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Reefclean®
Removing and preventing marine debris in the Great Barrier Reef region.
ReefClean is funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and is delivered by Tangaroa Blue Foundation in partnership with a variety of organizations. Launched in early 2019, the project aims to remove and prevent marine debris in the Great Barrier Reef region.
A program of targeted and integrated marine debris activities, ReefClean has reduced the volume of debris generated in or entering the Great Barrier Reef that may impact threatened and migratory species and ecosystems. It has also increased awareness in Reef catchment communities about marine debris and actions they can undertake to prevent litter from entering Reef waterways.
This has occurred through:
- Community clean-up events
- Site monitoring
- The Great Barrier Reef Clean-up event annually in October
- Community Source Reduction Plan Workshops
- School and community engagement activities
- Data analysis
- Disaster management clean-ups
- Microplastics surveys
Tangaroa Blue Foundation acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the Great Barrier Reef and their strong and continuing connections to Country.
2024 - Today
In 2024, the ReefClean program received funding from the Federal Government’s Reef Trust for a further three year program. This program builds on and complements the initial program as well as existing programs and activities operating across the Great Barrier Reef and its catchment.
The 2024 – 2027 program aims to:
- reduce the volume of debris generated in or entering the Great Barrier Reef, which may impact listed threatened and migratory species, such as dugongs and turtles, and the Reef’s ecosystems.
- Increase awareness in Reef catchment communities about the issue of marine debris and actions they can take.
- Embrace the circular economy principles to divert marine debris into ReefCycle and Rig Recycle programs.
- Provide an integrated framework for addressing marine debris that connects all relevant stakeholders and provides scalable resources, case studies, and solutions.
2019 - 2023
The initial five year program funded by the Federal Government’s Reef Trust, started in 2019. The project aimed to remove and prevent marine debris in the Great Barrier Reef region through to 2023.
To do this, Tangaroa Blue Foundation partnered with several organisations to achieve success: Reef Check Australia, Capricornia Catchments, Eco Barge Clean Seas, OceanWatch Australia, South Cape York Catchments and AUSMAP.
The initial ReefClean program was delivered by Tangaroa Blue Foundation and more than 400 stakeholders from 2019-2023.