Australian Institute of Marine Science

12/09/2026

It’s World Dolphin Day.

These amazing marine mammals are often a welcome sight during our research trips on the Great Barrier Reef.

All the footage in this video was taken by our Long-Term Monitoring Program. And while the team isn’t actually studying the dolphins, the dolphins sure seem to be studying them.

10/09/2026

A wonderful example of Indigenous knowledge and western science working together.

This great read features a collaboration between Bardi Jawi rangers, Traditional Owners and AIMS, highlighting the important connections between reefs, mangroves and culturally significant fisheries in the Kimberley. 🪸🌱🐟

In a recent scientific article in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management, alongside the list of scientist-authors were the Bardi Jawi and Oorany Rangers and the Bardi Jawi Traditional Owners. For the past decade, Bardi Jawi rangers and traditional owners have been working with the Australian Institu...

07/09/2026

This , we share a story of AIMS impact for an iconic marine mammal which migrates along the Western Australian coast: the pygmy blue whale 🐳

Australia’s ‘Biologically Important Areas’ (BIAs) are defined where species aggregate and carry out critical behaviours such as reproduction, feeding, migration and rest.

Scientific data obtained from satellite tags attached to threatened species has increasingly been collected in the years since BIA designation. AIMS researchers and our collaborators compiled all existing data from these tags and supplemented it with targeted new deployments of satellite tags to fill geographical gaps for pygmy blue whales.

They found that the areas of importance for these whales only partially overlapped with existing BIAs, indicating they may not reflect all areas important to the endangered species.

Following publication of the AIMS-led research, the Australian Government announced a review and update of the protocol for designating BIAs, and a review of the BIAs for several threatened species.

AIMS scientists were on the expert panel that reviewed the pygmy blue whale BIA. They provided the satellite tagging data, that were combined with all available data for the whales.

The newly defined BIA for pygmy blue whales will support more informed assessments of overlap with human activities and provide a stronger basis for helping manage potential threats.

👀 Read the full story: https://www.aims.gov.au/about/aims-impact/satellite-tracking-data-informs-threatened-marine-species-protection

🐋 Read more about our whale research: https://www.aims.gov.au/research-topics/marine-life/whales

📸 Grace Russell

AIMS’ pygmy blue whale research was supported by Woodside Energy Ltd and Chevron Australia. Santos previously supported the research through the Northwest Shoals to Shore Research Program.

02/09/2026

Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia was proposed as a marine park. But how can we keep tabs on the biodiversity the new park aims to protect?

One way is with environmental DNA (eDNA). Scientists can collect seawater from the surface of the ocean and test for tiny DNA fragments left behind by the animals living there. This means we can get a good idea of the species living in an area without even seeing them, or having to interfere with their habitat.

A new eDNA study of water samples from 19 different sites across Exmouth Gulf returned positive results for 487 different types of marine animal.

🦈 37 sharks and rays
🐠 440 bony fishes
🪽 7 marine birds
🐬 2 mammals (dugongs and dolphins)
🐢 1 reptile (green sea turtles)

Several of the species were conservation listed – either vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. Exmouth Gulf (like much of the northwest Australian coastline) is particularly important for threatened sharks and rays.

By testing many different sites across the Gulf, researchers can more accurately map the extraordinary biodiversity in this area. That knowledge will inform the new marine park into the future.

👀 Read the full study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ddi.70258

This research was conducted by researchers at AIMS, The University of Western Australia, Minderoo Foundation, Murdoch University, La Trobe University and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

31/08/2026

📢 New report: Status of Coral Reefs of the World

This is the most comprehensive assessment of coral reef status across the globe ever undertaken.

The report was based on over 21 million observations, from 36,886 reef sites across 120 countries and territories, with 600 partners helping collate the data. This seventh edition of the report is based on three times more data than the previous report, resulting in more accurate estimates of long-term trends.

The report is produced by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) and underwent peer review by external experts.

Here are the key points:

🪸 The world’s coral reefs have lost 9.5% of hard coral cover over the last forty years.

🪸 Marine heatwaves driven by climate change and associated global coral bleaching events are the main cause of coral loss.

🪸 Many coral reefs retain the capacity to recover, but climate change is increasing the frequency of marine heatwaves, and shortening the time reefs have to recover.

🪸 Within the international context, Australia’s coral reefs are considered in relatively good condition. However, they have followed the global trend of coral cover decline over the last forty years.

🪸 Coral reef condition varies widely between regions, subregions and individual reefs. Local pressures also differ, but are generally increasing.

🪸 The future of coral reefs depends on rapid global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, effective local management, and continued science to support adaptation and restoration.

👀 Read more about the findings, and what they mean for Australian reefs, here:
https://www.aims.gov.au/information-centre/news-and-stories/australias-reefs-follow-trend-global-coral-cover-decline

👀 Read the full report:
https://gcrmn.net/2025-report/

AIMS has been the host and Global Coordinator for the International Coral Reef Initiative’s (ICRI) Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) for almost 30 years.

The Australian chapter of the report was written by co-authors from AIMS, the UNSW, WA Museum, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, JCU: James Cook University, Australia, The University of Queensland , The Australian National University, the University of Tasmania, Reef Check Australia, Reef Life Survey Foundation (RLS), Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, Parks Australia, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, CSIRO and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

📸 Marie Roman, James Gilmour, Eric Matson, Nick Thake

30/08/2026

Happy International Whale Shark Day! 🐳🦈🥳

Since last , research led by AIMS and Murdoch University has revealed 36 whale shark behaviours – the most comprehensive catalogue ever built for the species.

This was achieved by mounting cameras on whale sharks aggregating at Ningaloo Reef, as well as reviewing around 100 journal articles.

Twelve of the 36 behaviours described in the research involved foraging for food, and six of these behaviours are new to science. You can watch some of them in this video.

👀 Learn more about the study: https://www.aims.gov.au/information-centre/news-and-stories/cameras-whale-sharks-reveal-they-are-snackers-sea

Co-authoring institutions also include The University of Western Australia, California State University and Macquarie University. The research was funded by Santos Ltd and AIMS.

27/08/2026

Every year, the team at AIMS to help create safer, more inclusive and empowering environments for LGBTQIA+SB young people.

Learn more: https://www.wearitpurple.org/wear-it-purple-day-2026

26/08/2026

Year 2 of giving young corals a helping hand in the Maldives. 🫶🪸

We returned to the Indian Ocean islands recently to continue our collaborative work guiding reef restoration trials using the self-sufficient ReefSeed system.

This containerised, portable coral aquaculture system was used following coral spawning once more to help researchers seed healthy young corals onto reefs via specially designed ceramic devices.

This year, more than 9 million coral eggs and s***m bundles were produced from 46 local coral colonies, resulting in more than 2000 devices, each with three tabs of young corals, being deployed across 24 reef sites.

The team also checked in on how last year’s deployed corals were faring, finding that 66% of the devices that house them had a live coral at the best performing site.

Read more about the effort here: https://www.aims.gov.au/information-centre/news-and-stories/year-2-reefseed-maldives-raises-more-young-corals

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The ReefSeed project is a collaboration between AIMS, the Maldives Marine Research Institute and Australia’s national science agency CSIRO. It is funded by the G20 Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP).

ReefSeed uses science and technology developed under the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP), funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

📸: Christine Giuliano, Shidha, Crystle Wee

24/08/2026

“I think it’s great that we can help preserve the Reef for future generations. I want it to be there forever.”

Last coral spawning season, the Pilot Deployments Program (PDP) delivered 44,608 devices carrying baby corals to the Great Barrier Reef, as part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP).

A good portion of those were thanks to the efforts of our PDP industry partners.

Empowering marine industries to help restore our coral reefs is a key part of the program, and these strong collaborations will be scaled up in future seasons. A major step towards that goal is sharing conservation aquaculture insights and expertise with our partners via dedicated training at the National Sea Simulator (SeaSim).

In this video, AIMS coral scientist Dr Mikaela Nordborg guides us through the training at AIMS headquarters in Townsville. Representatives from two of our partners – Kieran Brazier from Monsoon Aquatics and David Furner from Cairns Marine – reflect on their experience at SeaSim this spawning season.

We will be working with industry partners again for the next coral spawning season in a few months' time.

Other industry partners we worked with during spawning 2025/26 included Aus Fish Coral, Cairns Reef Fishing Charter, Funtastic DWS, Great Barrier Reef Aquatics, INLOC Marine Management, Jaragun Ecoservices, Marine Services Asia Pacific, Passions of Paradise, Quicksilver Connections, TN Marine, Down Under Dive, Experience Co, Wavelength Port Douglas.

👀 Learn more about the Pilot Deployments Program: https://www.aims.gov.au/research-topics/environmental-issues/climate-change/reef-restoration-and-adaptation-program/pilot-deployments-program

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The RRAP Pilot Deployments Program is funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

21/08/2026

Did you know mercury in ocean sediments can enter the food web, building to harmful levels in marine wildlife and our seafood?

AIMS is testing for mercury levels in tropical Australian waters. The good news is that the concentrations we’ve found in Australian fish are pretty low, when compared to similar species in other countries.

🎥 In this video, Dr Darren Koppel, an AIMS research scientist who specialises in environmental impacts and risk assessment, demos the lab equipment he uses to measure mercury content in the sediment samples we collect off northern Australia.

Learn more about AIMS’ research into marine pollutants:
https://www.aims.gov.au/research-topics/environmental-issues/pollutants

This National Science Week we’ve asked our scientists to showcase some of the cool kit that helps us understand Australia’s tropical ocean. Check out our feed for more!