Tweeting the reef revolution: an analysis of public debates on the Great Barrier Reef restoration

The Great Barrier Reef's back-to-back bleaching events (2016/17) have seen a shift towards more interventions and restoration project to save the Reef. With traditional media still holding gatekeeper roles, the Twittersphere has become an ideal space to debate the merits of Reef restoration research. From scientists to pollies and the public, opinion is divided over the best approach to restore the Reef's health. This paper is part of research for the Reef Restoration and Adaption (RRAP) project that is analysing social media to identify key theme in online public debates around social licence and restoration projects. Drawing on public Twitter and Facebook pages, we are measuring social perceptions of restoration and intervention projects. Analysis of Twitter posts over a 12-month period since the last bleaching event, identifies public sentiment and discourse around Reef Restoration projects. Drawing on public tweets from social media and environmental communication literature; this study investigates the public perceptions of interventions via the micro-blogging site Twitter. The data provides insights into the public perception and debates surrounding the feasibility and viability of reef restoration and adaptation interventions. Therefore, this research aims to establish if better understanding of the social perceptions of the Great Barrier Reef can help to find ways of improving the Reef in Australia and around the world.