Great Barrier Reef Legacy & Forever Reef Project

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Great Barrier Reef Legacy & Forever Reef Project Not-for-profit specialising in reef research, innovation, education, and public engagement.

Great Barrier Reef Legacy is an innovative leader in collaborative coral reef research expeditions, education, stewardship and multi-media engagement. A not-for-profit social enterprise, Great Barrier Reef Legacy was created to address the urgent need to secure the long-term survival of the Great Barrier Reef and coral reefs world-wide. Built on over 35 years of expedition, tourism, multimedia and

research experience, we deliver groundbreaking projects, innovative science, education and public engagement to accelerate actions vital to the preservation of coral reefs. Through public, private and corporate donations, Great Barrier Reef Legacy brings together the best scientific minds, talented educators and inspired multimedia specialists to create positive and lasting outcomes for our environment.

🪸 Think you know coral? You might be surprised…One of our favourite things about running tours at the Forever Reef Proje...
27/08/2026

🪸 Think you know coral? You might be surprised…

One of our favourite things about running tours at the Forever Reef Project is seeing those “Wait… really?!” moments when visitors discover what actually goes on behind the scenes of a living coral biobank.🐠🌊💙

From the incredible diversity of corals on the Great Barrier Reef, to how we collect, grow and track each colony - and even the possibility of encountering corals new to science - there’s a lot more happening in our tanks than first meets the eye. 🔬✨

We’ve pulled together 5 things visitors are often most surprised to learn when they come through our doors.

👉 Swipe through to discover them.

And sometimes it’s not just what people learn, but how seeing the collection makes them feel. One guest left us today with this:

“I’ve never felt so much admiration for something before 🪸…”

💜 We think that says it better than we ever could.

Come and experience the collection for yourself. Guided tours run Monday - Friday in Port Douglas.

🎟️ Book at foreverreef.org

Which fact surprised you most? 👇

In the ocean, teamwork makes the dream work 🤝🌊 Some of the most fascinating relationships in nature happen beneath the w...
23/08/2026

In the ocean, teamwork makes the dream work 🤝🌊 Some of the most fascinating relationships in nature happen beneath the waves, where unlikely partnerships help species survive and thrive.

From clownfish snuggling safely in anemone tentacles to cleaner shrimp setting up “car wash” stations for fish, these mutually beneficial arrangements are proof that cooperation beats competition.

The ocean is full of these beautiful friendships. Swipe to discover some of the amazing symbiotic relationships in the sea ➡️💙

Repost Ocean Film Festival World Tour

🐦 When a wildlife crisis hits, the impacts aren’t only ecological.As H5N1 bird flu continues to spread around the world,...
18/08/2026

🐦 When a wildlife crisis hits, the impacts aren’t only ecological.

As H5N1 bird flu continues to spread around the world, there’s another consequence that can be harder to quantify: ecological grief — the very real sense of loss, sadness and anxiety people can experience as the natural world they care about is threatened or changed.

This Australian Geographic article by Chloe Watfern and Claudia Benham explores the emotional toll of H5N1, particularly for people who work closely with wildlife and environments at risk.

For those of us who care deeply about the natural world, it’s an important conversation.

🔗 Read the article: https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/nature-wildlife/2026/08/bird-flu-is-fuelling-ecological-grief/

How are you feeling about H5N1 bird flu and its potential impacts on Australian wildlife? Let us know in the comments.

✍️ Chloe Watfern & Claudia Benham, via The Conversation
🎓 UNSW & The University of Queensland

Acts of Deception. Here are two different species of fish: one is poisonous, the other is a harmless mimic. The blacksad...
16/08/2026

Acts of Deception. Here are two different species of fish: one is poisonous, the other is a harmless mimic. The blacksaddle toby is a poisonous pufferfish. Its skin and internal organs contain two powerful neurotoxins, tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin. Tobies and other pufferfish like them evolved the ability to synthesize tetrodotoxin because they are slow and weak swimmers, and so are highly vulnerable to being attacked and eaten by a fish-eating predators. Predators recognize the distinctive colours of a toby as a signal that it’s poisonous and so they don’t eat them. The toby is immune to the toxins within its body.

The blacksaddle filefish is an unrelated, harmless species that has evolved to look and behave like a poisonous toby. By mimicking the poisonous toby, blacksaddle filefish deceive predators and receive the same level of protection: they are unlikely to be attacked and eaten.

When the risk of being eaten by a predator is high, deception by mimicry is a successful survival strategy.

Reposted with permission Prof William Gladstone

Over the weekend a new paper 📄 was published in marine mammal science where scientists have documented shelling behaviou...
14/08/2026

Over the weekend a new paper 📄 was published in marine mammal science where scientists have documented shelling behaviour in dolphins in QLD Australia for the first time!

What’s shelling? 🐚🐬
Shelling is a foraging behaviour where dolphins use large empty seashells to catch fish hiding in them. They lift the shell out of the water and drain the fish into their mouths.

This really unique behaviour is considered a rare type of tool use! 🔨🐚

Until now it was only ever observed in Shark Bay Western Australia which suggests it was likely developed independently in the East and West sides of Australia!

The team also observed a calf pick up a shell and attempt shelling just after its mother had finished shelling. This suggests calves may learn this from their mother - something that hasn’t been seen before with shelling behaviour!

We need more research to truly unpack what these observations mean but it’s a very exciting start!

If you want to learn more you can read the short paper here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.70252

And if you want to see this really neat behaviour swipe right for some drone video footage!

Repost dr_alexis_levengood and supporters/ collaborators: 🐬 CID Environment Foundation, UniSC: Uni of the Sunshine Coast, Blue Dolphin Tours and theBlue Dolphin Tourscott Charitable Trust!

🐬

Conservation begins with connection ✨🪸💙
13/08/2026

Conservation begins with connection ✨🪸💙

We’re thrilled to be featured in the latest edition of Reef & Rivers Magazine from Wet Tropics Waterways! 🪸💜This beautif...
10/08/2026

We’re thrilled to be featured in the latest edition of Reef & Rivers Magazine from Wet Tropics Waterways! 🪸💜

This beautiful edition celebrates the people, science and stories connecting our rainforests, rivers and reefs — including a feature with legendary coral scientist Charlie Veron, who shares his lifelong fascination with corals and why safeguarding coral biodiversity matters for the future of the Great Barrier Reef. The story also shines a light on the Forever Reef Project and our living coral biobank here in Port Douglas.

You’ll also spot our Facility Manager Shania Bolen sharing her experiences of working on the Reef and a message we particularly love: curiosity can turn into care.

A huge thank you to Wet Tropics Waterways for including us — and for showcasing so many of the incredible people working to understand and protect this extraordinary part of the world.

Definitely worth a read! 👇

https://wettropicswaterways.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ReefRivers_Mag26_WEB.pdf

05/08/2026

The largest animal migration on Earth happens every single night—and most people have never heard of it.

As darkness falls, billions of marine animals rise from the deep sea to the ocean’s surface to feed before returning to the depths by sunrise.

Known as the diel vertical migration, this incredible daily journey is one of the most important natural processes on our planet, helping move carbon through the ocean and supporting marine food webs.

🌊 One of Earth’s greatest natural wonders is happening beneath the waves while most of us are asleep.

🎥 by VOX

03/08/2026

🐋 Nature never stops taking our breath away.

As humpback whales make their incredible annual migration along Australia’s east coast, an extraordinarily rare moment has just been captured on camera….a mother humpback giving birth in the wild.

Every winter, thousands of humpbacks travel past our coastline on one of the longest migrations on Earth. If you’re lucky enough to spot them this season, take a moment to appreciate just how remarkable these animals are and the incredible journey they’re making.

Moments like this remind us why protecting healthy oceans matters - not just for coral reefs, but for the countless species that depend on them.

📹 Read the incredible story below and keep an eye on the horizon… whale season is well and truly here! 🐋💙

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