Word on the Reef

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When Professor Helene Marsh first began researching dugongs on the Great Barrier Reef, the only ones she encountered were dead - tangled in fishing nets.

Then, in the 1990s, Queensland became the centre of a fierce conservation battle known as the “Dugong Wars”. No torpedoes were fired, but the conflict between marine scientists, industry groups and governments was intense, as researchers like Professor Marsh fought to remove nets from critical dugong habitat.

Today, dugongs face even greater threats, from climate change and habitat loss to extreme weather and declining seagrass meadows. In this episode, Professor Marsh shares the remarkable story of the Dugong Wars, the science behind these elusive “mermaids of the sea”, and the urgent mission to ensure they survive into the future.

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• SUPPORT THE SHOW: Become a supporter to connect with Tanya and Brett, get a shout-out on the show, ask us questions and suggest episode topics! 
• Got questions? Email [email protected]
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on Instagram

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Ti...

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He's broken several world records: largest group skydive, longest scuba dive on a single tank—and the most species of nudibranchs ever found on a single dive (71).

He's spent 23 years chasing these tiny creatures, building a global following of more than 60,000 people who are equally obsessed.

But what even is a nudibranch—and why are thousands of people going nuts over them?

Well, they dress like drag queens, some of them can fire miniature deadly spears out of their flubbery bits, and some can even walk on water like Jesus — but upside down, and with only one foot.

In this fun and outlandish interview with the world's biggest nudie fanatic, we get up close and personal with these outrageously beautiful, neon-coloured ocean jewels found in every corner of our seas.

Listeners be warned: nudibranchs can be surprisingly addictive.

(I mean, JUST LOOK at the nudibranch in the thumbnail image. Does he look like he's the slightest bit bothered by ANYTHING or ANYONE? Go off, you fabulous creature!)

More info:

• Gary's Website, Gallery and Blog: www.nudibranch.com.au
• Gary's Facebook Page: Nudibranch Central
• 'My Nudibranch Passion': Short film about Gary showing his dive site at the Mooloolah River and many of the nudibranchs discussed in this episode.
• "Dive Into the Exotic World of Nudibranchs, the Spectacular Slugs of the Sea" - article about Gary in Smithsonian Magazine.

Cyclone Maila News Audio: Australian Broadcasting Association.

Support the show

-------

• SUPPORT THE SHOW: Become a supporter to connect with Tanya and Brett, get a shout-out on the show, ask us questions and suggest episode topics! 
• Got questions? Email [email protected]
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on Instagram

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Ti...

Send us Fan Mail

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is concerned about the Great Barrier Reef - warning Australia to do more to protect it or risk an “In Danger” listing. So how serious is this threat, and are governments doing enough to respond?

This week we're joined by marine ecologist Dr Lissa Schindler from the Australian Marine Conservation Society to unpack what’s behind UNESCO’s warnings - and what we need to do about it.

Plus, we take a closer look at a summer of extremes: from coral bleaching to Cyclone Narelle’s impacts on marine life and coastal communities from the Great Barrier Reef to Ningaloo Reef.

Thumbnail Image: Clownfish in bleached anemone, 28 March 2026, Tanya Murphy.

Support the show

-------

• SUPPORT THE SHOW: Become a supporter to connect with Tanya and Brett, get a shout-out on the show, ask us questions and suggest episode topics! 
• Got questions? Email [email protected]
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on Instagram

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Ti...

Send us Fan Mail

Critics said it would never work. But after 30 years of surveying reefs the hard way - diving with a slate and pencil - marine ecologist Brett Kettle knew there had to be a better way. So he built one.
In this episode of Word on the Reef, Tanya Murphy sits down with Brett and the team behind Flying Fish Technologies to reveal the Vertigo 3 Glider—an underwater drone that could revolutionise how we monitor and protect the ocean.

Support the show

-------

• SUPPORT THE SHOW: Become a supporter to connect with Tanya and Brett, get a shout-out on the show, ask us questions and suggest episode topics! 
• Got questions? Email [email protected]
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on Instagram

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Ti...

What has eyes on the tips of its 20 arms, venomous spines, is almost impossible to kill — and is munching the world’s largest reef?
Meet the crown-of-thorns starfish.
Professor Morgan Pratchett has spent years studying this formidable predator. He’s been on the pointy end of one more than once — and lived to tell the tale.
In this episode, he reveals new research that could help tackle this army of millions.

To listen to the EXTENDED version of this interview, subscribe here!

Support the show

Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!
Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Tide: ...

Send us Fan Mail

What has eyes on the tips of its 20 arms, venomous spines, is almost impossible to kill — and is munching the world’s largest reef?
Meet the crown-of-thorns starfish.
Professor Morgan Pratchett has spent years studying this formidable predator. He’s been on the pointy end of one more than once — and lived to tell the tale.
In this episode, he reveals new research that could help tackle this army of millions.

Support the show

-------

• SUPPORT THE SHOW: Become a supporter to connect with Tanya and Brett, get a shout-out on the show, ask us questions and suggest episode topics! 
• Got questions? Email [email protected]
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on Instagram

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Ti...

Send us Fan Mail

As climate change, coral bleaching and biodiversity loss dominate the news, many people are experiencing something psychologists now call eco-grief or climate anxiety — the emotional response to witnessing environmental change.

To unpack the connection between mental health, climate change and our relationship with nature - this week we're joined by Dr Chloe Watfern, an artist and postdoctoral psychology researcher with the University of New South Wales and the Black Dog Institute, who lives on Magnetic Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

We'll cover:

• Why environmental grief and climate anxiety are normal human responses
• How creativity can help people process ecological loss
• How to stay engaged in climate action without burning out
• How parents can talk to children about climate change without overwhelming them
• The mental health benefits of spending time in nature and the ocean

It’s an honest, thoughtful and ultimately hopeful conversation about loving the places that matter to us — even when they’re under threat.

Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/wordonthereefpodcast

MORE INFO:

• Writing Through Eco-Grief Workshop: Cairns, Tue 24th March 2026, 6pm-7:30pm.
• EcoMinds Open Letter by mental health professionals - Climate science, not climate silence: Safe, accurate climate education helps, not harms, young Australians’ mental health.
• Psychology for a Safe Climate
• Climate Cafe Events

Support the show

-------

• SUPPORT THE SHOW: Become a supporter to connect with Tanya and Brett, get a shout-out on the show, ask us questions and suggest episode topics! 
• Got questions? Email [email protected]
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on Instagram

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Ti...

As climate change, coral bleaching and biodiversity loss dominate the news, many people are experiencing something psychologists now call eco-grief or climate anxiety — the emotional response to witnessing environmental change.

To unpack the connection between mental health, climate change and our relationship with nature - this week we're joined by Dr Chloe Watfern, an artist and postdoctoral psychology researcher with the University of New South Wales and the Black Dog Institute, who lives on Magnetic Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

We'll cover why environmental grief and climate anxiety are normal human responses, how creativity can help people process ecological loss, how parents can talk to children about climate change without overwhelming them, and much more.

It’s an honest, thoughtful and ultimately hopeful conversation about loving the places that matter to us — even when they’re under threat.

To hear the extended version of this episode, subscribe on Patreon: www.patreon.com/wordonthereefpodcast

MORE INFO:

• Writing Through Eco-Grief Workshop: Cairns, Tue 24th March 2026, 6pm-7:30pm.
• EcoMinds Open Letter by mental health professionals - Climate science, not climate silence: Safe, accurate climate education helps, not harms, young Australians’ mental health.
• Psychology for a Safe Climate
• Climate Cafe Events

Support the show

Help Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!
Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Tide: ...

Send us Fan Mail

Did you know coral skeletons contain a record of every flood event in Queensland since 1648?

We often hear that climate and water pollution conditions on the Great Barrier Reef have changed dramatically since pre-industrial times. But how do we actually know that? After all, weather records only stretch back just over a century, and systematic water quality monitoring only began in the 1980s.

The answer is written in the corals themselves. By extracting a core sample — much like studying tree rings — scientists can read the chemical signatures locked inside the growth layers of coral skeletons, revealing what ocean conditions were like hundreds of years ago.

So what stories are those coral cores telling us? To find out, we’re joined today by Dr Stephen Lewis, Senior Principal Research Officer specialising in water quality at James Cook University in Townsville.

Support the show

-------

• SUPPORT THE SHOW: Become a supporter to connect with Tanya and Brett, get a shout-out on the show, ask us questions and suggest episode topics! 
• Got questions? Email [email protected]
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on Instagram

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Ti...

Send us Fan Mail

For thousands of years, the Great Barrier Reef has had the power to regenerate itself — so until 2017, coral transplantation was illegal. The rule was simple: let nature recover itself. Then mass bleaching events driven by global warming changed everything.

This summer, scientists released tens of thousands of baby corals - attaching them to ceramic stars and dropping them from boats in a bid to boost survival. The ambitious goal of this government-funded project is to plant millions of these devices using robots.

But can engineered human intervention work at the scale of an ecosystem the size of Japan? Is restoration a lifeline - or a distraction from cutting climate emissions? And what’s riskier: playing God with nature, or doing nothing?

This week, we're joined by Dr Cedric Robillot, Executive Director of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program, to explore what the Reef’s future looks like.

Support the show

-------

• SUPPORT THE SHOW: Become a supporter to connect with Tanya and Brett, get a shout-out on the show, ask us questions and suggest episode topics! 
• Got questions? Email [email protected]
• Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on Instagram

PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
• Rising Ti...