Living coral ark scoops inaugural Australian Geographic prize

WIN FOR LOCAL CONSERVATIONIST

Jules Foxlee

Journalist

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Coral samples. Supplied: Dean Miller

Local conservationist Dr Dean Miller has won Australian Geographic Society’s inaugural $50,000 Awards for Nature prize for the Forever Reef Project which safeguards the biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef by collecting and preserving living samples of coral species in a coral biobank.

Described as the “first awards program wholly dedicated to the planet,” the program provides “continuing, financial and practical assistance to courageous changemakers who are spearheading scientifically informed, local solutions to problems that tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, habitat degradation, feral invasive species and pollution.”

Dr Miller, the Forever Reef Project’s co-founder and managing director, said it was an incredible honour to accept the first-ever Award for Nature prize.

“We are deeply humbled by this recognition and the generosity behind it. The $50,000 grant will significantly aid our mission to collect all Great Barrier Reef coral species by 2026,” he said.
The prize money will fund an expedition to remote parts of the Great Barrier Reef next year, with the aim of adding 50 new samples to the collection which is currently housed at the Cairns Aquarium.

“We’ve already collected 179 coral species. With sufficient funding and support we will collect all 415 species by 2026,” Dr Miller said.

Launched in 2019, the Forever Reef Project by Great Barrier Reef Legacy is the world's first and only living coral biobank dedicated to preserving Great Barrier Reef corals.

“Our mission is simple — we will collect all 415 species of Great Barrier Reef corals and keep them alive in our state-of-the-art facility. We will also provide live fragments, tissue samples, and genetic material available to aid in reef research and restoration efforts,” Dr Miller said.

“Essentially the Forever Reef Project is a living coral ark. Time is of the essence. The window of opportunity to collect the remaining coral species is rapidly closing. With every new coral bleaching event we are losing the most vulnerable corals and reefs.”

Dr Miller said that while the award recognised The Forever Reef Project, it was really a tribute to the determination of the conservation community to protect our wild places.

“We want to take this opportunity to recognise all the other nonprofit and community projects out there, rolling up their sleeves, refusing to quit, and doing the hard work in a world increasingly shaped by climate change. You are the true heroes of conservation. Keep going. Don’t give up.” 

“We also want to extend our deepest thanks to the Australian Geographic Society for kickstarting a critical source of funding, recognition, and hope for Australian conservation in the years to come.”

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