What’s Happening?
Reefs around the Keppel Islands are among the locations included in one of the largest coral restoration field trials ever undertaken on the Great Barrier Reef.
The Australian Institute of Marine Science has begun work on the trial during the Reef’s annual mass coral spawning event. Through its Pilot Deployments Program, researchers are working with industry partners and Traditional Owner groups to expand coral restoration activities.
The program aims to produce and deploy young corals at reef locations around the Keppel Islands and off Cairns and Port Douglas.
Why It Matters
The trial builds on more than a decade of research into interventions designed to help coral reefs threatened by climate change.
The Reef’s annual synchronised mass spawning event provides an important opportunity for coral reproduction and rejuvenation. Researchers are using this period to develop and test restoration techniques.
Australian Institute of Marine Science researcher Dr Pirjo Haikola explained the importance of sharing knowledge and expertise.
“The PDP is all about using people power to scale up interventions. We are sharing knowledge, technologies and techniques with experts from Queensland coral aquaculture, and Indigenous Rangers which they can apply when they work on ReefSeed units to fertilise, rear and settle young corals ready for them to be deployed onto the Reef.”
Local Impact
The Keppel Islands, identified as Woppaburra sea Country, are among the locations selected for planned coral restoration deployments.
Researchers and their partners aim to place specially designed seeding devices on reefs, with multiple young corals settled onto each device. The trial will test this approach at locations across northern and southern sections of the Great Barrier Reef.
By the Numbers
The Australian Institute of Marine Science has been improving its processes to increase the number of coral seeding devices placed on the Reef.
- 16,000: Seeding devices placed on the Reef in 2024–25.
- 44,000: Devices placed in 2025–26.
- Up to 120,000: Devices targeted for deployment in 2026–27 across the trial locations.
Zoom In
ReefSeed is a transportable, containerised coral aquaculture system developed by the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
The units can produce millions of coral larvae and hundreds of thousands of young corals. Conservation aquaculture involves rearing corals in controlled facilities before transporting them to reefs for deployment.
The first ReefSeed unit has already been installed and successfully tested in the Maldives. Dr Carly Randall explained how the technology could support the expansion of restoration trials.
“As we scale up these restoration trials, we’re improving the processes and technologies needed to meet these goals. The containerised and transportable ReefSeed unit is one way to do that. It can be used in remote areas, and it’s also modular – different components can be used outside of the ReefSeed system to bolster existing coral aquaculture systems. The components maximise fertilisation success and larval coral production, as well as reducing time and labour costs.”
Zoom Out
The Pilot Deployments Program is a three-year initiative led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science and funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust.
It forms part of the broader Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program, funded through a partnership between the Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
Researchers will also use approaches that collect wild coral spawn, working with Indigenous ranger groups and tourism industry partners to fertilise, rear and deploy young corals.
What To Look For Next?
Queensland coral aquaculture operators and Traditional Owner groups have been training at the Australian Institute of Marine Science’s Townsville site to operate ReefSeed units.
The training will support the production of young corals at two industry facilities for deployment after the November full moon.
Participating operators include Aus Fish Coral in Innisfail and Cairns Marine in Cairns, where ReefSeed technology will form part of the planned restoration work.
