The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) has a number of assessment and monitoring programs collecting valuable information about reef health and protected and iconic species.

This information is gathered in partnership with a range of stakeholders, such as marine park rangers, researchers, tourism operators, fishers and the broader community.   

Under the umbrella of the Eye on the Reef program there are several monitoring and assessment programs that monitor water quality, the presence of protected species and the health of the Great Barrier Reef.

The program assesses the impacts of incidents on the Marine Park such as cyclones, coral bleaching and disease and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks. 

The Eye on the Reef program includes weekly and rapid monitoring by tourism operators and Reef Health Impact Surveys (RHIS), which are collected by marine park rangers, researchers and the tourism industry.

The program also receives reports from the community through BleachWatch, the Sightings Network and Eyes and Ears incident reporting network.

Information collected by the wide range of Reef users, experts and managers under the Eye on the Reef program is combined in a data management system to produce a Reef-wide picture of ecosystem health. 

The program also provides an up-to-date map of impacts from environmental events such as floods and cyclones.

The GBRMPA uses the information captured by the Eye on the Reef program to improve our understanding of ecosystem resilience, risks to that resilience and develop actions to support Reef resilience to a changing climate.

This will lead to better long-term understanding of Reef impacts, ecosystem function and help us protect the Reef for the future.

Reef Health Impact Survey (RHIS)

RHIS is used to evaluate Reef health and the severity and extent of major impacts.

For example RHIS assessments are the primary source of information on the impacts of coral bleaching and cyclones on the Reef. RHIS reports can be immediately communicated to senior managers, government officials and reef users.

RHIS results can also be used to target and assess the effectiveness of management actions to an impact. More than 2100 RHIS have been collected since 2009, providing information on the health of 10 per cent (295) of the reefs in Marine Park.

The Sightings Network

Established in 2007, the GBRMPA Sightings Network now holds over 5000 records of unusual, iconic, unique or extraordinary creatures of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The reports provide valuable information and inform research and management of the Marine Park. You can become involved in the Sighting Network by submitting a form to the GBRMPA.

The Eye on the Reef Weekly Monitoring Program

The Eye on the Reef Weekly Monitoring Program relies on tourism staff that collect standardised biological information at frequently visited sites. The information is collected at weekly, even daily intervals at a large number of sites spread across a wide geographic area. The data is analysed and reported back to industry staff, Reef managers and the reef research community.

Ears and Eyes incident reporting

Eyes and Ears incident reporting has been set up for those who are regularly out on the water.  Tourism operators and other members of the community can report to GBRMPA things they see that should not be happening in the Marine Park, for example illegal fishing and littering or provide information on damaged moorings.