Exploring the Island–Reef Connection

How does restoring an island’s forest help protect the reef?

The Leaf to Reef research project is based on Lady Elliot Island and explores how land and sea are connected – and how healthy island ecosystems can support coral reef resilience in a changing climate.

At the heart of the project is the island’s revegetation work, which is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. It offers scientists a rare opportunity to study how changes on land flow downstream to benefit the reef.

Led by researchers, supported by citizen scientists, and powered by conservation action – this project is helping shape how we protect reef systems around the world.

The project has three key aims:

• Understand how island revegetation influences coral reef health
• Track the island’s biodiversity across land and sea, and monitor how they’re responding to a changing climate
• Map the island to a fine scale, including vegetation and the shallow reef platform