Reef And Rivers Podcast

S5.E10 Dr Robert Walsh, Micro invertebrates in waterways

Micro invertebrates are tiny creatures that are invisible to the naked eye but form the basis of the food web in our waterways. Dr. Robert Walsh talks about the importance and diversity of microfauna for sustaining aquatic systems and reveals that their eggs can remain viable for up to 400-500 years, meaning that extinct species could come alive again if water is added!      

S5.E9 Kim Hooper, Prawn Farming Near the Great Barrier Reef

Australia loves its prawns so much that Queensland's aquaculture industry produces more than $200M of produce of each year, but is it sustainable? Kim Hooper, Executive Officer of the Australian Prawn Farmers Association, talks about the industry, how it works and how it minimises its impact on local waterways.     

S5.E8 Gareth Phillips, Tourism and Conservation on the Great Barrier Reef

Millions of tourists come to north Queensland each year to experience the natural wonder of the Great Barrier Reef. This influx of people from around the world represents an opportunity to educate and inform people about the complexity of the reef system and the threats that it faces.     In this week’s Reef & Rivers podcast, Gareth Phillips, CEO of the Australian Marine Park Tourism Operators, talks about the link between science and reef tourism and how tourism can support conservation...

S5.E7 Associate Professor Mike Rasheed and Paul Doyle, Seagrass

Seagrass meadows play a critically important role in the reef ecosystem. They are nursery habitat for fish and prawns, they stabilise sediment and protect coastlines from erosion, they suck up and filter nutrients coming down from rivers into the reef lagoon, they absorb carbon and also help buffer the reef from pathogens and diseases.  Associate Professor at JCU Mike Rasheed shares some of his knowledge about seagrass and how researchers are monitoring seagrass meadows in the Wet Tropics...

S5.E6 Fiona Barron, Tracking Progress on Great Barrier Reef Water Quality

The Great Barrier Reef is about the size of Japan or Italy and there are millions of dollars being invested in improving the runoff of water flowing off the land. How do we know if these reef projects are actually working?  Fiona Barron is the coordinator of the Paddock to Reef Program in the Wet Tropics, which tracks progress against targets in Australia's Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan.   

S5.E5 Mark Kennard, Bloomfield River Cod

Professor Mark Kennard discovered the Bloomfield River Cod in the early 90's whilst undertaking fish surveys as a research assistant. It is the only tropical cod in the world that has avoided predators by living in an 11 kms stretch of the Bloomfield River between two waterfalls.  

S5.E4 Dr Samantha Tol, Dugongs, Turtles and Seagrass

Did you know that seagrass is the only plant in the world that is capable of fruiting and flowering underwater? This is just one of many fascinating facts shared by Dr. Samantha Tol in this week’s Reef & Rivers podcast. Samantha is a researcher at JCU and well known in the marine science world for her research into dugong and sea turtle poo. Her findings confirmed that dugongs and turtles are like the cassowaries of the ocean – by consuming seeds they increase the seeds viability and dispers...

S5.E3 - Joe Marano, Cane Farming by the Great Barrier Reef

The sugarcane industry is a highly visible part of the Wet Tropics landscape – if you drive between Ingham and the Daintree, you can’t miss it. Employing more than 4000 direct jobs and supporting another 1800, it contributes over $630 million to our local rural economies. However, since the health of the Great Barrier Reef has been in the spotlight, so too has the impact of the sugar industry on water quality. In this week’s Reef & Rivers podcast, we’re joined by Joe Marano, a proud sugarc...

S5.E2 - Nathan Waltham, Restoring Coastal Wetlands

Nathan Waltham, Senior Principal Researcher at James Cook University, is an expert in coastal landscape ecology and processes.  In this episode of the Reef & Rivers podcast Nathan talks about the importance of different wetland habitats, the pressures from urban development and the future fo restoration work. 

S5. E1 Greg Vinall, Results of the 2023 Wet Tropics Waterway Health Report Card

This is the 8th annual Wet Tropics Waterway Health Report Card to be released by Wet Tropics Waterways to assess the health and condition of freshwater basins, estuaries, inshore and offshore areas of the Wet Tropics in Far North Queensland.  Independent Chair Dr Greg Vinall explains some of the key findings in 2023.

S4.E10 The role of aquariums as educators

If you’ve visited the Cairns Aquarium you’ll know that biodiversity and conservation education are a driving force behind their business model. In fact, raising awareness about the biodiversity in our world heritage-listed reef and rainforest underpins their entire philosophy. With over 100,000 visitors annually, the Aquarium is in a unique position to educate and influence. Christine Jorgensen is a senior wildlife educator at the Aquarium and joins us to talk about the role that the aquar...

S4.E9 A blueprint for turbo-charging reef water quality progress

The Wet Tropics Major Integrated Project was an ambitious 4-year social change and reef water quality project, and has been described as a blueprint to accelerating progress towards achieving reef water quality targets. The project had unprecedented engagement from the agricultural sector and resulted in 23,966 of hectares of land under confirmed practice change, and saved an estimated 73 tonnes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen from flowing to the reef.  Fiona George was the project lead ...

S4.E8 Bum breathers - the Johnstone River snapping turtle

Despite its name, the Johnstone River snapping turtle is no snappier than any other freshwater turtle – and is perhaps better known by its alias, the ‘bum breather’. According to turtle expert Alistair Freeman, this ability for cloacal respiration is thought to enable bum breathers to stay under water for prolonged periods to avoid predation, although this is still only theory. Robust and adaptable, the Johnstone River snapping turtle is an important contributor to keeping its freshwater e...

S4.E7 Using eDNA to find endangered frogs

S4.E6 Keeping tabs on mangroves

Mangroves and saltmarsh are important coastal ecosystems that help purify water, buffer coastal communities from extreme weather and provide fish nurseries for our recreational and commercial fishing industries. They’re also among the most efficient ecosystems in the world at sequestering and storing carbon – but are under threat from climate change as well as local pressures such as urban development, rubbish, pollution and weeds. Alex Sinchak leads the Cairns and Far North Environment Ce...

S4.E5 From pets to pests - ornamental fish gone rogue

They might look pretty – or at least, pretty harmless, but Australia’s ornamental fish trade can pose a serious threat to our waterways. Once an invasive is established, it makes eradication almost impossible, which means prevention is always better than cure. In this episode we’re joined by freshwater fish biologist Mariah Millington to find out exactly what impact ornamental fish are having on our native species, as well as what we can do to encourage responsible fish ownership.

S4.E4 The changing face of tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclones, though destructive, are part of the natural dynamics of the rainforest and reef. We often see their land-based impacts most vividly, but they also impact coral reefs and seagrass beds. We catch up with Professor Steve Turton to find out how anthropogenic climate change is changing the frequency, intensity and location of cyclones, and what this means for reef and seagrass beds.

S4.E3 Tracking bull sharks

Equal parts fearful and fascinating, bull sharks have a reputation as strong, aggressive sharks and are one of the most common species that anglers are likely to encounter in the estuaries and inshore marine zone. Nicolas Lubitz is a Ph.D candidate at James Cook University, and tracks bull sharks to find out where they travel and why. Join us to learn about the unique life cycles of bull sharks, whether they might be exhibiting natal philpatry, and what climate change means for their habit...

S4.E2 Pharmaceutical-filled waterways

When we think about waterway pollution, things like paracetamol and caffeine probably aren’t the first things that come to mind – but they’re among the alarmingly long list of pharmaceuticals and consumables that are literally passing through our bodies and into waterways. Ecotoxicologist Dr Frederic Leusch joins us to talk about what’s turning up, where it’s turning up, and what it means for aquatic critters.

S4.E1 Wet Tropics Waterway Health Report Card Results - 2022

The 2022 Wet Tropics Waterway Health Report Card was released today. A lot of complex science goes on behind the report, and it can get a bit heavy, so we asked our Independent Chair Dr Greg Vinall to break it down. Join us, to learn about the good news stories and the areas in which we could be doing better; what’s impacting waterway health grades and what’s being done to mitigate threats; and how we’re increasing our ability to analyse the health of our waterways.   

Season 3 Episode 7: Report Card Results

The science is in, and the results are out. The 2021 Report Card grades the condition of the freshwater basins, estuaries and marine environments across the Wet Tropics as an action of the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan. Join our Chair and Exec Officer to hear an overview of the results. 

Season 3 Episode 6: Ports North - Environmental Responsibility in the Shipping Lane

Ports North is responsible for the development and management of the Ports of Cairns, Cape Flattery, Karumba, Mourilyan, Skardon River, Quintell Beach, Thursday Island, Burketown and Cooktown. Manager of Sustainability and External Policy, Paul Doyle, joins the podcast to talk about Ports North’s operations in the Wet Tropics, the Cairns shipping dredging project, and recent work on their environmental sustainability strategy.

Season 3 Episode 5: Carole Sweatman from GreenCollar

Season 3 Episode 4: Cathy Retter from Kuranda Envirocare

Season 3 Episode 3: Dr Lynne Powell from Cairns Regional Council

Season 3 Episode 2: Aaron Davis on Working With Canegrowers on Project 25

Season 3 Episode 1: Gareth Phillips from Reef Teach & AMPTO

Season 2 Episode 14: Professor Steve Turton on the 2020 Results

Season 2 Episode 13: Travis Sydes on Aquatic Weeds

Season 2 Episode 12: Matt Brien on Crocodiles

Season 2 Episode 11: Dr Michael Rasheed on Seagrass

Season 2 Episode 10: Leanne Carr on Farm Nutrient Planning

Season 2 Episode 9: Matt Moore Talks Fish Barriers

Season 2 Episode 8: The Evolution of Environmental Report Cards

Bill Dennison and Simon Costanza from the University of Maryland talk about the history and evolution of environmental report cards as a process for galvanising communities to improve environmental conditions. 

Season 2 Episode 7: Alicia Buckle on the MIP's Local Scale Monitoring Program

Water quality monitoring can be done on lots of different scales. Great Barrier Reef monitoring is done on a catchment scale with the results reflecting what's happening over a very large area. While this is useful to give a big picture perspective on the reef it is less relevant to farmers and doesn't give them any information about what changes they need to be making on their particular paddocks. The Major Integrated Project is unique in that it provides local scale monitoring to farmers a...

Season 2 Episode 6: Ausmap Microplastics With Michelle Blewitt

Season 2 Episode 5: Suzette Argent on Constructed Wetlands

Season 2 Episode 4: David Moffatt on Fish Surveys

Season 2 Episode 3: Dr Ryan Turner on Pesticides

Season 2 Episode 2: Dr Karl Bowles on PFAS

Season 2 Episode 1: Michelle McKinlay from ABGC

Over 90% of Australia's bananas are grown in the Wet Tropics but with increasing pressure on our agricultural sectors to become more environmentally sustainable, the banana industry is making changes to improve the quality of water flowing off banana farms into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. Michelle McKinlay, Industry Manager for the Australian Banana Growers Council, talks about what banana farmers are doing to become more environmentally sustainable. 

Steve Turton: 2019 Wet Tropics Report Card Results

In July 2019 the fourth Wet Tropics Waterway Health report card was launched, highlighting the condition of the basins, estuaries and marine zones from the Daintree in the north to Hinchinbrook in the south. Wet Tropics Waterways chair Steve Turton describes the results of the report card program, discussing changes since the 2018 report card and the ongoing development of waterway health indicators.  

Episode 20: Steve Turton Talks Climate Change Implications For The Wet Tropics

Climate change forecasts indicate that the Wet Tropics can look forward to more rainfall, more severe cyclones and warmer temperatures, according to Professor Steve Turton. This will have implications for the reef, mangrove and seagrass ecosystems in the region, as well as the freshwater systems that drain our basins. But while there are some concerns, there is still plenty of hope and even a few positive outcomes from the climate change story. 

Episode 19: Suzette Argent explains bioreactors.

Bioreactors show a lot of promise for denitifying and "polishing" groundwater before it is expressed into waterways or direct to the Great Barrier Reef via wonky holes (undersea springs). Whilst they won't negate the need to better manage our nitrogen loads to surface and ground waters, the ability to intercept and remove nitrogen could play an important role in reducing our overall impacts. In future they may even be a useful money earner for landholders wanting to explore the proposed Re...

Episode 18: Understanding Paddock To Reef With Fiona Barron

Fiona Barron is the Wet Tropics Coordinator of the Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting program (P2R), a world leading scientific program funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments that links on-ground practice changes by farmers to measureable improvements in water quality flowing to the Great Barrier Reef. P2R provides information on how well Australia is progressing towards it Reef 2050 targets. It helps us assess how well our water quality projects ar...

Episode 17: Denis Walls From CAFNEC

Episode 16: David Hardwick Talks Soil Health And Wet Tropics Waterways

Agro-Ecologist David Hardwick has been working in the farming and food industry for over 20 years. As an expert on soils, agronomy and organics he has been working with many farmers throughout the Wet Tropics to build knowledge and skills about soil as a farm business asset. Besides being important for farm productivity, good soil health also has important benefits for waterway health. In this episode, David explains the connection between soil and water and what programs are taking place ...

Episode 15: Heidi Taylor from Tangaroa Blue talks about plastic waste

Tangaroa Blue is a not for profit organisation involved in the cleanup and cataloguing of plastic debris from our coastlines, as well as educational campaigns regarding plastic waste management and minimisation. In this episode Tangaroa Blue Managing Director Heidi Taylor describes the scale of the problem, the impacts on our environment and the activities undertaken by her organisation to address the issues. Central to the strategy is Heidi's philosophy of recording the waste collected ...

Episode 14: Biosecurity and pest fish threats to the wet tropics region

The introduction and spread of noxious aquatic fauna and flora can be particularly damaging to the health of our waterways. Once introduced, these invasive species often can't be eradicated, even controlling their spread and proliferation can be expensive and extremely challenging. The damage that alien (exotic) species can do to our delicate ecosystems varies depending on the species of concern and on the ecosystems into which they are introduced. Some can colonise in low numbers and coex...

Episode 13: Woodleigh Station Land Management Project

Woodleigh Station is a working beef cattle business that embraced sustainable landuse and grazing best practice. Management of stocking levels, extensive fencing and provision of of stream watering points are strategies adopted by the station to ensure long-term sustainability. In this episode Greg talks to landholder Kate Wardell about their strategies and the implications for their business. In particular, the discussion turns to a project to stabilise a major erosion system on the stati...