MEDIA RELEASE 31 August 2023
Join world class expedition of citizen scientists exploring the Great Barrier Reef
We all dream of exploring pristine waters, reef and islands and observing colorful fish, corals, turtles and other mysterious sea creature. However many people never get the chance. You can join world class scientists and other guests for the annual Coral Expedition and Australian Geographic trip ‘Citizen science of the Great Barrier Reef Expedition’ departing Cairns on 23 October 2023
The expedition voyages on a small expedition ship Coral Discover and is limited to 60 guests, scientists and communicators. There is limited space for more marine enthusiasts, students and divers.
The seven world class scientists who have joined as guest lecturers include:
Adj Assoc Prof Adam, Smith, CEO of Reef Ecologic, iNaturalist and over 4000 dives
Dr Maddy McAllister, Maritime Archaeologist (Queensland Museum & James Cook University)
Professor Paul Hardisty, previous CEO of AIMS, communicator and author
Vicki Saylor, traditional owner and Board member of Museum of Underwater Art
Dr Joey Di Battista, research scientist and specialist in fish and genetics
Joanne Stacey- sustainability champion and artist
Dr Samantha Tol- research officer on seagrass, Coral Sea and pests
Citizen science offers ways for individuals and organisations to complement science and management efforts by actively engaging in activities to help monitor, understand, and protect the Reef. This expedition is bringing local and international tourists and scientists together with a range of partners such as Parks Australia, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Citizens of the GBR, Queensland Museum Network, Museum of Underwater Art, James Cook University, Reef Ecologic, Reef Check Australia, iNaturalist and traditional owners
Adj Assoc Prof Adam Smith urged people to take time out of their busy jobs and join the expedition and immerse themselves in nature and find and record wild species, both in and out of the water, at locations from Lizard Island to Diamond Reef.
“Citizen science initiatives such as this are a great way for encouraging local and global communities to be inspired and get involved in understanding, monitoring and ultimately protecting their local reef environment,” he said.
We are training people in the popular iNaturalist app which is the largest citizen science project in the world with over 155 million observations of 431,000 species by over 2,788,000 observers.
Visit https://www.coralexpeditions.com/au/destinations/great-barrier-reef/citizen-science/
CONTACT: Adj Assoc Professor Adam Smith, 0418726584