In 2019, scientists and Traditional Custodians gathered on Woppaburra sea Country in the southern Great Barrier Reef and began weaving a better future for coral reefs and culture.
The Woppaburra Coral Project was the first project for AIMS’ new way of doing business with Traditional Owners. We now seek partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, learning from each other through two-way knowledge sharing of the marine environment via on Country workshops.
As our relationship with the Woppaburra TUMRA Aboriginal Corporation and Traditional Custodians has deepened, surprising outcomes have occurred – it’s not only about the science. The workshops identified Traditional Owner aspirations and provided the Traditional Custodians with baseline data for future management of their sea Country. Science outcomes were linked with culture and several new cultural practices emerged.
The research activities have really advanced our understanding of coral seeding, a restoration technique where baby corals are placed on reefs in specially designed devices to enhance reef recovery. Now we know which coral species are best suited to the different reef environments around Konomie (North Keppel Island) to optimise coral seeding efforts and increase survival of baby coral during their first year of life.
Learn more about the project: https://www.aims.gov.au/research-topics/environmental-issues/climate-change/australian-coral-reef-resilience-initiative
The Woppaburra Coral Project is part of the Australian Coral Reef Resilience Initiative, a partnership between AIMS, BHP and Woppaburra Traditional Custodians (www.woppaburra.com.au).
