Captain Garry McKechnie 06/03/06 Bundaberg

The Coral Bleaching Project is a collaboration between Pelican Expeditions, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Federal Department of Environment and Heritage, all brought together through the Federal Indigenous Co-ordination Centre. It integrates the involvement of scientists, local indigenous people, and educators. The project will inform interested people about the science and evaluation of coral bleaching and its possible implications for global warming and climate change. Pelican's voyage involves a 5 week survey of the Great Barrier Reef from One Tree island and the Swains Reefs in the south to Lizard Island in the north.

Pelican Expeditions have undertaken to train 4 young indigenous people in vessel operation and scuba diving. As part of the training they will be working directly with scientists and with Pelican's crew and will be involved in all aspects of the project. Each trainee is mentored by elders from their own community who are in touch with them via satellite phone. This will provide an opportunity for cultural exchange between traditional owners of relevant sea country and scientists. We hope that this exchange will provide positive insights and benefits for both parties. Traditional owners will be approached and consulted and involved wherever possible.

All these stories will be posted on our web site as they unfold. Students from schools all over Australia will be able to follow our progress and share in our discoveries via daily updates on our web site. They will be able to address questions directly to anyone aboard Pelican. A selection of the best questions will be answered directly by Pelican's expeditioners.

The last few days in Bundaberg has seen a frantic hive of activity aboard Pelican 1. People, supplies and equipment are arriving from all points of the compass. The young trainees have stepped straight off buses and planes into the local pool for their first scuba training session with Marina who is Pelican Expedition's first official dive instructor. Jayne, as our new cook, has been repeatedly briefed about the legendary ability of scuba divers to consume vast quantities of food and is busy stacking the galley to the roof with all manner of delicacies. Nick is fitting Pelican out with the technology to upload our adventure to the website from the outer reaches of the GBR. Natalie in Melbourne is heading up our tactical and educational support unit while Phaedra is rebuilding the web site.

Simultaneously teams from GBRMPA, CSIRO and University of Queensland are assembling people and equipment. Johnston has been on the phone organising logistics for weeks. Paul, Jo, Gill, Chris, David and Magnus all hit the ground running. Every person has a vital role to play in the success of the expedition and we all have a strong desire to see it succeed.

The Federal Department of Environment and Heritage through the Federal Indigenous Co-ordination Centre have thrown their support behind the project. Without them it would certainly not be possible. Lara Crew in their Cairns office has coordinated the indigenous involvement, and their team in Canberra has worked hard to ensure the project is properly supported and evaluated.

Finally it all comes together and everyone is on board. We are still learning names and getting to know each other. Two indigenous elders, Norma Sarra and Muriel Broome are there to bless Pelican's voyage. They are direct descendents of the Bunda people whose name graces the town of Bundaberg. They also generously give us a case of Bundaberg ginger beer which goes straight into the fridge.

There are sixteen of us on board as we make our way down the Burnett River towards the open sea. The feeling on board is very positive despite the crowded cabins and the mountains of equipment and computers everywhere. Our team is united by a desire to deliver a comprehensive evaluation of the current coral bleaching event and to share the information for the benefit of the broader Australian community. We believe that climate change and global warming are very real concerns that have the potential to impact everyone. Our coral reefs are one of our most vulnerable assets and best indicators of the effects of climate change on the environment.