Show Notes
Send us Fan Mail Cyclones are part of life in the tropics, but climate change is making them stronger and more destructive. On the Great Barrier Reef, their force can pulverise thriving coral gardens into unstable rubble fields where baby corals struggle to grow. But there’s hope! In this week’s episode, we dive into an innovative solution that’s helping damaged reefs bounce back — and discover how you can play a role in bringing them back to life again! This week's guest: Freda Nicholson, ma...
More from Word on the Reef
Send us Fan Mail Scientists are developing powerful cannons which can spray a fine mist of seawater off the back of a boat into the sky, helping clouds form to shade and cool sections of the Great Barrier Reef. But does it work? Are there any side effects? And is this futuristic technology going to be enough to save the reef in the face of worsening climate change? To help answer these questions, our guest on this episode of Word on the Reef is Dr. Daniel Harrison, oceanographer and engineer...
Send us Fan Mail What do bananas have to do with protecting the Great Barrier Reef? More than you might think! In this episode of Word on the Reef, we meet Frank and Dianne Sciacca from Pacific Coast Eco Bananas in Innisfail, who more than 25 years ago took a radical approach to banana farming. By ditching synthetic pesticides and fertilisers and working with nature instead, they’ve been showing that growing delicious bananas and protecting our waterways don’t have to be mutually exclusive. F...
Send us Fan Mail In this episode we sit down with fish vet Matt Landos to unpack the case that pushed him into becoming a vocal advocate for stronger pesticide regulation in Australia. What starts as an investigation into mysterious fish health problems quickly turns into a revelation of how chemical exposure can move through water, air, food webs, and even into our bodies. Thumbnail Image: Two headed bass embryo, by G. Gilson Recommended Resources: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/region...
Send us Fan Mail The whale was bellowing out for help - so Brenton Owens weighed up the risks, and acted. A few days later, he received an infringement notice. In 2024, diver and environmental scientist Brenton Owens and a group of neighbours paddle-boarded out to rescue a humpback whale entangled in a shark net, risking legal action and fines of more than $30,000. Moved by that experience, he recently kayaked more than 1,300 kilometres from the Gold Coast to Airlie Beach to document the impa...
Send us Fan Mail Tyá Dynevor has always felt a special connection with animals, which has led her to becoming an ethnozoologist - someone who studies the relationship between humans and animals. It's something Traditional Owners have known about for millennia. We sat down with Tyá for a powerful discussion about how Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western science can work together to keep Country and people healthy. We dig into reciprocity with nature, the spiritual side of Ind...