The LNP election commitment to protect Mudjimba Island continues with research commencing today as part of the $1 million project.
Member for Maroochydore, Fiona Simpson MP, said the project will be a student-led marine research project that will deliver years of valuable scientific data on the reef surrounding Mudjimba Island — a site that defies expectations by supporting coral cover comparable to parts of the southern Great Barrier Reef.
“As promised, this partnership with educators, researchers, divers and everyone loves this area, the research will not only assist in protecting the coral, fish, turtles and other marine life, but also provide aspiring young marine biologists access to research opportunities right here on the Sunshine Coast, Ms Simpson said.
“This research part of the project will enable education and research facilities which supports marine conservation as well as tourism jobs.
“Regular divers in the area believe it is some of the best diving spots they know of and it is important that is not only protected, but preserved.”
The Mudjimba Island Research Project is led by the Marine Science program at Meridan State College, with Sunreef Mooloolaba providing operational support including vessels, dive logistics and in-water expertise.
“This is what marine science education should look like — our students aren’t just learning the theory, they’re generating data that will be used by scientists, government agencies and the wider community for years to come,” Craig Reid or Meridan State College’s Marine Science program said.
“Students are being trained in snorkelling, underwater photography, water quality testing, and coral and fish identification. Their fieldwork counts toward their assessment — but more importantly, it contributes to the long-term protection of a reef in our own backyard.”
“Sunreef has been diving Mudjimba Island for nearly 50 years. We see the reef change with the seasons, with the currents, with the weather — but we’ve never had a coordinated, scientific way to capture those changes,” said John Fell, Managing Director of Sunreef Immerse Yourself.
“By putting our vessels, our crew and our knowledge behind Meridan’s students, we’re helping build the dataset that future decisions about this reef will rely on. It’s a privilege to operationally support a project where the science is being done by the people who’ll inherit this coastline.”
Why Mudjimba Island?
Of the 15 reefs identified along the Sunshine Coast between Noosa and Caloundra, Mudjimba Island stands out for two reasons: accessibility, and its complex vertical structures, which create microhabitats with the potential to support a greater diversity of corals — and, by extension, a greater abundance and diversity of fish life.
The project will track changes in coral species abundance and diversity, alongside fish surveys and long-term water quality monitoring — building the kind of baseline dataset that has, until now, been missing for the region’s reefs.
How the science works:
• A stratified-random sampling design standardises locations across the reef while randomising sample points within each site, reducing site-selection bias and capturing genuine variability in reef health.
• Sampling occurs twice a year — in autumn (to detect bleaching and storm damage from the peak season) and spring (to detect recovery).
• At each of at least four sites, divers and snorkellers capture a minimum of ten 1m² photoquadrats within a 10x10m area, across three depth replicates.
• Fish and invertebrate surveys are conducted using Remote Underwater Video (RUVS), with a focus on functionally important species such as herbivorous fish.
Mudjimba Island — by the numbers (Reef Check, 2024):
• Hard coral cover: 29%
• Soft coral cover: 6%
• Algae cover: 7%
• Percentage bleached: 2%
• Herbivore abundance: 5%
Get involved
Members of the Sunshine Coast dive community are invited to contribute imagery and observations to the project. To learn more, support the work, or lodge a sample, visit www.mudjimbaislandresearch.au.
PROJECT PARTNERS:
Project Funding by Queensland Government: The Mudjimba Island Research Project is supported and funded by the Queensland Government, championed by the Hon Fiona Simpson MP, Member for Maroochydore.
Meridan State College Marine Science: A specialist secondary-school program preparing students
for marine science careers through hands-on fieldwork, industry partnerships, and authentic
research contribution.
Sunreef Mooloolaba: Established in 1976, Sunreef is the Sunshine Coast’s longest-running dive and whale watching operator, a PADI 5-Star Training Centre, and Australia’s first Swim with Humpback Whales operator. Sunreef is supporting the project by providing operational support including vessels, dive logistics and in-water expertise.
The Project: The Mudjimba Island Research Project is driven by science and supported by a community of citizen scientists, with technical input from DETSI, Reef Check Australia and UniSC.
[ENDS]