Are you ready to bring your unique leadership approach to protecting and enhancing our precious Great Barrier Reef?  Designed by and for women and gender diverse people working for and committed to our environment, the WELA Great Barrier Reef Leadership Intensive, in partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) aims to support a new wave of women’s environmental and climate leadership in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) region.    The WELA Great Barrier Reef Leadership Intensive will bring together up to 21 women and gender-div ..read more

AMCS supports Australia’s transition to 100% renewable energy Generating our energy through renewable sources is better for people and the ocean.  Burning coal and gas is harming the ocean, driving marine heatwaves. In recent years, successive heatwaves have damaged some of our most cherished ocean ecosystems, such as the Great Barrier Reef and Tasmania’s kelp forests.  To protect our oceans and their extraordinary wildlife, we need to stop generating our electricity through burning coal and gas, stop new fossil fuel developments and drive renewable energy generation. This will requi ..read more

Turning the Tide Newsletter – Summer 2024 Scientists Warn Mass Bleaching Climate change is the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef. The ocean is becoming more acidic and absorbing excessive amounts of heat due to burning coal, oil and gas. Climate change is causing more frequent and severe marine heatwaves. Marine heatwaves are deadly for temperature-sensitive animals like corals. When corals get stressed they bleach. Scientists have warned that more coral bleaching is likely on the Great Barrier Reef this summer due to the combination of human-caused ocean heating and an El Niño event ..read more

Turning the Tide Newsletter – Spring 2023 Reef Community Our north Queensland Fight For Our Reef volunteer community has been making waves with a series of events over the past few months building support for our Reef. More than 80 people attended our World Heritage Campaign Launch Party in April. They heard from Reef tour operator Mark Fraenkel, and Ema Parker, an inspiring high school student and passionate advocate for Reef conservation. In May, we co-hosted a community action with the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre, calling for “climate action now” from state politicians as they a ..read more

Turning the Tide Newsletter – Spring 2023 Heritage Listing At Risk Our Reef is still under threat despite UNESCO’s recommendation to delay an ‘In Danger’ decision until Feb 2024. This decision reflects progress made by governments, especially in addressing fisheries concerns, but more action is needed to address climate change and water quality. UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and scientific advisor IUCN made 22 recommendations to the Australian and Queensland governments to help protect the Reef in their Reactive Mission Report last year, after visiting the Reef during the fourth mass bleachin ..read more

Will you give penguins a voice ? The ice that baby penguins live on is melting early… before they are mature enough to swim. Our seas are heating at an unprecedented rate. And it’s killing penguin chicks. Iconic marine life, like penguins, are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. We need your help to defend these innocent victims of global heating. Your donation today will help AMCS fight to stop new fossil fuel projects which will drive global heating. You’ll also help us advocate for marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean. Together we can secure safe havens for Antarctica’s pe ..read more

Will you launch our important campaign ? Queensland has one of Australia’s lowest climate targets…. and that’s bad news for our iconic Reef. Climate targets are a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help prevent climate change. The good news is that Queensland’s climate targets are up for review right now! This is our opportunity to secure a stronger commitment in Queensland to fight global heating  We need your help to raise $10,000 to launch our powerful ad campaign. We can’t protect the Reef without addressing the climate crisis. Global heating is already harming coral and ..read more

Queensland: home of the biggest Reef and biggest polluters.  Contact your local MP to urge greater climate action to protect Queensland’s natural treasures from devastating heatwaves.  Queensland must lift their game on climate change. We need stronger emissions reductions targets to limit warming to 1.5 degrees – a critical temperature threshold for the survival of coral reefs. Pollution from burning fossil fuels is heating our planet at unprecedented rates, causing mass coral bleaching events, endangering sea turtle populations, and risking 64,000 jobs the Reef supports.  Urge ..read more

The Australian and Queensland governments must act quickly and decisively on protecting the Great Barrier Reef after the World Heritage Committee’s scientific advisory bodies released a report today recommending the Reef be put on the “In Danger” list, said the Australian Marine Conservation Society. Governments must take recommended actions to avoid ‘In Danger’ listing: Drastically cut emissions to limit global warming to 1.5oC  Improve water quality, control tree clearing & erosion in Reef catchments End fishing practices that kill threatened species like dugongs and turtles Reef g ..read more

The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) welcomes Queensland’s new Energy and Jobs Plan, which is a significant step forward in tackling the climate crisis.  The Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk announced today that Queensland would increase its renewable energy target to 70% by 2032 and decarbonise the Queensland energy grid by 90% by 2035. Currently, 20% of its power needs are met by renewables and the rest by fossil fuels. AMCS Great Barrier Reef campaign manager Dr Lissa Schindler said the energy plan is an important step for the State, which currently contributes a ..read more