Local Collaboration Keeps An Eye On Reef Health

Gia and Ngaro Traditional Owner Robert Congoo, and Healthy Rivers to Reef Project Officer Ashlee DeVore collecting water samples as part of Project Blueprint. Photo credit: Brooke Miles Photography.

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Project Blueprint is a collaborative water quality monitoring program in the Whitsundays, bringing together tourism, science and Traditional Owners. Each month, tourism operators welcome aboard Gia and Ngaro Traditional Owner Robert Congoo and Healthy Rivers to Reef Project Officer Ashlee DeVore to collect water samples at key tourism sites and share knowledge with Reef visitors.  

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Over the past year, the project has expanded its network of tourism operators to five, welcoming OzSail and ZigZag Whitsundays as project partners. Their involvement builds on the contributions of Ocean Rafting, Red Cat Adventures and Scamper, whose participation has helped make regular water quality monitoring possible for the Whitsundays’ inshore waters.

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Monthly sampling examines a range of water quality indicators such as nutrients, chlorophlly-a and water clarity to help understand environmental conditions, existing pressures, and inform future management actions. In addition to water quality parameters, the program has recently expanded to include the collection of environmental DNA (eDNA) which organisms can leave behind in their surroundings. By analysing this trace genetic material, scientists can gather data on organisms present in an area without necessarily needing to observe or capture them directly.  

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By connecting environmental science with tourism and Traditional Owners, Project Blueprint demonstrates how different groups can contribute to a shared understanding of the places they depend on and care for.  

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Project Blueprint is funded by the Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership in collaboration with BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation. The project was initially established thanks to funding through the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

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Additional project contributors include JCU TropWATER, the Whitsunday Charter Boat Industry Association, and Reef Catchments. The project would not be possible without strong support from local tourism operators, Ocean Rafting, Red Cat Adventures, ZigZagWhitsundays, Scamper and OzSail who provide regular passage to the Whitsundays.

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