Shows
Word on the ReefS2 E21: SPOTTED: The Great Barrier Reef's first known Whale Shark Aggregation SiteWhale sharks—harmless, majestic giants—have long been mystery visitors on the Great Barrier Reef, their movements shrouded in secrecy... until now. In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have identified the Reef’s first known whale shark aggregation site. Join us as we uncover where these elusive creatures have been hiding with Ingo Miller—marine biologist turned shark detective. On a mission to find and protect the world’s largest fish before it’s too late, Ingo followed the clues to their secret gathering spot. Want to know where it is? You’ll have to tune in to find out.LEARN MOR...2025-07-2641 min
Word on the ReefS2 E20 Everything Kirsty Webeck Needs to Say About Sea CreaturesAustralian comedian Kirsty Webeck loves sea creatures. She's learned a lot about them through her lifelong passion for snorkelling - and now she's here to share what the sperm whales don't want you to know. She is currently touring with her live standup show called Everything I Need to Say About Sea Creatures and it's a real hoot to have her joining us on Word on the Reef this week!We also chat with Dave George from the Cairns Nautilus Scuba Club, who shares why joining your local dive c...2025-07-2140 min
Word on the ReefS2 E19: Modern Day Castaway: A Gruelling 50 Days Alone on the ReefMeet Mike Atkinson — former military pilot turned solo adventurer, survival expert, and filmmaker. In one of the boldest voyages ever attempted, Mike hand-carved a dugout canoe and sailed it 1,500 kilometres up the Great Barrier Reef — from Townsville to the Torres Strait — using only traditional, handmade fishing and hunting tools. No engine. No GPS. No esky.Surviving on stingray, dried kangaroo, and sheer determination, Mike faced crocodiles, storms, and solitude — all in a quest to reconnect with nature and spotlight the urgent need to protect the Reef and honour Indigenous knowledge.This is more than a s...2025-07-1243 min
Word on the ReefBonus Episode: How to Swim with Whales, Manta Rays and Sharks on the Great Barrier ReefWhale and manta ray season has arrived on the Great Barrier Reef - and so have the awe-inspiring encounters! Divers and snorkellers are reporting unforgettable moments with these gentle giants, and in this special bonus episode of Word on the Reef, Master Reef Guide Tahn Miller joins host Tanya Murphy once again to spill their top insider tips on how you can experience the magic too.This is Part 3 of our fan-favourite series, "Top 8 Animals to See on the Great Barrier Reef – and Where to Find Them", which began back in Season 1, Episode 13. If...2025-07-1043 min
Word on the ReefS2 E18: Sex Under the Sea: The Weird World of Marine ReproductionWelcome to the ocean -- where your genitals are on your face, males give birth, and gender is more of a suggestion than a rule. You can snooze in a bubble of your own vomit or switch sexes overnight without anyone batting a fin. What a world!This week we’re joined by Mike Scotland - marine biologist, underwater photographer, and editor of DiveLog Magazine. With 50 years of diving, thousands of dives, and two books under his weight belt (Marine Biology in the Wild and Diving With Sharks), Mike’s here to tell us why humans have more...2025-07-0638 min
Word on the ReefS2 E17: Trawl Wars: The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park vs. The Fishing IndustryThe 1990s was a wild west era for fishing on the Great Barrier Reef. Even after being declared a Marine Park and a World Heritage area, more than 95% of the Great Barrier Reef was still being fished, and things were heading downhill fast. Then came a bombshell report that exposed what was really going on beneath the surface -- and all hell broke loose. What followed was a fierce battle known as the ‘Trawl Wars,' and unfortunately, it did not happen in a galaxy far, far away.In this episode, we’re joined by legendary conservationist Im...2025-06-2844 min
Word on the ReefS2 E16: Shark Tracker: The Wild Life of Richard FitzpatrickRichard Fitzpatrick wants to change the way you think about sharks.Ever since he kept a pet shark as a kid, Richard has made it his life’s mission to rewrite the story of one of the ocean’s most misunderstood predators. Now an Emmy-winning cinematographer, marine biologist and shark researcher, he’s spent more than 15,000 hours swimming with sharks — filming them, tagging them, and tracking them for science, often using wildly unorthodox (and very hands-on) methods.In this episode of Word on the Reef, learn how to rope and tame a wild shark, w...2025-06-2148 min
Word on the ReefS2 E15: Save the Reef from your Sofa: Citizen Science with Nicole SennDid you know you can help with coral research on the Great Barrier Reef without even leaving your couch? On this week's episode of Word on the Reef, get ready to swipe right on high-value corals as we dive into the incredible world of citizen science.Our guest is Nicole Senn, Head of Engagement at Citizens of the Reef and passionate ocean advocate, who reveals how everyday people all over the world are helping monitor coral health - no snorkel or flippers required! Nicole shares how the data you analyse on your phone or laptop...2025-06-1344 min
Word on the ReefS2 E14: Tree-mendous Impacts: How Forests Help Save Coral ReefsDid you know that deforestation up to 1,000 kilometres inland can harm coral reefs and potentially fuel outbreaks of coral-eating starfish? This week we explore one of the lesser-known but critical threats to the Great Barrier Reef: declining water quality due to land clearing.Our guest this week is Sarah Sims, a conservation and land management expert, dive instructor, and underwater photographer based in Cairns. Sarah's love of the Reef has inspired her to trace water pollution back to its roots: literally. Sarah is the powerhouse behind two not-for-profit reforestation initiatives - TreeForce Cairns...2025-06-0643 min
Word on the ReefS2 E13: Undercover Investigation: The Supermarket Plastics Trashing our OceansDid you know Aussies are among the worst plastic polluters on the planet - second only to Singapore for our use of single-use plastic packaging? Every year, 145,000 tonnes of plastic waste leak into our environment, and most of it comes from our supermarkets.Many of these plastics are not recyclable, and even when binned “correctly," they escape - blown by wind, swept by rain - ending up in rivers, oceans, and inside marine life. From turtles mistaking bags for jellyfish to seabirds literally crunching from the plastic in their guts, our throwaway culture is devastating wildlife… and it’s...2025-05-3043 min
Word on the ReefS2 E12: Australia's Great Southern Reef: Kelp, Cuttlefish, and Climate Chaos with Stefan AndrewsThe Great Southern Reef is an 8,000-kilometre stretch of temperate rocky reefs and kelp forests that hugs the southern coastline of Australia from Sydney to Perth. It’s home to incredible marine life like leafy sea dragons, giant cuttlefish, octopuses, and playful seals. It’s a $11.56 billion cornerstone of local economies and part of our way of life for millions of Aussies. But it’s also under serious threat.Join us as we chat with Stefan Andrews, marine biologist, filmmaker, educator, and Co-Founder of the Great Southern Reef Foundation, who wa...2025-05-2357 min
Word on the ReefS2 E11: How to Protect the Great Barrier Reef: Individual Actions You can Take Right NowClimate Change is the biggest threat to coral reefs worldwide, causing unprecedented coral bleaching events. But there are things we can all do to help - and you don't need to be a marine biologist or even live anywhere near the ocean to make a difference! Here's your guide to powerful, practical climate action to help save the Great Barrier Reef - and the best part? You can do it from anywhere!Joining us this week is marine scientist and climate campaigner Dr Yolanda Waters, founder and CEO of Divers for Climate, to share real...2025-05-171h 01
The Art of AwakeningEAT WELL FEEL BETTER: HEALING & WHOLE FOODS WITH KIM MURPHYIn this episode of The Art of Awakening Podcast, Dr. Sue Morter welcomes Kim Murphy, a certified plant-based health coach, for a deeply personal and empowering conversation about how what we eat can change how we feel—mentally, emotionally, and physically.
After losing her father to Alzheimer’s, Kim began a journey to understand the role of nutrition in long-term wellness. What she discovered transformed not only her own life, but the lives of countless others. Today, she shares the science and soul behind a whole food, plant-based lifestyle—and how it can...2025-05-0934 min
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: The Great Barrier Reef's Sixth Mass Bleaching Event in 9 Years - and What We Can Do About ItThe 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 E6: Coral Bleaching on Western Australia's World Heritage Listed Ningaloo ReefThis week, our guest is West Australian coral ecologist Associate Professor Zoe Richards, who's had some extraordinary adventures—diving with crocodiles, discovering new coral species and surveying nuclear bomb sites!We'll journey to Micronesia to uncover an ancient civilisation that built mysterious structures from coral, and to Ningaloo, the world’s largest fringing reef, now sadly in the grips of a mass bleaching event.From emus on the beach to seals frolicking with corals, this is both a love letter to WA’s reefs and a powerful wake-up call for their protection.📸...2025-04-1144 min
AURN NewsBuy Now, Thank Me Later? Trump's Tariff Pause Sparks Insider Trading AlarmPresident Donald Trump's posts on Truth Social triggered market volatility and raised legal concerns hours before he announced a 90-day pause on tariffs. Trump wrote, "BE COOL! Everything is going to work out well," followed by, "This is a great time to buy!!!" prompting immediate market reactions.Following Trump's posts—but before the China tariff reversal became public—the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 8%, the S&P 500 increased 9%, and the Nasdaq Composite surged 12%. Democrats are now raising questions about who profited from these market fluctuations and the legality of Trump's actions.2025-04-1001 min
Word on the ReefS2 E5: Lizard Island's Sixth Consecutive Coral Bleaching Event: What Happens when Bleaching Becomes Annual?This week we're heading back to spectacular Lizard Island to uncover what’s changed since last year’s record-breaking coral bleaching event. New research station co-director Dr David Abrego takes us a vivid tour of this world-renowned reef science hub and shares the sobering reality of back-to-back bleaching events that are pushing corals to the brink. From flying over glittering turquoise waters to diving deep into marine heatwaves, coral adaptation, and reef restoration, this episode is a rollercoaster of awe, hope, and heartbreak. Discover why Lizard Island has been visited by the likes of Dav...2025-04-0437 min