The Jewel in the Coral Sea - The cultural and ecological significance of Ashmore and Boot Reefs

Summary

James Cook University was awarded funding through an Our Marine Parks Round 3 Grant to investigate the cultural and ecological significance of Ashmore and Boot Reefs.

The key objectives of this project were to:

• engage and collaborate with, and build capacity within, the Meriam people in the conduct of ecological surveys to assess the status of shallow and deep reef habitats

• conduct extensive surveys of benthic, macro-invertebrate, and fish communities on Ashmore and Boot Reefs using a combination of diver based and remote image-based technologies.

The project involved several engagement and capacity-building activities with the Meriam people, including a 10-day voyage to Ashmore and Boot Reefs in February– March 2023 where eight members of the Meriam people collaborated directly with the JCU team.