When Eve Hinchliffe first visited the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Port Douglas in Far North Queensland, she never realised it was an ecosystem under threat.

“Growing up, one of my favourite places to holiday was Port Douglas. I went to the reef with my family, and I just remember it being really special place.

“I remember seeing all the different animals underwater and thinking the diversity of life was so interesting.

“At the time, I didn't realise it was something that could go away or die. It just seemed so expansive as a small child,” Eve said.

It wasn’t until high school science when Eve would learn about the impacts of climate change that she would understand the vulnerability of Australia’s natural ecosystems. This would only add fuel to Eve’s desire to learn more about the world around her.

“When I learnt about coral bleaching and climate change – it didn’t make me scared for the future, it made me want to learn more about it.” 

Eve grew up in Melbourne, where visiting the coast was somewhat of a special occasion.

“Not getting a lot of exposure to the ocean every day, I always thought it would be cool to find out more about what's going on out there.

“Dotted throughout my schooling, we would do little trips down the coast to the beach and count different types of seaweed and different intertidal species.”

With an interest in the natural world and a desire to make positive change, Eve studied a Master of Science – Marine Biology and Environmental Management.

“Throughout my studies I always saw management as really important part of marine science as a whole. 

“Science is most useful when it is applied in the real world to make change.

“I always wanted to do something in management and apply the science that’s being done.”

Eve’s interest in science-based management led her to landing a job at Australia’s lead management agency for the Great Barrier Reef, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

She now works as a Senior Policy Officer, on the Southern Plan of Management (POM) project. 
“I currently work in the Marine Park Policy and Planning team, and one of my roles in this team is to create maps that show different perspectives and inform how best to manage the reef.

“I do this by working with groups of stakeholders to identify how they interact with the reef, what they value and what they see as threats to this ecosystem.” 

According to Eve, map making is just as rewarding as it is useful. 

“It helps reef managers see the data in a visual way to understand what’s happening on the reef. For example, if you think about the zoning plan – a list of zone coordinates on a page isn’t as useful as seeing the zones pictured on a map.”

“I'm passionate about making sure we use data to inform our decision making, to make sure we get the best possible outcome for the Great Barrier Reef and the people who depend on it.” 

And like the zoning plan, Eve said the Southern POM is significant in its own way.

“The Southern POM is the first POM to be co-designed from the beginning with Traditional Owners. 

“Rather than most other POMs which work on a smaller geographical scale with location-specific challenges, the Southern POM aims to protect the Marine Park’s values on a larger scale from the impacts of a changing climate and increasing population growth.”

A draft Southern POM is expected to be released for public consultation and feedback in 2030 following an extensive planning process.

For Eve, the Southern POM is an opportunity to turn science and data into practical management for the Reef.

“I think that’s what’s really exciting about working here. We have so much knowledge about the Reef, and my role is about helping make sure that knowledge can actually be used to make decisions that protect it.”