The Ocean Discovery and Restoration Program was launched in late 2021. The Australian Government committed $15 million to co-invest with partners to amplify ocean discovery and marine habitat restoration.
The Parks Trust was engaged to support Parks Australia, who will develop and deliver projects.
The program aims to promote collaborative efforts to discover, conserve and restore the marine biodiversity in the vast Australian Marine Parks estate.
The Minderoo Foundation was the first partnership announced under the program, with a Director of National Parks investment of $3.4 million. This exciting new partnership transforms how the health of Australian Marine Parks is monitored through eDNA technologies. To support the management and conservation of our unique marine ecosystems, scientists will use eDNA as a non-invasive, robust biomonitoring tool to track threatened species through small amounts of their genetic material released into the ocean. This information is important in identifying places of high ecological value and in monitoring the health of our precious species and vulnerable ecosystems across Australia’s 60 Marine Parks.
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Header image credit: © Parks Australia
