14 Thousandth Survey: This financial year, the 14 thousandth RLS survey was added to the database, representing over 70,000 hours of volunteered time, not to mention the thousands of hours spent behind-the-scenes that went in making these surveys happen. A terrific achievement and a testament to the hard working RLS volunteers.
Community Talks: As part of the 2020/21 Lap of Australia, RLS presented a series of community talks across the country to discuss trends in key ecological metrics at Reef Life Survey’s core monitoring locations. All up, eleven community talks were presented at long-term monitoring locations, including Lord Howe Island, Jervis Bay, Port Stephens, Norfolk Island, Sydney, Stradbroke Island and Rottnest Island.
Launch of the REEF LIFE EXPLORER: After over a year of research, design and development in collaboration with social impact studio Glider Global, the REEF LIFE EXPLORER launched on the RLS website in December 2020. A unique interactive online resource, the RLE provides an opportunity for marine managers, scientists and the public to explore changes in tropical and temperate reefs worldwide.