Shows
Word on the ReefS2 E10: Trash Talk: Inside the Marine Debris Crisis on the Great Barrier Reef – and What You Can DoThis week we head to the remote beaches of the Great Barrier Reef—where plastic pollution is piling up faster than we can clean it. But is picking up rubbish really the solution? Or just the beginning?Join us as we play trash detective with marine debris expert Heidi Tait, founder of Tangaroa Blue and the Australian Marine Debris Initiative. From her early days as a dive instructor to shaping global plastic policies, Heidi shares her extraordinary story—and the innovative ways she’s turning data into action.Discover where this plastic really comes...
2025-05-0941 min
Word on the ReefS2 E9: Catching Air, Calling for Action: A Tour Operator's Plea to Save the Great Barrier ReefBrett Wright has spent the past 30 years taking visitors to the Great Barrier Reef from Port Douglas with his tour company Windswell Adventures—and he's seen the changes up close. From worsening coral bleaching to the devastation of extreme weather events, climate change is no longer a distant threat, but a reality affecting his livelihood and the Reef he loves. Brett shares a heartfelt call for stronger climate leadership, while reminding us that the Reef is still alive, breathtaking, and worth fighting for.Also in this episode: How do we talk to others ab...
2025-05-0241 min
Word on the ReefS2 E8: Hot Water and Hot Air: Which Political Parties Have the Best Policies to Protect the Great Barrier Reef?In this special Election Edition of Word on the Reef, Tanya Murphy and Brett Goodban dive into one of the most critical questions facing Australians ahead of the Federal Election: Who has the best plan to save the Great Barrier Reef?To find out, we’re joined by Maria Poulos Conklin, Head of Government Relations at the Australian Conservation Foundation, who breaks down ACF's powerful Election Scorecard, comparing how each major party stacks up on climate and environmental policies... and let's just say it's a little confronting!PLUS, all th...
2025-04-2539 min
Word on the ReefS2 E7: Coral in Crisis: The Great Barrier Reef's Sixth Mass Bleaching Event in 9 YearsThe federal election is just two weeks away — and it turns out some politicians are still floundering when it comes to climate change. While the Reef suffers, some parties are busy serving up red herrings instead of real solutions. This week Tanya Murphy and Brett Goodban dive into the national emergency that should be making front-page news: the GBR's sixth mass coral bleaching in nine years. That’s right — the Reef’s in hot water, and some leaders are still dodging the science like slippery eels.We’re joined by special guest Simon Miller from the Austral...
2025-04-1846 min
Word on the ReefS2 E1: Heartbreak and Healing on the Great Barrier Reef: How the Ocean Gave Me A Second Chance At LifeWord on the Reef is back — and now broadcasting live on CairnsFM 89.1 every Friday at 10am (Queensland Time)! Tune in on your radio or stream online at cairnsfm891.org.au for your weekly deep dive into marine science on the Great Barrier ReEef and beyond!In our Season Two premiere, host Tanya Murphy opens up about how the underwater world transformed her life — and we welcome a brand new co-host, Brett Goodban.Brett had racked up over 16,000 dives and was living his dream life as an underwater photographer on the Reef when heartbreak stru...
2025-03-0741 min
Australian Wildlife Education: Wild ChatsDiving Deep with Brett GoodbanEpisode 50 is with my friend Brett Goodban and what a yarn it was. Starting his journey underwater, Brett started humbly washing dishes and doing jobs on the live aboard boats so that he could get his dive certifications. Eventually making a career as an underwater dive photographer and making friends with the creatures of the reef, Brett thought he had it all. It wasn't until he fell ill in Japan, 2014, that he later found out he was labeled, in the medical world, a miracle man and should not of survived his illness. Defying all odds, Brett later found he...
2025-01-281h 29Australian Wildlife Education: Wild ChatsIs Coral an Animal or a Plant? - With Brett Goodban from the Cairns AquariumThe following podcast is with Marine Educator Brett Goodban from the Cairns Aquarium. The Wild Chat today is all about Coral and the big question of whether it is an animal or a plant. We will be talking to Brett over the months with a series on Marine Creatures. In the meantime you can find Brett educating thousands of visitors at the Cairns Aquarium which is found in North Queensland Australia. The Aquarium is world class in representing Habitats, Ecosystems and Animals found within the Wet Tropics Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef - check th...
2020-10-1326 min