logo
episode-header-image
Jul 21
29m 40s

Great Barrier Reef Aquarium redevelopmen...

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
About this episode

Since opening in 1987, the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium (formerly Reef HQ) has provided millions of people a chance to experience the magic and wonder of the Reef without getting wet. It’s home to the world’s largest living coral reef aquarium and has inspired curiosity, learning, and love for the Reef across generations.

After closing to the public for major upgrades, questions have been raised. Will it reopen? Is there funding to finish the job? What does the future hold for this iconic tourism and education facility in Townsville?

In this episode, we speak with Fred Nucifora, the Reef Authority’s General Manager of Major Projects, to get the facts on the redevelopment and the vital role the Aquarium continues to play in Reef education, science, and storytelling.

Up next
Aug 15
Hooked on sustainability ft. Rob Paxevanos
Join us for a conversation with Rob Paxevanos, author of Australian Fishing Basics and host of Fishing Australia, as we dive into what it means to fish smarter, not harder, on the Great Barrier Reef. Rob shares practical, easy-to-use tips for recreational fishers on gear choice, ... Show More
40m 4s
Jun 25
From protection to partnership: the Reef management journey ft. Dr Ian Poiner
In this special 50th anniversary episode, we take a look back, and forward at how theGreat Barrier Reef has been cared for over the past five decades. Joining us is Dr IanPoiner, long-time marine scientist and Chair of the Reef Authority board. Often described as the best-managed ... Show More
24m 53s
Jun 19
Saving the Great Barrier Reef: How a movement became a Marine Park ft. Rohan Lloyd
Protecting the Reef isn’t just about science. It’s about people, passion, and persistence. The fight to save the Reef started with everyday Australians who cared enough to act, and 50 years later, that same spirit is just as important. The Reef’s story is our story, and it’s stil ... Show More
37m 55s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 5
A new lifeline for the world's coral reefs | Theresa Fyffe
Coral reefs are the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet and the lifeblood of a thriving ocean. Yet without action, 90 percent of coral reefs could die by 2050. Fortunately, reef guardian Theresa Fyffe has a plan. Learn how her team at the Great Barrier Reef Foundation is roll ... Show More
10m 9s
Dec 2022
What does Cop15’s buzzword ‘nature positive’ mean?
A historic deal has been struck at the UN’s biodiversity conference, Cop15, which will set a course for nature recovery from now until 2050, including a target to protect 30% of the planet for nature by the end of the decade. One of the key phrases guiding the summit across the t ... Show More
14m 21s
Nov 2024
From Sea to Rising Sea
Sea level rise is this big, scary reality. We’re always hearing predictions from scientists that the oceans will swallow islands, flood major cities, and wipe out huge stretches of coastline. The longer we burn fossil fuels, the bigger the surge. It sounds apocalyptic on this hug ... Show More
36m 14s
Sep 2024
My mission to protect threatened mangroves
Sigit Sasmito describes how his research at James Cook University in Brisbane, Australia, is helping to protect both peatlands and mangroves across southeast Asia, as part of a drive to meet Sustainable Development Goal 15. The goal, one of 17 agreed by the United Nations in 2015 ... Show More
25m 19s
Jul 2024
How do you clean up an oil spill?
The Philippines is racing to contain the oil from a tanker that sank on Thursday in the midst of heavy rains from Typhoon Gaemi. It was carrying 1.5 million litres of oil, and the spread of it could cause an environmental catastrophe. We hear the latest on the coast guard operati ... Show More
13m 54s
Feb 2025
Steve Lonergan and Jassim Al-Asadi | The Ghosts of Iraq's Marshes: A History of Conflict, Tragedy, and Restoration
In this episode of Ehkili, Mysa Kafil-Hussain speaks with Jassim Al-Assadi and Steve Lonergan, authors of "The Ghosts of Iraq's Marshes: A History of Conflict, Tragedy, and Restoration." They delve into the history, environmental challenges, and cultural significance of the marsh ... Show More
53m 57s
Dec 2024
Sacred and Submerged
The Lemon Tree Mound is a sacred place for the Atakapa/Ishak-Chawasha tribe. And it's disappearing under the rising waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In this episode, we travel out into the bayous of South Louisiana to understand what this one small sacred place means for the Land Ba ... Show More
23m 55s
Jun 2024
The swimming pool
The swimming pool: Laurie Taylor explores its iconic role in our culture, as well as its unspoken rules, routines and rituals. Piotr Florczyk, forming swimming champion and Assistant Professor of Global Literary Studies at the University of Washington, considers the allure of an ... Show More
27m 55s
May 2023
Rob Verchick, "The Octopus in the Parking Garage: A Call for Climate Resilience" (Columbia UP, 2023)
One morning in Miami Beach, an unexpected guest showed up in a luxury condominium complex’s parking garage: an octopus. The image quickly went viral. But the octopus―and the combination of infrastructure quirks and climate impacts that left it stranded―is more than a funny meme. ... Show More
1h 15m
Aug 15
Weighing Good Intentions
In an episode first released in 2010, then-producer Lulu Miller drives to Michigan to track down the endangered Kirtland’s warbler. Efforts to protect the bird have lead to the killing of cowbirds (a species that commandeers warbler nests), and a prescribed burn aimed at creating ... Show More
25m 29s