About the GSR Foundation
The Great Southern Reef Foundation is run by an independent team of science, media and education professionals working to promote the recognition, stewardship and long-term health of Australia’s kelp forests. We act as knowledge brokers between science and society, to deeply embed the importance of the Great Southern Reef (GSR) into Aussie culture.
Our Vision
The vision of the Great Southern Reef Foundation is to connect, educate and inspire society to become active stewards of Australia’s kelp forests.
Our Mission
The GSRF represents the Great Southern Reef in key areas of Education, Community, and Science. We’re here to deepen your understanding and recognition of the Great Southern Reef.
Impact Goals
The Great Southern Reef Foundation has three main pillars:
Education: We provide original, GSR-focussed content and teacher training, to connect kids with their local marine environments. Our educational resources are aligned with the Australian curriculum, are place-based and tailored to all year levels.
Community: Through the production and distribution of original visual media content, we are bringing the Great Southern Reef to the public eye and promoting grassroots engagement with temperate reefs. By boosting community connections to the GSR we are encouraging participation and stewardship across environmental, social and cultural activities.
Science: Our advisory committee, made up of leading scientists from across Australia, will synthesise the latest research to inform policy in key areas of public interest and environmental importance on the Great Southern Reef. We will engage and facilitate collaborations between organisations, industry and government to promote the long-term health of the GSR.
GSRF Science Committee
Comprising eminent and emerging temperate reef scientists from across Australia, the Great Southern Reef Foundation’s Science Committee aims to become a principal reference point for government, industry, and managers, offering a holistic national perspective on temperate reefs.
A newly-formed collaboration between universities, management agencies, and NGOs from across Australia, is taking a whole-of-system approach to safeguard the critical functions, fisheries, and biodiversity of the GSR. Funded by the Ian Potter Foundation, the GSR Research Partnership aims to investigate the unique biodiversity and ecological processes that underpin the GSR and increase understanding of how social dynamics and human behaviour promote sustainable outcomes for the reef.
GSR Media Hub
Our curated collections are designed to enhance media releases, enrich articles, and provide compelling content for television broadcasts and news stories, offering photos and video representative of the diverse habitats and species of the Great Southern Reef.
For access please contact us at info@greatsouthernreef.com
Vast, wild and remote.
Despite 70% of Australians living within 50km of the GSR, public knowledge of the Reef is scant.The south coast is remote and exposed to the wild weather of the Southern Ocean, which in turn has allowed the Reef to flourish with minimal human interference. However, this phenomenon is a double-edged sword: as a consequence, rates of research investment and protection are extremely low.
Building an identity
The Great Southern Reef was first defined as an entity by a team led by Tasmanian researcher Dr Scott Bennett in 2016. “This reef system is so immense yet towns are often hundreds of kilometres apart meaning local passion and pride is diffused across the continent. By giving these reefs an identity, our aim is to unite Australia’s coastal communities along this isolated and wild coast” .
Arming the public with this knowledge is vital to drive the next generation of stewardship for the Reef. To help with their endeavours, in 2019 the team enlisted the legendary Dr. Sylvia Earle and Mission Blue to have the GSR designated as a ‘Hope Spot’: special regions around the globe that uniquely contribute to the health of our oceans.
Threats and triumphs
The greatest threat to the Reef is all-too familiar: the negative effects of our changing climate. The GSR covers two global warming hotspots - that is two areas where the rate of ocean warming has been in the top 10% globally over the last 5 years. This warming has already seen dramatic and devastating changes across all life on the GSR, and is projected to keep increasing. The long term health and functioning of the Reef is unknown, and scientists warn that without action, dieback of kelp forests will have irreversible consequences for biodiversity, fisheries and our coastal economies.
Meet the team behind the Great Southern Reef Foundation
To contact the GSR team email info@greatsouthernreef.com
Impactful people with a close connection to the Great Southern Reef
Feature locations of the Great Southern Reef
Weird and wonderful creatures of the Great Southern Reef
Student and teacher led guides for learning