Sydney, 29 September 2026 - The Great Barrier Reef Foundation and the Chubb Charitable Foundation have announced a new initiative to deliver a pioneering, multi-habitat restoration project in Queensland, Australia, to trial restoration techniques across some of the Great Barrier Reef’s most vital but overlooked ecosystems.
Backed by a multi-year investment from the Chubb Charitable Foundation, the project will test and refine interconnected coastal habitat restoration methods. These habitats nurture marine life, store “blue carbon” — carbon naturally captured by coastal wetlands such as mangroves, saltmarshes and seagrass meadows — and strengthen the Reef’s resilience against climate change.
Located within Gladstone Harbour, the site will be one of the first locations on the Reef where seagrass and oyster restoration will be trialled side by side, generating evidence and learnings that could inform future large-scale coastal ecosystem repair. The project will combine cutting-edge science from leading Australian research institutions Central Queensland University (CQU), CSIRO, and Griffith University, in partnership with OzFish Unlimited, Traditional Owners and local communities.
Anna Marsden, Managing Director, Great Barrier Reef Foundation, said:
“Beneath the Reef’s surface lies one of its quietest powerhouses — vast seagrass meadows that filter water, feed turtles and lock away extraordinary amounts of carbon. They’re the hidden engine room of the Reef, quietly doing the work that keeps this ecosystem alive.
Seagrass meadows can capture carbon up to 35x faster than tropical rainforests. And with more than 3.5 million hectares — 10% of the world’s seagrass — the Great Barrier Reef holds one of Earth’s most important natural defences against climate change. But these meadows are under pressure as cyclones, floods, storms and coastal development intensify. Their future depends on what we do now.
The grant from the Chubb Charitable Foundation enables the science, technology and commitment needed to trial new restoration approaches and identify those with the potential to scale. It’s about rebuilding the places that keep the Reef alive and strengthening the communities and wildlife that depend on them.”
Media Contacts:
Great Barrier Reef Foundation
Kristy Ward - media@barrierreef.org
Chubb
Katrina Jukic - mediaANZ@chubb.com