A Changed Landscape

When Lady Elliot Island was mined for guano in the late 1800s, the lush native forest that once blanketed the island was completely stripped. By the time restoration began, only a handful of Pisonia trees remained, and the island was little more than coral rubble and grass – a far cry from the thriving ecosystem it once was.

Without trees, seabird habitat was lost, soil was unstable, and native biodiversity suffered. The island had become a shadow of its original self.

Recognising its potential to recover and lead by example, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation selected Lady Elliot Island as the first “climate ark” under the Reef Islands Initiative – a program designed to protect and restore key island ecosystems that act as refuges for biodiversity in a changing climate.

This work represents a unique collaboration between government, not-for-profit, and private sectors, coming together to achieve a shared goal. The program is guided by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Lady Elliot Island Ecosystem Resilience Plan, supported through the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Reef Islands Initiative (and GBRMPA), and implemented by Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, with guidance from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

Together, these partners are working to restore the island to its role as a thriving coral cay habitat – a sanctuary for seabirds, turtles and native vegetation.