Fish and coral
Grants round 3

These projects will lead to greater involvement of First Nations people in the management of marine parks and help improve the health of our incredible marine environment.

The third round of Our Marine Park Grants Program commenced on 22 June 2022, providing $8.6 million to 24 organisations to undertake 30 projects to create new partnerships with regional communities, Indigenous groups, tourism and fishing organisations across Australia.

Round Three recipients are delivering significant contributions to the management of Australian Marine Parks through projects that:

  • support Traditional Owners to lead and have greater involvement in managing, mapping and recording knowledge of Sea Country, along with employing and training Indigenous Rangers
  • help in the recovery of threatened species that call Australian Marine Parks home, such as research of the Gould’s petrel, humpback whale and sea snakes, and
  • invest in tourism attractions to connect the public with our unique but remote offshore marine parks.

Grant Details 

Proponent Project Title Amount ($)
Billiaum Whale Dreaming Ltd Whale Dreaming in Australian Marine Parks off Southern Australia $184,000
Birdlife Australia Understanding and securing the range extension of the Gould’s petrel, Australia’s rarest endemic seabird $216,364
Millstream Productions Our Blue Heart - a documentary series $454,018
Bundi Yamatji Aboriginal Corporation Building Yamatji Nation marine park management capabilities $496,400
Cairns Aquarium & Reef Research Centre Pty Ltd Coral Sea Marine Park Discovery Centre Stage 2 $200,000
Charles Darwin University Looking After Sea Country - Understanding and protecting the values of the Arnhem Marine Park and Djelk Indigenous Protected Area $499,845
Curtin University Discovering the biodiversity and ecological health of reefs in the Kimberley Marine Park with Uunguu Rangers and Traditional Owners $333,208
Deakin University Apollo Marine Park habitat mapping, biodiversity assessment, and capacity building in Indigenous Sea Country management $298,844
EOMAP Australia Pty Ltd Satellite Mapping of Bathymetry and Habitats of Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island Marine Parks $92,400
Flinders University Assessing shark movement patterns in relation to human activities within the Norfolk Marine Park $306,341
Great Australian Bight Fishing Industry Association Incorporated Marine Stewardship Council Certification: Assessment of the Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery $105,000
James Cook University The Jewel in the Crown - the cultural and ecological significance of Ashmore and Boot Reef $492,359
James Cook University Reef lagoon benthic habitat mapping in the Coral Sea Marine Park $498,092
Kimberley Land Council Aboriginal Corporation Building knowledge and capacity for managing Brue Reef in collaboration with Mayala Traditional Owners $310,856
Ngiyambandigay Wajaarr Aboriginal Corporation Ngurraa Ngiyambandigay Gaagal (Sharing our Sea Country) $205,000
Norfolk Island Regional Council Virtual cattle fencing to protect water quality at Norfolk Marine Park, Norfolk Island $124,000
Nyamba Buru Yawuru Ltd Building capacity of Kimberley Indigenous saltwater people to contribute to the management of North-west marine parks $156,868
Ocean Watch Australia Limited Protecting Humpback Whales of the Temperate East Marine Park Phase 2 - Enhancing fishing industry mitigation success along the Humpback Whale Migration Pathway $393,671
Southern Otway Landcare Network Inc Apollo Marine Park knowledge building & infrastructure project $42,437
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery Enhancing the public’s connection to and engagement with the natural and cultural values of the Southern Oceans and Antarctica at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery $325,500
Tangaroa Blue Foundation Ltd Coral Sea Marine Park marine debris clean-up $163,676
University of Adelaide Role of Australian Marine Parks in connecting and conserving sea snake populations across northern Australia $400,000
University of Tasmania The utilisation of the Macquarie Island Marine Park by seabirds and marine mammals - a review of current knowledge and future directions. $55,370
University of Tasmania Discovering the role of rare and endangered marine predators in the Tasman Fracture Marine Park $427,178
University of Tasmania A communications catalogue for biodiversity assets in Australian Marine Parks $275,780
University of Western Australia Murujuga Sea Country discovery - cultural, socio-economic, and biodiversity values of the Dampier Marine Park $329,602
University of Western Australia Drones in the deep - demonstrating low-cost and novel mini Autonomous Underwater Vehicles to map deep biodiversity within the Australian Marine Parks $255,719
University of Western Australia Exploring the deepest parts of Australian Marine Parks $491,660
University of Western Australia Wudjari Sea Country Discovery - Cultural, socio-economic and biodiversity values of the Eastern Recherche Marine Park and South-west Corner Marine Park $141,760
Wind & Sky Productions Pty Ltd Rediscovering the Ancient Land Bridge of Eastern Bass Strait. A digital storytelling project celebrating the marine parks of the Eastern Bass Strait and the cultural and natural heritage above and beneath the waves $324,051