Tourism Weekly Monitoring is the original Eye on the Reef program and now forms part of the overarching program. These surveys started in 1997 as a set of observations collected by tourism operators. Today it is one of the largest community based coral reef monitoring collaborations on the planet, and represents a successful partnership between the tourism industry, Marine Park managers and researchers.

Tourism Weekly Monitoring also provides vital reef health trend information to inform the Early Warning System and Incident Response components of GBRMPA's Reef Health Incident Response System, as well as triggers for management actions. This overarching system assesses reef status and helps us to keep an eye on the health and resilience of the Reef as a whole.

Participation requirements

Unlike the Sighting Network and the Rapid Monitoring surveys which are open to the entire community, the Weekly Monitoring program has some requirements for participation.

Upon joining the program, participants must commit to visiting and surveying the sane reef site a minimum of 40 weeks per year, and attend an annual in-water training day run by the GBRMPA and QPWS.

This commitment is vital, as the strength of the Tourism Weekly Monitoring program is in the ability to gather important long-term trend data for particular reef sites.

The survey records reef health indicators, environmental measurements, and the presence of protected and iconic wildlife. All these factors directly relate to specific know concerns about the resilience of the Reef.

In return for providing long-term trend data to managers and scientists, tourism operators gain knowledge to improve the local management of their site, and update reef interpretation tours and products for their visitors.

Further information

Interested in participating or want to know more? Email eyeonthereef@gbrmpa.gov.au