The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Eye on the Reef program (EotR) allows anyone out on the water to collect valuable information on reef health, wildlife and incidents.
This data provides Marine Park managers and researchers with up-to-date information on reef health status and trends, species distribution and early warnings of environmental impacts. This bigger picture understanding informs management decisions and actions which contribute to the long-term protection of the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Eye on the Reef program (EotR) allows anyone out on the water to collect valuable information on reef health, wildlife and incidents.
This data provides Marine Park managers and researchers with up-to-date information on reef health status and trends, species distribution and early warnings of environmental impacts. This bigger picture understanding informs management decisions and actions which contribute to the long-term protection of the Great Barrier Reef.
Anyone can get involved with the EotR program, from interested visitors and citizen scientists to professional marine biologists. There are four ways people can get involved depending on their interest:
The Eye on the Reef Web-platform (EotR platform) encompasses the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s (the Reef Authority) centralised database and data management system containing information about reef health, wildlife and environmental incidents.
The EotR platform contains and manages data from both internal and external sources, across six survey/data collection methods:
Internal information sources include the Reef Joint Field Management Program and the Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) Control Program.
External information sources include tourism operators, researchers, fishers, Traditional Owners, students and interested members of the public.
Within the Reef Authority, different sections contribute and interact with the EotR Program.
The Reef Education and Engagement section utilises the EotR program, to foster enhanced stakeholder and industry stewardship of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Through participation by stakeholders and industries using all elements of the EotR program, the section provides up-to-date information and early warning of emerging incidents to stewards and partners of the Great Barrier Reef. The Tourism Monitoring program underpins site stewardship at high value tourism sites along the Great Barrier Reef. The section develops and manages education and training opportunities for participants.
The COTS Control Program was established to deliver tactical management of COTS populations and protect coral on high-value reefs throughout the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The EotR Program provides valuable reconnaissance information on COTS outbreaks and reef condition through Reef Health and Impact Surveys, Rapid Monitoring Surveys, Tourism Weekly Monitoring Surveys and via the EotR Sightings Network.
The Reef Joint Field Management program oversees the day-to-day management of the Marine Park, its staff also form a significant component of the EotR program through regular contributions of up-to-date RHIS observational information to the EotR database. These data allow Marine Park managers to compare results on individual reefs and between reefs to provide intensive targeted impact assessment for hotspots identified through the early warning system. This enables managers to quickly and effectively allocate limited resources to minimise reef damage and support reef resilience.
The Science for Management section creates integrated, interpretable and visualised data via reporting tools and interactive web interface using multiple databases, including EotR. These tools and reports to provide easy-to-access general information about the Reef, as well as important guidance and management support for decisions relating to Reef health and resilience. This section works closely with the spatial and digital experts at the Authority to manage the EotR database and export data for other sections.
For further information, please visit the Reef Authority's website.