Great Southern Reef Foundation

Operating since 2019 and founded as a registered DGR1 charity in 2022, the Great Southern Reef Foundation has grown from a grassroots science and storytelling project into Australia’s leading temperate reef advocacy organisation.

Our mission is to connect, educate and inspire society to become active stewards of Australia’s kelp forests – and to embed the Great Southern Reef into the fabric of Aussie culture. We operate across three key pillars: Education, Community, and Science, collaborating with research partners, volunteers, Traditional Owners, industry representatives and coastal communities to bring marine science stories to life and build a national movement to protect the Great Southern Reef.

Our vision is a thriving Great Southern Reef, recognised and protected as a living system essential to Australia’s identity and future. Spanning over 8,000 km of coastline, the reef supports more than 70% of Australians who live nearby, yet remains largely unrecognised in policy and funding.

We are addressing this gap by increasing public awareness, supporting evidence-based management, and advocating for long-term investment in reef protection. Current priorities include expanding our national film screening campaigns, which use powerful storytelling to engage communities and decision-makers, and growing our education programs, which deliver curriculum-aligned resources and teacher support across Australia. We are also strengthening Indigenous partnerships and developing a coordinated scientific monitoring framework for climate resilience.

Funding will enable us to expand these initiatives, translating science into public understanding, inspiring stewardship, and securing the recognition and resources needed to safeguard one of Australia’s most vital and overlooked ecosystems.

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