Protecting the world's greatest coral reef
Marine Ecologist Professor Peter Harrison’s coral reef restoration program is a critical step in protecting the Great Barrier Reef – with potential to regenerate reefs around the world.
Australia’s spectacular World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world. It’s one of our planet’s seven natural wonders, and is vitally important both environmentally and economically.
“Without healthy reefs, we lose potentially a million species that occur on our planet,” says coral ecologist Professor Peter Harrison.
Peter is on a mission to help protect our reef systems for generations to come. He’s the Director of the Marine Ecology Research Centre at Southern Cross University, and has 40 years of research experience working on corals and reefs around the world.
"It’s a really exciting blend of ecology and technology, and we hope that this will transform reef restoration not only for the Great Barrier Reef but for other reefs around the world."
Peter made a ground-breaking discovery about coral that has led to an innovative new way of restoring reefs and enabling them to reproduce naturally over time. Through his ‘coral IVF’ program, he has also worked with a robotics expert to develop a world-first underwater robotic vehicle. LarvalBot moves autonomously along a reef, delivering larvae to generate new coral communities.
Peter’s pioneering coral reef restoration program is a critical step in protecting the Great Barrier Reef – and it has the potential to regenerate reefs around the world.
Watch the video above to discover how Professor Peter Harrison is bringing together world-first research, conservation and technology to help protect Earth’s largest coral reef system.
