Great Barrier Reef bleaching is accelerating at a dangerous pace, and yet, hope rises from a unique blend of technology, data, and collective action. In this powerful episode, Andrew talks to Andy Ridley, the founding CEO of Citizens of the Reef, about how they are building one of the most ambitious citizen science movements on the planet. They discuss how climate change rapidly degrades one of the world’s natural wonders and how empowering ordinary people to contribute data can shift the tide toward reef recovery.

Citizen science plays a key role in understanding reef health on a massive scale, especially when the area is as vast as the U.S. West Coast. Andy Ridley shares how his organization merges real-time data collection, AI, and local participation to inform reef management and climate resilience. If you’ve ever wondered how tech, policy, and everyday action can converge to protect the ocean, this episode is a must-listen.

Chapters:
00:00 – Welcome and introduction to Andy Ridley
02:00 – The Great Barrier Reef bleaching crisis: what happened and why
05:30 – Understanding the scale of the reef and the monitoring challenge
08:15 – Enter AI: the role of tech in reef data collection
11:00 – Citizens of the Reef: a global movement begins
14:30 – Building trust through citizen science
18:00 – Why traditional science alone isn’t enough
21:00 – How local communities contribute to global ocean data
24:00 – From awareness to action: engaging the next generation
27:30 – Combining AI, data, and storytelling for impact
31:00 – Scaling up: the future of reef monitoring and protection
34:30 – Lessons from other citizen science movements
37:00 – How governments and institutions are responding
40:00 – The cultural importance of reefs and Indigenous knowledge
43:00 – What gives Andy hope amid ongoing reef bleaching
46:30 – How to join or support Citizens of the Reef
49:00 – Final thoughts: imagining a reef restored
52:00 – Where to learn more and how to get involved

#OceanConservation #MarineBiology #SaveOurOceans #ProtectTheOcean #OceanAwareness #BluePlanet #ConservationMatters #ScienceForChange #SustainableOceans
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