Word on the Reef

Tanya Murphy
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Nature
  • Updated Weekly

Diving into marine science adventures on the Great Barrier Reef and beyond!

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

    21h ago

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

    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 the amazing biodiversity of our urban waterways, what's being done to restore their habitat, and how we can learn to be better neighbours to our fishy friends. We'll also discuss how restoring long-lost oyster Reefs can revolutionise ecosystems. Support the show Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat! Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show! PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now! Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

    43 min
  2. S3 E13: The First Scientists: How Indigenous Knowledge can Help Protect our Oceans

    5d ago

    S3 E13: The First Scientists: How Indigenous Knowledge can Help Protect our Oceans

    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 listen more carefully to the voices of the world's oldest continuous living cultures. This week we're joined by Libby Evans-Illidge from the Australian Institute of Marine Science for an inspiring chat about bridging the divide between two cultures, one step at a time. In this special Reconciliation Week episode, we'll discover how making space for a knowledge system different to our own, can help us better understand and conserve our environment, while also rebuilding our connection with each other. Thumbnail Image: The 'dark emu,' a dark spot in the milky way, with its long neck extended upward in the night sky, was more than just a story. It carried valuable environmental knowledge. Sources and Recommended Reading: Aboriginal people - how to misunderstand their science, by Ray Norris, Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Astronomy & Space Science.Lynne KellyThe Memory Code by Lynne KellyFirst Knowledges book collectionWatch: The Australian WarsWatch: The First Inventors Watch: First AustraliansWoppaburra RangersSupport the show Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat! Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show! PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now! Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

    1h 10m
  3. S3 E12: Mud, Blood and Sea Turtles: Caitlin's Quest to Give Turtles a Future

    May 20

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

    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 turtle blood samples, and putting baby turtles through fitness tests to understand how our actions are impacting them. In this episode, she explains why these ancient animals are so magnetic, and what we need to do to save them. More info: Assessing the impacts of contaminant exposure on green sea turtles - Dr Caitlin Smith, UniSCPost-flood monitoring of seagrass in Hervey Bay and Great Sandy Strait - JCU TropwaterDugongs and turtles are starving to death in Queensland's seas - and La Nina's floods are to blame - Professor Kathy Townsend, The Conversation.Mon Repos Turtle CentreUniSC Milbi Centre: Sea Turtle Research and Conservation  Support the show Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat! Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show! PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now! Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

    55 min
  4. S3 E11: Befriending Giants: The Secret Lives of Manta Rays

    May 10

    S3 E11: Befriending Giants: The Secret Lives of Manta Rays

    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 favourite mantas with a wink, and some even come to her for toothbrush scratches. But these intelligent and gentle giants are under threat. In this episode, Kathy shares the magic of manta rays, the mysteries scientists are still trying to solve, and why the race to understand and protect them has never been more urgent. We just HAD to make this a bonus-length episode because Kathy has SO many incredible stories about mantas which are absolutely not-to-be-missed! Thumbnail Image: Professor Townsend collecting a DNA sample with a toothbrush. Photo by Amelia Armstrong. Submit manta sightings: Project Manta Prof Townsend's book: A Field Guide to the Vertebrates of Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef. Support the show Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat! Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show! PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now! Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

    1h 22m
  5. S3 E10: Dugong Wars: The Fight to Save Mermaids with Professor Helene Marsh

    May 8

    S3 E10: Dugong Wars: The Fight to Save Mermaids with Professor Helene Marsh

    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 threats, from climate change and habitat loss to extreme weather and declining seagrass meadows. In this episode, Professor Marsh shares the remarkable story of the Dugong Wars, the science behind these elusive “mermaids of the sea”, and the urgent mission to ensure they survive into the future. Support the show Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat! Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show! PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now! Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

    48 min
  6. S3 E9: Meet Gary, the King of Nudibranchs (AKA the Ocean’s Craziest Sea Slugs)

    Apr 19

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

    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 can even walk on water like Jesus — but upside down, and with only one foot. In this fun and outlandish interview with the world's biggest nudie fanatic, we get up close and personal with these outrageously beautiful, neon-coloured ocean jewels found in every corner of our seas. Listeners be warned: nudibranchs can be surprisingly addictive. (I mean, JUST LOOK at the nudibranch in the thumbnail image. Does he look like he's the slightest bit bothered by ANYTHING or ANYONE? Go off, you fabulous creature!) More info: Gary's Website, Gallery and Blog: www.nudibranch.com.auGary's Facebook Page: Nudibranch Central'My Nudibranch Passion': Short film about Gary showing his dive site at the Mooloolah River and many of the nudibranchs discussed in this episode."Dive Into the Exotic World of Nudibranchs, the Spectacular Slugs of the Sea" - article about Gary in Smithsonian Magazine.Cyclone Maila News Audio: Australian Broadcasting Association. Support the show Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat! Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show! PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now! Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

    48 min
  7. S3 E8: UNESCO Sounds Alarm on the Great Barrier Reef + Cyclone Narelle’s Fallout

    Apr 10

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

    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 Cyclone Narelle’s impacts on marine life and coastal communities from the Great Barrier Reef to Ningaloo Reef. Thumbnail Image: Clownfish in bleached anemone, 28 March 2026, Tanya Murphy. Support the show Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat! Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show! PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now! Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

    49 min
  8. S3 E7: The Aeroplane that Flies Underwater: A Game Changer for Marine Science?

    Apr 2

    S3 E7: The Aeroplane that Flies Underwater: A Game Changer for Marine Science?

    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 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show! PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now! Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...

    48 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Diving into marine science adventures on the Great Barrier Reef and beyond!

Information

  • Creator
    Tanya Murphy
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    70
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Word on the Reef
  • Show Website
    Word on the Reef

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