The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s experiential learning program is connecting thousands of students across the globe to hands-on reef science supporting reef protection and Queensland’s tourism economy.

Graduate students from Miami University in the United States are the latest to dive into the immersive program, started in 2011, learning about Marine Park zoning, the Great Barrier Reef’s biodiversity, threats to coral reefs, sustainability efforts, and Traditional Owner Sea Country management.

In 2025, the Reef Guardian School Experiential Program welcomed 548 participants from 24 international education groups, delivering 32 workshops and 10 immersive reef field trips for secondary and tertiary students. 

Visiting institutions included City University New York, University of Florida, Wake Forest University, High Point University, Belmont University, Miami University, and several Education First High School groups.

“This is about much more than just learning - it’s about cultivating the next generation of reef stewards,” the Reef Authority’s Reef Education manager Julie Spencer said.

“Every student who snorkels, surveys, or submits reef health data becomes an advocate for the Reef—both now and in the future.”

“It’s a ripple effect not just for the Great Barrier Reef but reefs worldwide, students become emotionally and intellectually invested in the future of our oceans.”

Key achievements in 2025 include:

• 13 Education First High School groups participated in ‘Be a Marine Biologist for a Day’ sessions, combining introductory reef science workshops with data collection on snorkelling field trips. Students input data into the Eye on the Reef database.
• 10 tertiary university groups took part in specialist presentations on Marine Park management, marine life identification and  completed in-water rapid monitoring training.
• Leading the Miami University Earth Expeditions program—a postgraduate study-abroad course focused on grassroots conservation, sustainability, and biodiversity learning.
• 111 virtual reef education sessions reaching 7,200 participants globally, enhancing access to world-class marine science education.

The Reef Authority’s Tourism Advisory Committee chairman Daniel Gschwind said the edu-tourism market, worth multi-millions of dollars to the state’s economy, supported reef-based tourism operators and communities through science-led engagement.

“We estimate tens of thousands of young people come to Queensland under a short-term Edu-tourism program,” Professor Gschwind said.

“Many see firsthand the beauty of the Reef, they raise their awareness of the plight of the Reef and what’s being done about that in Australia and witness our world-leading management practices.

“Those young people go home and share their experiences, and carry those memories with them for a lifetime, becoming advocates for the Reef.”

Miami University student Peyton Young said witnessing one of the planet’s most iconic natural wonders at John Brewer Reef, off Townsville, was awe-inspiring.

“I got to see two sharks. I saw a black tip and a white tip reef shark. We saw tons of amazing fish, a massive puffer fish. It was just incredible.

“All reefs around the world are facing similar issues. It’s interesting to see what they’re doing here in Australia and bring some of those ideas back to the United States. It takes a global effort to tackle a problem this big.”

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Contact: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Media Hotline: (07) 4750 0846 | media@gbrmpa.gov.au