03/06/2026
Many people only ever see coral reefs through documentaries or textbooks, but for UNSW students, Heron Island is a living laboratory where they can study reef systems, ocean processes and climate change in real time.
As marine heatwaves threaten coral reefs worldwide, a growing number of future problem solvers are witnessing the impacts on the Great Barrier Reef firsthand while also discovering new career pathways in climate science, technology and environmental problem-solving.
As marine heatwaves, fuelled by global warming, threaten coral reefs, UNSW students are seeing the impacts firsthand – while also discovering new career pathways in climate science, technology and environmental problem-solving.