The Women Warriors of the Torres Strait – an all-female crew of Traditional Owners, rangers, and scientists led by the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) Sea Team and James Cook University – have set sail as part of the Great Reef Census to survey the northernmost section in the Torres Strait, northern Australia.
The five-day voyage to Mer (Murray Island) by the Women Warriors of the Torres Strait is the first time the Great Reef Census – led by Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef – has ventured beyond Cape York.
TSRA Senior Natural Resource Management Officer and Marine Biologist Madeina David, 24, said the trip served as ‘ethical science’ in the Torres Strait, with researchers and Traditional Owners working together to monitor the Great Barrier Reef, collect data, and share findings with island communities to support local decision-making.
“Our voyage sets a new course for science to value, respect, and incorporate the traditional ecological knowledge of custodians who have cared for land and sea for centuries,” Ms. David said.
“We will connect ancient knowledge and modern science to assess the condition of the northern Great Barrier Reef, including water temperatures, coral conditions, and even explore the potential for a future turtle sanctuary.”
