Research hub benefits Reef

A$32 million research hub, aimed at improving coastal water quality and management of the Great Barrier Reef, is positive news for Far North Queensland.

Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt will officially announce the Tropical Water Quality Hub today.

The downside is that it comes on the back of some worrying results in the Great Barrier Reef Report Card 2014, which was released yesterday in Brisbane.

The report shows the inshore marine environment remains poor, and while landholders are reducing the pollutant loads entering the Reef, accelerated change is needed, particularly in the sugar cane industry.

Given that, the announcement of a research hub with an emphasis on improving water quality is an important step and it has the potential to offer some real solutions.

The hub, led by the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre and James Cook University researcher Dr Damien Burrows, will involve 24 research projects, covering issues from reducing sediment loads and nitrogen run-off from agriculture, to understanding how irukandji jellyfish respond to changing water quality.

The Reef and its $5.2 billion tourism industry are critical to our region and research is a powerful thing.

The more we know and understand about the Reef and the factors that influence it, the better equipped we are to protect it. However, it can’t stop there. Research is the first step and it takes time. But the crucial part is then how the findings translate into action so we can ensure the viability of the Reef for many generations to come.