The 2025 Reef Forum: Strengthening resilience-based management of the Great Barrier Reef was held in Townsville, October 2025, bringing together 56 key Reef stakeholders to strengthen a shared understanding of the climate challenges ahead and to shape the evolution of resilience-based management across the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
- On this page;
- Forum at a pivotal moment for the Great Barrier Reef
- Key Forum takeaways
- 2025 Reef Forum Program
- Reef Authority fact sheets
- Great Barrier Reef Management Timeline
Forum at a pivotal moment for the Great Barrier Reef
The 2025 Reef Forum was convened at a critical time for the Great Barrier Reef: following two consecutive mass coral bleaching events. The participants representing Traditional Owners, community and industry groups, scientists, non-government organisations, recreational fishers, and all levels of government engaged in deliberative and collaborative dialogue to discuss the scale of change required under accelerating climate pressure.
The Forum strongly agreed that business-as-usual approaches will not sustain the Reef under future climate conditions.
Insights from the Forum will inform future management decisions, including ongoing collaboration with the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program and the next iteration of the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan.
Key Forum takeaways
Building the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef: key takeaways from the 2025 Reef Forum captures the discussions and considerations shared by participants during the Forum. It summarises the breadth of perspectives expressed but does not make recommendations.
The Reef Authority remains steadfast in its mission to safeguard the Great Barrier Reef for future generations. The outcomes of this Forum provide a strengthened foundation for that work - grounded in science, shaped by partnership, and guided by a shared commitment to adaptive, informed and decisive management. We thank all participants for their leadership, candour and dedication to the Reef.
2025 Reef Forum Program
3:00pm - Delegate registration and check-in opens at The Ville Resort
4:00pm - Welcome to Country and official opening
5:30pm - Meet and Networking
Location: Barrier Reef Room, The Ville Resort
8:30am - Acknowledgement of Country
8:35am - Welcome - Mr Josh Thomas
9:00am - Outlook for the Great Barrier Reef
9:45am - Panel - High impact management actions
10:45am - Morning Tea
11:15am - Management timeline
11:45am - Recipe for resilience
12:15pm - Resilient Reef Network
12:30pm - Lunch
13:30pm - Marine Park management tools
14:15pm - Responding to impacts
15:15pm - Afternoon tea
15:30pm - Future scenarios workshop
16:30pm - End of day one remarks
18:15pm - Sit-down dinner and Reef trivia (Pavilion 1, The Ville Resort)
Location: Barrier Reef Room, The Ville Resort
8:30am - Acknowledgement of Country
8:35am - Introduction to day two
8:45am - Case Study: Raine Island
9:15am - Future scenarios workshop continue
11:15am - Panel - Table report back
12:00pm - Lunch
13:15pm - Panel - Whole of system integration
14:15pm - Forum close
