Funders
The eReefs platform and associated research has been supported by funding from:
Australian Government
The management and protection of the Great Barrier Reef is an ongoing priority of the Australian Government. Considerable investment has been made to advance our knowledge of the Reef ecosystem, which has informed the targeting of decades of investment on actions to address key pressures and risks.
The Reef 2050 Plan, is the long-term plan to adaptively manage the Reef into the future and provides an over-arching framework to guide protection and management of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area from 2015 to 2050.
The Reef 2050 Plan builds on the existing Reef Water Quality Protection Plan which has evolved over more than 10 years as new science has emerged on risks to the Reef and management actions to address them.
The eReefs project is the first step in building a comprehensive coastal information system for Australia. By capturing an accurate picture of what changes are occurring in the Reef’s water quality, eReefs is helping to document and respond to potential environmental events like coral bleaching that can have a devastating effect on the Reef.
BHP Billiton - BMA
BMA is contributing $5 million ($1 million per year over five years) to support the delivery of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s eReefs project, assisting in the protection and preservation of the Reef.
The company’s contribution is an example of BMA’s commitment to key support activities for the Reef and our commitment to the broader sustainability activities in Queensland.
The funding support extends an existing relationship between BHP Billiton and BMA with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation is fostering a resilient reef for all generations by catalysing and funding science that informs, encourages and inspires. Promoting a strategic, collaborative and coordinated approach, together with our partners in business, government, and philanthropy, the Foundation has so far raised more than $50m for essential research that delivers meaningful outcomes for managers, users and policy makers.
The Foundation is custodian of the eReefs vision, as part of its broader research portfolio and has guided the development of the project from its inception.
Queensland Government
The Queensland Government has invested more than $3 million in the eReefs project which will link with the highly innovative Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting Program. eReefs will use the latest technologies to collate and analyse data with new and integrated marine monitoring and modelling to produce understanding, prediction, visualisation, communication and reporting tools that span the entire reef from catchment to ocean. It will help the government to plan and assess the results of its investment in land management practices, in particular whether the associated improvements in the quality of water flowing to the Great Barrier Reef will protect reef ecosystems.
SIEF
Spanning a history of over 90 years, the Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF) provides grants to science and scientists for the purposes of assisting Australian industry, furthering the interests of the Australian community and contributing to the achievement of Australian national objectives. This unique and esteemed funding arrangement received a substantial gift from CSIRO made possible from proceeds of its fast wireless local area network (WLAN) technology, facilitating the rejuvenated Fund to be a mechanism for significant support of science in Australia.
Providing substantial grants available across the National Innovation System, the Fund supports a portfolio of activities including: 17 Research Projects to the value of over AU$75 million; Research Infrastructure worth AU$30 million; Special Research Projects in excess of AU$13m; as well as a commitment of over AU$19 million until 2020 for Promotion of Science in the form of Postdoctoral Fellowships, Postgraduate and Undergraduate Scholarships, a Chair in Wireless communication at Macquarie University, Lindau Fellowships and the STEM+ Business Fellowships.