Word on the Reef

S3 E8: UNESCO Sounds Alarm on the Great Barrier Reef + Cyclone Narelle’s Fallout

Tanya Murphy Season 3 Episode 8

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0:00 | 49:07

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is concerned about the Great Barrier Reef - warning Australia to do more to protect it or risk an “In Danger” listing. So how serious is this threat, and are governments doing enough to respond?

This week we're joined by marine ecologist Dr Lissa Schindler from the Australian Marine Conservation Society to unpack what’s behind UNESCO’s warnings - and what we need to do about it.

Plus, we take a closer look at a summer of extremes: from coral bleaching to Cyclone Narelle’s impacts on marine life and coastal communities from the Great Barrier Reef to Ningaloo Reef.

Thumbnail Image: Clownfish in bleached anemone, 28 March 2026, Tanya Murphy.

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