More than 40 tourism staff were trained to help monitor the Great Barrier Reef during the latest Eye on the Reef training events held this month in Airlie Beach and Cairns.

Tourism operators from across the Marine Park were trained to conduct surveys that provide vital real-time data on Reef health through the Reef Authority’s Eye on the Reef network.

Eye on the Reef program manager Chris Jones said tourism operators are uniquely placed to provide insights across the 344,400 square kilometre Marine Park.

“The tourism industry is a critical part of Reef management," Chris Jones said.

“Tourism operators are out on the Reef almost every day and have an intimate knowledge of their sites over time. The data they provide back to us about what they are seeing is invaluable.

“It’s vital we are getting meaningful and credible data about the health of the Reef, so industry training sessions are essential to ensure the information being collected is consistent and reliable.”

Eye on the Reef enables anyone heading out on the water to report Reef health, sightings and incidents through the Eye on the Reef app.

Since it began in 1997, the program has built strong partnerships with the tourism industry, with countless tourism professionals trained in a range of survey methods.

“Operators learned how to conduct Reef Tourism Weekly Surveys and Reef Health and Impact Surveys, including how to identify and report on coral health, and recognise bleaching, damage and disease."

The training combines online learning with practical in-water sessions, helping operators collect consistent, high-quality data that can inform Reef management decisions and long-term monitoring. 

“Every data point collected by operators helps Reef scientists and managers better understand and protect the Reef, and track changes in Reef health over time.”

The Australian Government announced an additional $6.6 million to support the Eye on the Reef program, along with $5 million to continue the Tourism Reef Protection Initiative, strengthening Reef health monitoring and protection activities at high-value Reef sites across the Marine Park.

The funding forms part of a broader $91.8 million investment to continue protecting the Great Barrier Reef through monitoring, conservation and management programs.