BALLINCOLLIG’S KATE REACHES OUT TO PROTECT FUTURE OF GREAT BARRIER REEF
‘REEF WATCH’ INITIATIVE NOMINATED FOR A PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL AWARD DUBBED ‘THE OSCARS OF THE INTERNET’
A CONSERVATION project protecting marine life on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef founded by Ballincollig woman Kate O’Callaghan (mainphoto) and her husband has been nominated for a prestigious international award.
Reef Tracks, launched last year on the BBC’s ground-breaking ‘Blue Planet Live’ show, allows viewers across the world to track turtles, manta rays and sharks in real time on the reef.
The initiative has now been nominated in the ‘Best Science Website’ category in the 24th annual Webby Awards, dubbed ‘ The Oscars of the Internet’, alongside the likes of NASA and National Geographic. “This is a critical time on the Reef and this kind of attention can make a real difference in the water,” said Kate.
A CONSERVATION project dedicated to tracking and protecting marine life on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef founded by a Ballincollig woman and her husband has been nominated for a prestigious international award.
Reef Tracks, developed under the auspices of the Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef umbrella group, a collective of individuals, organisations and businesses working to preserve the endangered Reef, is the brainchild of Kate O’Callaghan and her Australian husband Som Meaden.
Launched last year on the BBC’s ground-breaking ‘Blue Planet Live’ show, it allows viewers across the world to track turtles, manta rays and sharks in real time on the Reef.
The initiative has now been nominated in the ‘Best Science Website’ category in the 24th annual Webby Awards, dubbed ‘ The Oscars of the Internet’, alongside other behemoths of the science world including NASA and National Geographic.
Described as “the Internet’s highest honour” by The New York Times The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IASAS), recognise the best and most innovative websites in the world.
As a nominee, Reef Tracks is also eligible to win a Webby ‘People’s Voice’ award, which is decided by the public with people able to cast their vote by Friday’s deadline by following the link at www.webbyawards.com.
An entirely self-funded initiative, Reef Tracks was set up to bring together data from a range of sources and map it on the Great Barrier Reef. It offers a global audience a fascinating and easily accessible look at marine life on the Reef, with the data it collects used to inform various different conservation projects.
Kate O’Callaghan said the platform is part of ongoing efforts by The Citizens of the Great Barrier’s Reef, to build an engaging suite of online tools to inspire and educate people about the largest living structure on the planet and its fragile ecosystem.
It is also a key element of a wider co-operative Reef-wide network encompassing science, conservation and tourism.
“Som and I are thrilled to have been nominated for this award. This is a critical time on the Reef and this kind of attention can make a real difference in the water,” said Kate.
“Our website isn’t just great fun for marine life in real-time, it’s also key to providing real conservation outcomes for many research projects along the Reef. I see the Reef like the canary in the coalmine……if we die today, it will be Europe and Ireland tomorrow. So what happens out here on the Reef has an Irish relevance too,” she added.
Som, who worked for 15-years leading digital teams in the UK and Australia, said that growing up alongside the Reef had instilled a life-long passion for the environment.
“After years working at big agencies its refreshing to be able to use my skills for something meaningful. Having Reef Tracks nominated for a Webby is pretty awesome, but is also means having more eyes on the Reef at a critical time in its history - so make sure you vote for us,”
Webby CEO executive director said that nominees like Reef Tracks were “setting the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet.”
“To be selected as the best from among more than 13,000 entries from across the globe is an incredible achievement,” she said.