There are many research and information programs conducted in the Marine Park. These range from small independent student projects to large, multi-agency collaborative programs with teams of world-leading scientists.

The Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) is administered in north Queensland by the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Ltd.  The MTSRF is part of the Australian Government's Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities program, which is managed by the federal Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.

Through a consortium of 15 research agencies, involving around 300 scientists, the Centre aims to deliver science specifically addressing problems facing north Queensland's key environmental assets: the Great Barrier Reef and its catchments, tropical rainforests including the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, the the Torres Strait. MTSRF research relevant to the Great Barrier Reef includes:

• Status and Trends of Species and Ecosystems in the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Species and Communities of Conservation Concern
  
• Climate Change: Great Barrier Reef
  
• Understanding Threats and Impacts of Invasive Pests in Ecosystems
  
• Halting and Reversing Decline in Water Quality
  
• Sustainable Use and Management of Marine Resources of the Great Barrier Reef
  

The Reef and Rainforest Research Centre also administers the Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program on behalf of the GBRMPA. The monitoring providers for this long term program are James Cook University, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology, and Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries.

Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) research programs support management of tropical marine environments around the world, with primary focus on the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, the Ningaloo Marine Park in Western Australia and north-west Australia. AIMS research programs include:

• Biodiversity
  
• Responding to Climate Change
  
• Ecosystem Health
  
• Marine Microbes
  
• Monitoring
  
• Sustainable Use of Marine Resources
  
• Water Quality
  

James Cook University (JCU) conducts research in areas such as marine sciences, biodiversity, tropical ecology and environments, global warming, tourism, tropical medicine and public health care in under-served populations. View recent publications.

Research particularly relevant to the Great Barrier Reef is undertaken at JCU School of Marine and Tropical Biology and the Fishing and Fisheries Research Centre. JCU also participates in the following partnerships and collaborations:

• Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change
  
• Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
  
• AIMS @ JCU
  

The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies program is funded through the Australian Government and is a partnership between James Cook University, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the Australian National University, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the University of Queensland. The centre carries out a wide range of research on the sustainable use and management of coral reefs. 

Centre for Marine Studies at University of Queensland maintains a research program that spans many fields of marine and coastal science. View recent publications.

Centre for Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Science at University of Queensland aims to provide a research and training environment for solving problems associated with mapping, monitoring and modelling various environments using geospatial data and analysis.

CSIRO's Marine and Atmospheric Research Division works at five sites around Australia with its head office in Hobart, Tasmania. Current research includes climate change, fisheries and the marine environment.

Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries undertake fisheries and aquaculture research projects. They also have a monitoring program for commercial and recreational fisheries.

The results of some GBRMPA supported research projects are documented as GBRMPA research publications.

View other GBRMPA publications regarding management, research and general reef issues.

Search for peer reviewed journal articles at Google Scholar.

Other organisations and programs

The Coral Reef Targeted Research and Capacity Building for Management (CRTR) Program is a proactive research and capacity building partnership that aims to lay the foundation in filling crucial knowledge gaps in the core research areas of coral bleaching, connectivity, coral diseases, coral restoration and remediation, remote sensing and modelling and decision support.

The Australian Coral Reef Society is the oldest organisation in the world concerned with the study and protection of coral reefs. While the Society has historically concentrated on the Great Barrier Reef, its focus has expanded to include all coral reefs in Australian waters, particularly in Western Australia.

International Society for Reef Studies. The principal objective of the Society is to promote for the benefit of the public, the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge and understanding of coral reefs, both living and fossil.

The Pew Environment Group is part of the Pew Charitable Trusts. The Pew Environment Group comprises of more than 115 staff with a presence throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean, making it one of the largest scientific and environmental advocacy organisations. Much of their work addresses climate change, protecting ocean life and wilderness protection and public lands.