy Rivers to Reef, a ‘drain buddy’ has been installed at the marina, as one of fifteen ‘drain buddy’ (traps) installed across Airlie Beach and Proserpine as part of the project ‘Let’s Strain the Drain’. The project is designed to collect and monitor data on the types of litter entering the storm water system across the region and then provide the data to the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) Database. This data will be used to guide source reduction programs. The drain buddies are themselves a source reduction project, as they are capturing litter from entering the storm water system and eventually our oceans.
The Rig Recycle
The Rig Recycle
Fishing tackle is one of the most significant litter pollutants on the Great Barrier Reef causing harm to marine life and disintegrating into harmful microplastics. Coral Sea Marina is the first marina in Queensland to have a Rig Recycle bin on site, as part of the ReefClean project. This bin is for visitors and operators to dispose of unwanted or broken fishing gear in this innovative repair, reuse and recycle program. Everything from spools, handlines, hookers, sinkers, old fishing line can be disposed of to be repurposed and recycled.
