Gunggandji-Mandingalbay Yidinji Peoples PBC

23/10/2026

🪸 2026 GMY REEF CENSUS ✅🐠💙🛥️🤿

Another successful year caring for our Sea Country, completing our fourth consecutive year of Reef Census surveys in partnership with Citizens of the Reef, TropWATER and North Marine.

This year GMY Rangers surveyed seven reefs, culled four crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), and will report COTs sightings through the Eye on the Reef app to contribute valuable reef health data.

The team also replaced the acoustic receiver at Scott Reef, which tracks shark movements across GMY Sea Country, including sharks tagged further north and south.

A special shout-out to Brody Gray, who joined the JCU dive register and completed the scuba dive to replace the receiver supported by Dr Katie Chartrand. 🤿🙌🏾

Beyond the surveys, this voyage was a great opportunity for our Rangers to step up, take the reins and strengthen their leadership in caring for Sea Country.

Thank you to our partners for another successful year undertaking the Great Reef Census - with special mention to Dr Katie Chartrand and Luke Hoffmann from TropWATER and the awesome team from Citizens of the Reef 🪸🙏🏾

Four years strong caring for Sea Country, today and for future generations. 🌏💙

Citizens of the Reef
TropWATER
Queensland Environment

20/10/2026

🌊 OUT OF OFFICE – ON SEA COUNTRY! 🪸🛥️

GMY Rangers headed out this morning aboard the Lady Ningaloo with the North Marine crew for our annual coral reef census surveys.

Working alongside Citizens of the Reef and TropWATER, GMY rangers will spend the week surveying our reefs, collecting important data and helping protect Sea Country for future generations 💙🐠

📍 The team is expected back late Friday and will return to the office and field on Monday.

In the meantime, stay tuned for more updates from out on the reef! 🤿🪸

Citizens of the Reef TropWATER
Queensland Environment

16/10/2026

🐢 Friday Flashback: Helping Protect Nesting Turtles - Have You Spotted a Turtle Along Our Coast?

Last week, the GMY Rangers travelled along the combined Gunggandji-Mandingalbay Yidinji coastline installing monitoring cameras at key turtle nesting areas to help us better understand turtle nesting activity and identify potential predation threats. These cameras play an important role in collecting valuable information that will assist with future management and protection of these important nesting sites.

We kindly ask community members and visitors who come across these cameras to please leave them undisturbed. The cameras will remain in place for a period of time before being collected, with the data reviewed in the coming months. Every image and video captured helps build a clearer picture of what is happening along our coastline and supports efforts to protect nesting turtles and their hatchlings.

If you spot a nesting turtle, turtle tracks, or an active nest anywhere along the combined Gunggandji-Mandingalbay Yidinji coastline, we'd love to hear from you via messenger or email.

Sharing the location, date, time, and any photos (from a safe distance) can help our team improve monitoring efforts and identify areas where additional cameras may be needed.

Together, we can help protect these incredible marine visitors for future generations. 🌊🐢

Email: [email protected] and [email protected]

TropWATER This project is being delivered in partnership with JCU TropWATER

15/10/2026

National Indigenous Times Feat. Stirling Ludwick 👏🏾👊🏿

We are proud to see Stirling Ludwick featured in the National Indigenous Times following his recent recognition as the 2026 Queensland Training Awards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year. Stirling’s achievement continues to inspire our community, and it is wonderful to see his hard work, dedication and leadership celebrated on a national platform. Congratulations, Stirling, on this well-deserved recognition.

Skills for Queensland
Australian Training Awards
Queensland Environment RAM Training Services - RTO #31701 TAFE Queensland

Yarrabah's Stirling Ludwick is helping train the next generation of rangers after progressing from a trainee to a team leader and mentor.Mr Ludwick was named the 2026 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isla...

08/10/2026

Early start this morning! 🚤 🐢📸🌊🌞

GMY Rangers headed out on the water with Lloyd from TropWATER, making the most of the good weather and perfect timing to set up cameras along the coastline ahead of the 2026 turtle nesting season 🐢🌊

The cameras will help monitor nesting turtles and identify potential predation threats, supporting the protection of turtles and Sea Country.

TropWATER

03/10/2026

A significant and historic moment for Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef. 💙🪸

GMYPPBC is proud to stand alongside Traditional Owners from across the Reef as part of the ReefTO Alliance — an independent, Traditional Owner owned and controlled Alliance built on generations of knowledge, connection to Country and a shared responsibility to care for Sea Country.

After more than 30 years of conversations, advocacy and determination, this is a powerful step forward for Traditional Owner leadership and collective action.

We honour the Old People and Ancestors who carried this vision before us, those who helped bring it to this moment, and the generations who will carry it forward.

Many Nations. One Reef. 💙🪸

We are proud to be part of this historic journey.

01/10/2026

🌿 Friday Flashback ... Growing Ranger Leaders

Back in July, GMY Rangers travelled to the Bunya Mountains to take part in the QILSRP Leadership Program, continuing a leadership journey that has supported the growth and development of our Rangers over several years.

Brody Gray joined the first intake in 2022 while on placement with Marine Parks, followed by Fred Lefoe in the second intake in 2023, before joining the GBR Biology team. Stirling Ludwick and Dion Sands joined the third leadership program intake in 2025.

This year, Brody and Fred were invited back to mentor the current intake of Rangers, sharing their experiences, knowledge and leadership skills with those progressing through the program. It is great to see their journey come full circle, from participating in the program themselves to supporting and encouraging the next group of emerging Ranger leaders.

Through two leadership workshops each year, the Rangers have continued to build valuable skills, confidence and knowledge to support them in their roles and strengthen their leadership capabilities.

The Rangers are pictured with our QILSRP Senior Project Officer, Aleta Azambuja Lima, and Neil from the Juunjuwarra Ranger Team.

We are proud to see our Rangers continuing to grow as leaders, share their knowledge and experiences, support one another and build connections with other Ranger teams. 🌱💚

A special thank you to QILSRP for facilitating this program and for the ongoing investment in the development of our Rangers. Opportunities like these play an important role in building leadership, confidence and capability, while supporting Rangers to grow within their roles and share their skills and knowledge with others.

Queensland Environment

29/09/2026

From the Reef TO Forum in Gladstone…

Director Jacinta Keyes-Lively and GMY Junior Ranger Team Leader Stirling Ludwick representing GMYPPBC 🙌🏾🪸🐠🌊

Reef.to