General News
25 October, 2022
Women Warriors set sail for Great Reef Census
FROM October 10-15, the Women Warriors of the Torres Strait – an all-female crew of Traditional Owners, rangers and scientists led by the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) Sea Team and James Cook University – set sail as part of the Great Reef Census to survey the northernmost section in the Torres Strait, northern Australia.
The five-day voyage to Mer (Murray Island) by the Women Warriors of the Torres Strait was the first time the Great Reef Census – led by Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef – had ventured beyond Cape York.
TSRA Senior Natural Resource Management Officer and Marine Biologist Madeina David, 24, said researchers and Traditional Owners worked together to monitor the Great Barrier Reef, collect data and share findings with island communities to support local decision-making.
“Our voyage sets a new course for science to value, respect and incorporate the traditional ecological knowledge of custodians who have cared for land and sea for centuries,” Ms David said.
“We will connect ancient knowledge and modern science to assess the condition of the northern Great Barrier Reef, including water temperatures, coral conditions and even explore the potential for a future turtle sanctuary.”
JCU TropWATER’s Dr Katie Chartrand said the expedition was a valuable opportunity to partner with Traditional Owners and rangers to paint a clearer picture of this hotspot of reef biodiversity.
“Using the Great Reef Census, we can rapidly collect thousands of reconnaissance images of remote reefs that have rarely or never before been formally surveyed,” she said.
Dr Chartrand said concerns about potential outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish had been raised, flagging the importance of surveying this pristine region of the Great Barrier Reef.
“This Census gives TSRA and the local Meriam community a snapshot of the health of the reef habitats – and that’s a powerful strategy in taking steps to protect these extraordinary reefs.”
The Women Warriors of the Torres Strait Great Reef Census voyage is funded by the TSRA and supported by partners, including the Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef and James Cook University.
Activities for the week at sea and on Mer saw the crew train Traditional Owners in cutting-edge technology, including underwater video, drones, and mapping technology.
In addition, local community sea mapping priorities led by Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) with TSRA sought to combine local knowledge with monitoring data from previous and current coral surveys.
The work included a bit of fun with a community beach clean-up day led by the Tangaroa Blue Foundation with TSRA’s Mer Rangers and Sea Team on Friday, October 14.
