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63 episodes
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Reef And Rivers Podcast James Donaldson, Wet Tropics Waterways
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- Science
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4.7 • 3 Ratings
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Healthy waterways underpin the vibrant lifestyle, economy and environment of the Wet Tropics Region in Far North Queensland. They also underpin the health and well-being of Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef. We talk to people from around the region to learn more about our waterways, the critters that call them home and the people and projects working to improve their health.
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Phil Laycock, Results of the 2024 Wet Tropics Waterway Health Report Card
This is the 9th annual Wet Tropics Waterway Health Report Card to be released by Wet Tropics Waterways to assess the health and condition of freshwater basins, estuaries, inshore and offshore areas of the Wet Tropics in Far North Queensland.
Independent Chair Phil Laycock explains some of the key findings in 2024. -
Robert Walsh, Microinvertebrates
Micro invertebrates are tiny creatures that are invisible to the naked eye but form the basis of the food web in our waterways. Dr. Robert Walsh talks about the importance and diversity of microfauna for sustaining aquatic systems and reveals that their eggs can remain viable for up to 400-500 years, meaning that extinct species could come alive again if water is added!
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Kim Hooper, Prawn Farming Near the Great Barrier Reef
Australia loves its prawns so much that Queensland's aquaculture industry produces more than $200M of produce of each year, but is it sustainable? Kim Hooper, Executive Officer of the Australian Prawn Farmers Association, talks about the industry, how it works and how it minimises its impact on local waterways.
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Gareth Phillips, Tourism and Conservation on the Great Barrier Reef
Millions of tourists come to north Queensland each year to experience the natural wonder of the Great Barrier Reef. This influx of people from around the world represents an opportunity to educate and inform people about the complexity of the reef system and the threats that it faces.
In this week’s Reef & Rivers podcast, Gareth Phillips, CEO of the Australian Marine Park Tourism Operators, talks about the link between science and reef tourism and how tourism can support conservation. -
S5.E7 Associate Professor Mike Rasheed and Paul Doyle, Seagrass
Seagrass meadows play a critically important role in the reef ecosystem. They are nursery habitat for fish and prawns, they stabilise sediment and protect coastlines from erosion, they suck up and filter nutrients coming down from rivers into the reef lagoon, they absorb carbon and also help buffer the reef from pathogens and diseases.
Associate Professor at JCU Mike Rasheed shares some of his knowledge about seagrass and how researchers are monitoring seagrass meadows in the Wet Tropics.
Paul Doyle, General Manager of Strategy & Port Development for at Ports North also talks about why they monitor seagrass. -
Fiona Barron, Paddock to Reef Water Quality Monitoring
The Great Barrier Reef is about the size of Japan or Italy and there are millions of dollars being invested in improving the runoff of water flowing off the land. How do we know if these reef projects are actually working?
Fiona Barron is the coordinator of the Paddock to Reef Program in the Wet Tropics, which tracks progress against targets in Australia's Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan.