Our community campaigner had the privilege of joining the 5th Annual Symposium of the Social Science Community for the Great Barrier Reef. It was an inspiring gathering of people who bring both knowledge and care to the future of the Reef, and Luna felt honoured to contribute as a speaker and workshop facilitator.

Throughout the symposium, Luna heard about the diversification of reef science and projects - spanning topics such as the role of emotion in reef protection, current trust in reef science, the use of drones, and women’s leadership on the reef. What stood out most was the collective commitment to expanding how we understand, connect with, and protect the Reef.

Our community campaigner was invited to speak about the role of community storytelling in reef protection. Stories have the power not only to connect us emotionally with the Reef but also to complement scientific knowledge with complex, multi-layered perspectives. We drew on narratives gathered through our 2024 Story Circle Project. Among them were accounts from long-term residents on Yunbenun (Magnetic Island), who shared how witnessing the decline of the Reef has profoundly shaped their sense of home and identity.

For us, it is often undervalued how much we need collective spaces to process the changes that the climate crisis is bringing to our lives and places. This emotional connection is not a distraction - it is a source of resilience. Just as important, emotional and cultural knowledge is real and valuable data that should inform decisions for our shared future.

Luna also had the pleasure of supporting a creative workshop alongside Claudia Benham (UQ), Chloe Watfern (Black Dog Institute), and Rana Dadpour (Cairns Institute, JCU). Together, we invited participants into imaginative and sensory exercises-journeying, drawing, and tactile engagement-to connect their own stories with the stories of corals. The room filled with creativity, reflection, and hope, as people shared their visions for the Reef’s future.

The symposium was a reminder that caring for the Great Barrier Reef is as much about hearts and communities as it is about data and science.