Whether you're on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef or half a world away, the magic of the Reef has to be seen to be believed. But like many coral reef ecosystems around the world, it's under pressure from many things, including climate change.
The good news is you don't need to get wet to help protect the Reef. In fact, you can do your part without even leaving the couch.
How? Well, we reckon when it comes to tackling major global issues such as climate change and protecting our waterways, the little things stack up, and even the busiest (and laziest) of us can do our bit.
From sharing a social media post, to responsible fishing, here's a list of stuff you can do:
- The super easy stuff we can all do for the Reef from the comfort of our sofa:
- Share reef-safe messages on socials (check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for inspo)
- Become a fan of your ceiling fan (it's cheaper to run than your air-con)
- Switch off your lights when you leave the room
- TV binge finished? Ditch the remote and switch off your TV at the wall.
- Quick tips to lower your home's environmental impact on the Reef while saving some dollars:
- Keep harmful chemicals and pollutants out of your drains and gutters
- Reduce your food wastage (try smaller portion sizes and go back for seconds)
- When upgrading your appliances, consider its Energy Rating label (the more stars the better)
- Minimise your outdoor water usage by choosing native Australian plants and drought-resistant grasses.
- Ready to extend your impact beyond your own fence line? Here's how you can do it:
- Consider carpooling, riding or taking public transport to get from A to B
- Encourage your workplace or school to adopt more sustainable environmental practices like upgrading to LED lights
- Stay caffeinated with a reusable coffee cup and keep reusable shopping bags handy
- Report water leaks outside your home to your local council.
- Whether you're a seasoned scuba diver, or weekend fisher, you can do your part to protect the Reef:
- Take all your food and scraps home with you
- Follow zoning rules by picking up a map from your local tackle shop
- Avoid damaging corals by tying up to moorings and watching where you kick
- Submit your sightings to the Eye on the Reef app.
Our role as the Reef Authority
We are resolutely committed to providing the highest standard of management, protection and preservation the Great Barrier Reef demands. Every action we take is in the long-term interest of the Reef, its inhabitants and the communities that depend on it.
As an agency, our remit is broad. We are Reef stewards, compliance officers, community educators, government advisors, data analysts, strategic policymakers, and science-led managers championing for the Reef.
We’re in the Marine Park every day helping people understand and comply with the rules, to minimise their impact on the Reef. We’re in boardrooms providing advice when the big decisions get made. And we’re in the community, providing education about how best to see, love and protect the Reef.
How you can get involved
We've created a social media challenge and we want you to be a part of it!
We challenge you to take the Love the Reef challenge by sharing a photo or video of something you do day-to-day to either see, love or protect the Reef. Sign off by sending the challenge to two other friends, colleagues or family members. Let's see how far we can share the message!
You can see what others are doing to protect the Reef by searching the #reefchallenge and #lovethereef hashtags on your favourite social media platform.
Toolkit
This toolkit is part of our Love the Reef marketing campaign and provides guidance to help inspire your team, workplace, school or community group to take everyday actions to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
Hashtag - #LovetheReef #ReefChallenge
Anytime you share or post something that you are doing to See the Reef, Love the Reef or Protect the Reef, let us know by tagging #LovetheReef and #Reef Challenge
Join our social media challenge by sharing a photo of how you love the Reef.
Share the message on your socials
Check out our free downloadable assets that you can use as conversation starters on social media and more. Download the full suite here!
Virtual backgrounds
Email signature blocks
Social tiles and more!
Would you like to hear more about how you can See - Love - Protect the Reef? Sign up for our monthly newsletter here.
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