Clean reefs: a pollution mapping and assessment tool

Fiji, Oceania
Solomon Islands, Oceania
Water quality

Credits: Wade Fairley

Facing a challenge

With nearly one billion people living within 100 km of coral reefs, pollution from land-based sources — such as sediments, excess nutrients, and wastewater — poses a major threat to reef health worldwide, affecting over 30% of coral reefs. Effective pollution management is therefore essential for coral reef conservation. However, many of the tools currently available to practitioners are difficult to access or not well suited for decision-making.

Credits: Joleah Lamb

With an innovative solution

The CLEAN REEFS project will develop a global, open-source, web-based application for pollution mapping and risk assessment. This tool will enable coral reef managers, scientists, and citizen scientists to identify and address pollution risks across reef ecosystems. It will provide near-real-time data on pollution sources, exposure, and dispersal patterns. To achieve this, the team will:

collect pollution data from sites in Fiji and the Solomon Islands to validate and calibrate model predictions
host in-person workshops to define user needs, gather feedback on tool functionality, and provide training
create global maps showing pollution sources, dispersal patterns, and coral reef exposure, including the frequency and magnitude of pollution events
collaborate with local partners in Fiji and the Solomon Islands to apply the tool’s outputs for targeted pollution management, site selection for coral restoration, and strategic planning
design an interactive web application that allows users to map pollution, analyse selected areas, and explore data on pollution sources, exposure, and scenario-based outcomes

Credits: WISH

What impact looks like

Empower coral reef stakeholders in over 100 countries to make data-driven decisions for coral protection and pollution management
Provide a tool that visualises current pollution impacts and allows users to test management scenarios
Support more effective coral restoration planning and sustainable reef management
Inform national and sub-national conservation strategies in Fiji and the Solomon Islands

Integrate tool outputs into national reef conservation planning in Fiji and the Solomon Islands

Project Title

CLEAN REEFS: a dynamic pollution mapping and risk assessment tool for global coral reefs

Lead applicant

Dr. Amelia Wenger

Co-applicants

Dr. Simon Albert, Kim Fisher, Dr. Alec Hughes, Dr. Stacy Jupiter, Paul van Nimwegen, Haley Williams, Sam Teicher

Countries involved

Australia, The Bahamas, Fiji, and Solomon Islands

Takes place

Fiji and Solomon Islands

Supporting institutions

University of Queensland, Coral Vita, Wildlife Conservation Society

Total budget

USD 1,122,546

Duration

January 2024 – March 2027

- Begun development of the web-based application
- Developed and tested models for sediment and pollution mapping in Fiji and the Solomon Islands
- Conducted a user survey (30+ responses) and design workshops to refine the tool’s features
- Processed global land-use datasets to generate sediment runoff data for reef watersheds from 2000 to 2020
2025
2026
2027