A Q&A with the Presenting Sponsor of Reef Futures 2026

The Coral Restoration Consortium (CRC) is excited to announce the Great Barrier Reef Foundation as the Presenting Sponsor of Reef Futures 2026. This partnership brings together two organisations united by a shared belief that accelerating reef recovery will require unprecedented levels of collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange across regions, disciplines, and sectors. What better way to get to know our amazing Presenting Sponsor than a little Q&A! Hear from the Foundation’s Director of Coral Reef Restoration, Dr. Petra Lundgren, and learn about the Foundation's work and connection to Reef Futures! 

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“Coral reefs around the world are facing unprecedented challenges, but we're also seeing exceptional innovation and collaboration to protect them. Reef Futures provides a unique opportunity to bring together experts from across the world to share lessons learned, explore emerging solutions and tackle common challenges. By working together, we can accelerate progress and help ensure restoration solutions are accessible to reef communities wherever they are needed.”

Dr. Petra Lundgren, Director Coral Reef Restoration, Great Barrier Reef Foundation (left)

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Q: What role do you see international collaboration playing in advancing coral reef restoration and resilience over the coming decade?

A: Building more resilient reefs is a global challenge that cannot be solved in isolation. Challenges such as enhancing the heat tolerance of corals in the face of climate change require collaboration across countries, ecosystems and restoration approaches. 

As new restoration tools and approaches emerge, we also need to ensure they can be adapted, tested and applied across a wide range of geographies and contexts with varying levels of funding, capacity and expertise. International collaboration will be critical to ensuring effective restoration solutions are accessible to reef communities around the world.

Caption: A group of researchers, scientists and tourism operators use a portable larval collection pool for coral larval reseeding efforts. Credit: Johnny Gaskell

Q: What are some of the most important lessons, innovations, or approaches emerging from work on the Great Barrier Reef that you are excited to share with the global restoration community?

A: Over the last five years, we've worked with leading scientific organisations to help pioneer technologies to make reef restoration faster, stronger and cheaper than ever before. One of the most exciting developments has been the creation of a diverse restoration toolbox, which includes portable ReefSeed coral aquaculture facilities, coral larvae deployment tools such as larval seedboxes, and innovative monitoring and survey methods.

Caption: A ReefSeed coral aquaculture facility at the Australian Institute of Marine Science’s National Sea Simulator in Townsville, Australia. Credit: Great Barrier Reef Foundation

We've also learnt that successful restoration is not only about technology. Through large-scale field deployments on the Great Barrier Reef under the Pilot Deployments Program, we've been able to move solutions from the laboratory into real-world conditions. Strong partnerships with local communities, Traditional Owners and tourism operators have proven critical to delivering restoration at a meaningful scale.  

Caption: Researchers, scientists and tourism operators work together to set up floating pools to collect coral larvae during coral spawning season. Credit: Great Barrier Reef Foundation 

Q: What gives you hope about the future of coral reefs, despite the challenges they face today?

A: What gives us hope is the remarkable diversity and resilience that already exists within coral reef ecosystems. This inherent diversity means that coral reefs will not all respond to the impacts of climate change in the same way. While some reefs will be lost, some will likely have the capacity to adapt to changing conditions. We're also inspired by the global community coming together to protect coral reefs. Around the world, scientists, practitioners, communities and governments are collaborating to better understand this inherent diversity and resilience.

Caption: The Pilot Deployments Program team collecting coral seeding devices containing coral larvae from a larval collection pool. Individuals were trained in emerging methods for collecting and delivering large volumes of young corals onto the Great Barrier Reef. Credit: Great Barrier Reef Foundation 

Q: Why was it important for the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to support Reef Futures 2026 as Presenting Sponsor?

A: The Great Barrier Reef Foundation is committed to accelerating solutions for coral reefs globally. At a time when funding for reef research and restoration is under increasing pressure globally, supporting Reef Futures is an important way to help maintain the collaboration and momentum needed to advance coral reef restoration worldwide.

Q: What outcomes or conversations are you most looking forward to at Reef Futures 2026?

A: We're looking forward to learning about the latest ideas, findings and lessons from our colleagues working in coral reef restoration around the world. Reef Futures provides a rare opportunity to bring together practitioners, researchers and community leaders working in very different environments and contexts to share what's working, what's not, and why. These conversations will help inform our work on the Great Barrier Reef and across the Pacific, while also strengthening the global community working towards a shared goal: securing a future for coral reefs. 

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To read the full press release announcing the Great Barrier Reef Foundation as the Reef Futures 2026 Presenting Sponsor, head to https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/925570383/great-barrier-reef-foundation-announced-as-presenting-sponsor-of-reef-futures-2026

To learn more about the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, their projects, and the amazing work they do head to https://www.barrierreef.org/

Early Registration ends for Reef Futures on August 15th! To register and join us at Reef Futures 2026 head to www.reeffutures.com