PODCAST

Word on the Reef

Tanya Murphy

Diving into marine science adventures on the Great Barrier Reef and beyond!

science nature

All Episodes

49:07

S3 E8: UNESCO Sounds Alarm on the Great Barrier Reef...

Word on the Reef ·

2026/04/10

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is concerned about the Great Barrier Reef - warning Australia to do more to protect it or risk an “In Danger” listing. So how serious is this threat, and are governments doing enough to respond? This week we're joined by marine ecologist Dr Lissa Schindler from the Australian Marine Conservation Society to unpack what’s behind UNESCO’s warnings - and what we need to do about it. Plus, we take a closer look at a summer of extremes: from coral bleaching to Cy...

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47:49

S3 E7: The Aeroplane that Flies Underwater: A Game...

Word on the Reef ·

2026/04/02

Critics said it would never work. But after 30 years of surveying reefs the hard way - diving with a slate and pencil - marine ecologist Brett Kettle knew there had to be a better way. So he built one. In this episode of Word on the Reef, Tanya Murphy sits down with Brett and the team behind Flying Fish Technologies to reveal the Vertigo 3 Glider—an underwater drone that could revolutionise how we monitor and protect the ocean. Support the show Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat! Please take ...

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47:33

S3 E6: Starfish vs. The Great Barrier Reef: Can We...

Word on the Reef ·

2026/03/22

What has eyes on the tips of its 20 arms, venomous spines, is almost impossible to kill — and is munching the world’s largest reef? Meet the crown-of-thorns starfish. Professor Morgan Pratchett has spent years studying this formidable predator. He’s been on the pointy end of one more than once — and lived to tell the tale. In this episode, he reveals new research that could help tackle this army of millions. To listen to the EXTENDED version of this interview, subscribe here! Support the show...

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43:52

S3 E5: Eco-Grief: Why Loving Nature Can Hurt - and...

Word on the Reef ·

2026/03/15

As climate change, coral bleaching and biodiversity loss dominate the news, many people are experiencing something psychologists now call eco-grief or climate anxiety — the emotional response to witnessing environmental change. To unpack the connection between mental health, climate change and our relationship with nature - this week we're joined by Dr Chloe Watfern, an artist and postdoctoral psychology researcher with the University of New South Wales and the Black Dog Institute, who lives ...

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43:36

S3 E4: Reef Time Capsules: What Coral Cores Reveal...

Word on the Reef ·

2026/03/07

Did you know coral skeletons contain a record of every flood event in Queensland since 1648? We often hear that climate and water pollution conditions on the Great Barrier Reef have changed dramatically since pre-industrial times. But how do we actually know that? After all, weather records only stretch back just over a century, and systematic water quality monitoring only began in the 1980s. The answer is written in the corals themselves. By extracting a core sample — much like studying tree...

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61:08

S3 E3: Coral 2.0: Can Technology Save the Great...

Word on the Reef ·

2026/03/01

For thousands of years, the Great Barrier Reef has had the power to regenerate itself — so until 2017, coral transplantation was illegal. The rule was simple: let nature recover itself. Then mass bleaching events driven by global warming changed everything. This summer, for the first time, scientists released tens of thousands of genetically selected, heat-tolerant baby corals - attaching them to ceramic stars and dropping them from boats in a bid to boost survival. The ambitious goal of this...

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47:04

S3 E2: Dissolving Coral: Ocean Acidification and the...

Word on the Reef ·

2026/02/23

Our oceans are 40% more acidic than pre-industrial times, making it harder for corals, molluscs, crustaceans and plankton to build their calcium carbonate skeletons. It's a crucial planetary boundary we've crossed — threatening reefs, fisheries, tourism, food security, and coastal communities. And almost no one is talking about it. So what’s driving it? What does it mean for the Great Barrier Reef? And what can we do? This week on Word on the Reef, we’re joined by Dr Katharina Fabricius from ...

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44:54

S3 E1: Flantastic Discovery: Giant Dessert-Shaped...

Word on the Reef ·

2026/02/15

CSIRO scientists have discovered a massive underwater mountain, shaped like a half-eaten flan, rising 3,000 metres from the seafloor off the coast of North Queensland. That's taller than Australia’s highest mainland peak, Mount Kosciuszko. And it’s teeming with life. To guide us on a deep dive into this 40-million-year-old extinct volcano and its flantastic inhabitants, our guest on Word on the Reef this week is Marine Geophysicist Dr Chris Yuleridge. Dr Yuleridge also takes us '20 thousands ...

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45:17

S2 E40: Fact or Fiction: Media Misinformation and the...

Word on the Reef ·

2025/12/21

Have you ever felt confused by conflicting media reports about the health of the Great Barrier Reef? If so, you're not alone. New research shows news coverage has often failed to clearly communicate the risks climate change poses to the reef, sometimes fuelling misinformation and climate denial. So what's really happening on the Great Barrier Reef? To help unpack this, our guest today is Dr. Gabi Mocatta, Senior Research Fellow in Climate Science Communication at the University of Tasmania. P...

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41:14

S2 E39: Saving Sea Lions & Albatrosses PLUS Good News...

Word on the Reef ·

2025/12/14

What does the world's largest bird, with a wingspan of up to 3.5 metres, and the Australian Sea Lion have in common? Both are endangered due to their high risk of entanglement in fishing nets. Today's guest, Zoologist Alexia Wellbelove gives us a birds-eye view on how changes to fishing practices can help bring Albatrosses and Sea Lions back from the brink. We'll also unpack recent changes to Australia's nature laws which scientists hope will help slow the alarming rate of extinctions in Aust...

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56:09

S2 E38: Before the Flood: How Fossils Built the Great...

Word on the Reef ·

2025/12/09

What do the Egyptian Pyramids, the Greek Parthenon, the Notre Dame Cathedral and Melbourne's Parliament House all have in common? They are all built out of fossilised reefs, aka limestone! Today we’re taking a journey through deep lime - I mean time - to answer some of those burning questions like: How old is the Great Barrier Reef? What ancient forces built this coral colossus? Why are there fossilised reefs hundreds of metres above sea level and kilometres inland? And perhaps most important...

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40:29

S2 E37: Pig of a Problem: Saving Baby Sea Turtles...

Word on the Reef ·

2025/12/06

Pigs can't fly, nor can they dive in the ocean. But they are posing a serious threat to endangered sea turtles by pigging out on turtle eggs and hatchlings in Cape York. This is not the good kind of bacon and eggs combo. It's Ham-ageddon for our nesting sea turtles! Cape York Natural Resource Management representatives Dr Manuela Fischer and Scott Morrison (no relation to the former Australian PM) are working on a solution! Today they join us in the studio to explain how we can deal with this...

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44:11

S2 E36: Disappearing Islands: The Race to Saving Sea...

Word on the Reef ·

2025/11/30

As the planet warms, more than 3000 sea turtle eggs have been evacuated from low-lying Raine Island on the Great Barrier Reef to save them from rising sea levels. It's an emergency intervention never attempted before on the Great Barrier Reef. But can the eggs survive the relocation? And what does this new frontier mean for the future of our sea turtles and other island-dwelling animals? Dr Mark Read from the Marine Park Authority explains all in this eye-opening episode. Learn more about the...

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42:17

S2 E35: Muddying the Waters: Deforestation and the...

Word on the Reef ·

2025/11/22

Did you know Australia has one of the highest deforestation rates in the developed world? About 20% of Queensland's vegetation has been bulldozed since colonisation -- one million hectares in the last three years alone -- mainly for cattle farming. What impact is this having on the Great Barrier Reef, and what can we do to fix it? To find out, this week we're chatting with Dr Maximilian Hirschfeld, Water Quality Campaign Manager at the Australian Marine Conservation Society. Take Action: Sign...

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44:41

S2 E34: Coral Spawning Research and Protecting...

Word on the Reef ·

2025/11/11

Spring has sprung and it’s baby-making season on the Great Barrier Reef! In this episode we talk coral spawning with marine scientist Dr Katie Chartrand, plus, we dive into the world of mangrove forests with CAFNEC's Shannon Bredeson. More information: JCU Tropwater Spawning SchoolCAFNEC's Mangrove Watch ProgramSupport the show Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat! Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show! PROTECT THE REEF...

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40:48

S2 E33: Top 50 Dive Sites of Australia and the Great...

Word on the Reef ·

2025/10/24

Marine biologist and scuba legend Steve Sinclair is back again this week to finish revealing the Top 50 Dive Sites in Australia. Steve has spent over five decades exploring every reef, wreck and cave from Tasmania to the Top End — and now he’s sharing his secret spots with us! From world-famous coral gardens on the Great Barrier Reef to secret, world-class dive spots you’ve never heard of, Steve shares insider stories and tips from a lifetime beneath the waves. Plus — find out how you could w...

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44:31

S2 E32: Top 50 Dive Sites of Australia and the Great...

Word on the Reef ·

2025/10/17

Think you know Australia’s best dive sites? Think again! Marine biologist and scuba legend Steve Sinclair has spent over five decades exploring every reef, wreck and cave from Tasmania to the Top End — and now he’s revealing the Top 50 Dive Sites in Australia. From world-famous coral gardens on the Great Barrier Reef to secret, world-class dive spots you’ve never heard of, Steve shares insider stories and tips from a lifetime beneath the waves. Plus — find out how you could win free dive trip...

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47:11

S2 E31: Art Meets Ocean: How Creativity, Science &...

Word on the Reef ·

2025/10/10

What do underwater art museums, bomb tests, and citizen science have in common? They're all part of the story of the Great Barrier Reef’s past, present—and possible future. Our guest this week is Dr. Adam Smith—freediver, marine biologist, and founder of Reef Ecologic, a Townsville-based social enterprise leading innovative reef conservation through research, education, and community action. In this episode, we dive into how art, science, and storytelling are being used in powerful ways to p...

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42:25

S2 E30: Seeing Green: Divers Investigate South...

Word on the Reef ·

2025/10/03

Today we're traveling back to South Australia for an update on the devastating toxic algal bloom that's been unfolding there over the last seven months, and what it it's been like for the divers who know and love these waters. Marine Biologist and Divemaster Sarah Franke from Divers for Climate has just returned from a research trip to learn about how the disaster is impacting the South Australian community. She'll also take us inside the Senate Inquiry into the disaster, and let us know whic...

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38:19

S2 E29: Caring for Yirrganydji Sea Country on the...

Word on the Reef ·

2025/09/28

First Nations people have been caring for land and sea along the Great Barrier Reef Coast for thousands of years. In this powerful interview, Traditional Owner Gavin Singleton explains the enduring connection First Nations people have with the Reef, what they're doing to help protect it, and how we can all foster a stronger connection with each other and the Reef. The didgeridoo recording at the end of this episode is from Gavin's 2018 TEDx Talk at JCU. More information: Dawul Wuru Aboriginal...

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Word on the Reef

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