What started in a lab at The University of Queensland back in 2002 has grown into a grassroots movement that’s empowering communities across the Pacific and beyond to conserve one of our most precious natural treasures: coral reefs.
CoralWatch, a citizen science initiative borne right here in Queensland, is helping thousands of everyday people, from schoolkids in Cairns to divers in Fiji, monitor reef health and take meaningful action on climate change. At the heart of the program is a simple but powerful tool: the Coral Health Chart. It works like a colour swatch, allowing volunteers to match and record coral colours, spotting early signs of degradation and feeding their observations into a global database.
This easy-to-use method has made reef monitoring accessible to everyone, regardless of age, background, or scientific training. And the impact has been extraordinary. CoralWatch data has contributed to over 200 scientific publications and supports the work of leading research bodies including AIMS, CSIRO, NOAA, and the PADI AWARE Foundation.
But CoralWatch is more than just science; it’s about community, education, and action.
Its latest initiative, What Can I Do? is helping individuals and households across the region turn awareness into impact. Using insights from behavioural science, the platform offers practical, personalised climate solutions, from reducing energy use to choosing reef-safe products tailored to local lifestyles and contexts.
It’s the people of CoralWatch who truly bring it to life. Take 11-year-old Jasper Stern, a Youth Ambassador from Hervey Bay, and his mum Tanya. Together, they’re inspiring others to tread consciously and protect the marine life that defines so much of our coastal identity.
“Being a CoralWatch ambassador is important because it’s good to educate people about what we can do to help change our ways for the environment,” says Jasper.
Their story is a reminder that climate action isn’t something beyond our grasp. It’s local, personal, and deeply rooted in the places we love.
As warming oceans continue to threaten our reefs, CoralWatch stands as a beacon of hope.
Support CoralWatch
Join us this UQ Giving Day and make a difference.
One colour chart, one volunteer, one coral at a time.
