Museum of Underwater Art celebrates first birthday

Divers across Australia have been making the pilgrimage to Townsville to visit the Museum of Underwater Art’s Coral Greenhouse.

Museum of Underwater Art Coral Greenhouse. Picture: David Kirkland

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DIVERS across Australia have been making the pilgrimage to Townsville to visit the Museum of Underwater Art’s Coral Greenhouse.

Installed in August 1, 2020, the artwork on John Brewer Reef, is celebrating it’s first birthday this weekend.

Since its opening, the Coral Greenhouse has undergone a significant physical transformation and has played a crucial role in supporting the region’s marine tourism industry through the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Museum of Underwater Art Coral Greenhouse. Picture: David Kirkland

Townsville Enterprise Director Visitor Economy and Marketing Lisa Woolfe said both the Coral Greenhouse and Ocean Siren had been game-changers for the tourism industry, with a key attraction to pull the region’s marine operators through the pandemic recovery.

“While the Coral Greenhouse was opened to the public amid national border closures and Covid restrictions, Australia’s first underwater museum has acted as a catalyst for significant national and global media coverage, and further cemented our region as the global centre of excellence for marine science, education and research for the Great Barrier Reef,” Ms Woolfe said.

“The physical changes in the appearance of the Greenhouse, and future developments of the project are a positive sign of things for the future, when border restrictions are a thing of the past, and we can openly welcome visitors from across the nation and the world, to share in this one-of-a-kind attraction.”

The MOUA, which is still expanding with more installations planned at Palm and Magnetic islands, has received significant attention already with multiple gongs in tourism awards across the world.

So far it has received global recognition with the Voyages Eco Creativity Award, China, the New Culture Destination of the Year finalist for the Asia Pacific and Banksia Foundation Sustainability Award.

Museum of Underwater Art Coral Greenhouse. Picture: David Kirkland

The media coverage, and elevation of the North Queensland region as a globally significant reef destination has been one of many benefits of the project in the past 12 months, with positive environmental milestones achieved.

MOUA Deputy Chair and marine scientist Adam Smith said the installation had shown positive signs of ecological change with many marine species now calling the Greenhouse home.

“The site where we have located the Greenhouse is close to a healthy coral reef suitable for scuba and snorkellers,” Dr Smith said.

“The Museum of Underwater Art is encouraging people to visit the reef and observe a beautiful and thought provoking combination of art, science and nature. This unique experience is also inspiring visitors to take action to research, protect and restore the reef.”

“Our research team at Reef Ecologic in collaboration with citizen scientists and traditional owners have initiated new research programs at the Coral Greenhouse – like coral gardening, which not only adds to the site’s aesthetic but also gives corals of opportunities new life, and attracts a diversity of fish.”

Originally published as Museum of Underwater Art celebrates first birthday