In order to transition RRAP interventions from research and development to deployment we must ensure the technology, logistics, regulatory approvals and community support are in place well in advance.
The Translation to Deployment team is working to enable these prerequisites for intervention deployment, focusing on:
The key outcomes of the Translation to Deployment Subprogram are:
This project will map the high-level critical path to achieve RRAP deployment, which include technical as well as funding, regulatory, community capacity building and social license goals. Critical outputs and inputs, timelines, dependencies, decision points and stage gates will be mapped for each intervention scenario.
This project provides engineering support for the RRAP R&D Program, including mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil/structural, data and integrated engineering. The project’s key objective is to ensure seamless research and technology handover to restoration implementers and practitioners.
Gibbs MT, Gibbs BL, Newlands M, Ivey J (2021) Scaling up the global reef restoration activity: Avoiding ecological imperialism and ongoing colonialism. PLoS ONE 16(5): e0250870. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250870
Gibbs, M. T. (2021). Technology requirements, and social impacts of technology for at-scale coral reef restoration. Technology in Society, 66, 101622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101622
Gibbs, M. T., & Newlands, M. (2021). Restoration heralds’ new management challenges for coral reefs. Marine Policy, 136, 104911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2021.104911
Gibbs, M.T. Developing a regional-scale reef restoration activity for the tropics. Reg Environ Change 21, 99 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-021-01843-6
Lippmann RB, Helmstedt KJ, Gibbs MT, Corry P (2023) Optimizing facility location, sizing, and growth time for a cultivated resource: A case study in coral aquaculture. PLoS ONE 18(3): e0282668. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282668
Gibbs, M., Jackel, K., Ames, J., & McLeod, I. (2024). How the incentives of participating organizations influence the current scales of coral reef restoration activities. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 34(1), e4077. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.4077
Gibbs, M. T. (2025). Oceanographic‐informed coral out‐planting density for coral reef restoration activities. Restoration Ecology, 33(1), e14315. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.14315
Davis, P., Corry, P., Jez, J., Dendle, N., Moshirian, B., Jackel, K., Fischer, T., Raine, S., Tsai, D., Samvedi, G., Lamont, R., Tutin, A., Morris, T., Lui, A., Esplin, J., Morris, A., Sim, L., and Hu, J. (2025) Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program – Translation to Deployment (T2D-01) Final Report 2025. (22 pp).
| Title | Conference | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Optimizing Facility Location and Sizing for Coral Aquaculture Production | Australian Marine Sciences Association (AMSA) Conference, Cairns, Australia | 2022 |
| Modelling logistics and cost for large scale climate adaptation and restoration scenarios on the Great Barrier Reef | 24th Asia Pacific Industrial Engineering and Management Scociety (APIEM) Conference, Hangzhau, China | 2024 |
| RRAP Indigenous Futures: Preparing Traditional Owners for the Emerging Reef Restoration and Adaptation Industry | Reef Futures Symposium, Quintana Roo, Mexico | 2024 |
| Engaging technology to automate coral deployment for large-scale reef restoration across the GBR | Reef Resilience Symposium, Cairns, Australia | 2024 |
| From Theory to Application: The current status of scaling up RRAP Interventions | Reef Resilience Symposium, Cairns, Australia | 2024 |
| Plenary – Research and tourism partnerships for reef resilience | Reef Resilience Symposium, Cairns, Australia | 2024 |
| AIMS, Reef Restoration, & Scaling | Reef Stock 2024 Denver | 2024 |
Dr Scarlett Raine
Lecturer and Chief Investigator
QUT
Karen Jackel
Senior Project Specialist Industry Development
QUT
