3 minute read
Saving the Great Barrier Reef
Three BGS Old Boys have launched an ambitious project to save and rebuild Queensland’s greatest natural wonder.
Dan Marshall, Curtis Sciacca (pictured left to right above) and Dan Leggo (pictured below), who all graduated in 2014, are the founders of Nurtured.Co, an environmental initiative that uses artificial reefs to stimulate the growth of coral and other marine life in the Great Barrier Reef.
The trio, who met at BGS where they bonded over a shared passion for the marine landscape, were spurred into action after witnessing the slow demise of the Great Barrier Reef.
A 2020 study by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies found the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem lost half its coral over the past three decades.
Through Nurtured.Co, Leggo, Marshall and Sciacca plan to expand on existing artificial reefs within Moreton Bay and build more along the Queensland coast.
Nurtured.Co currently has projects on Heron Island, which is located off the coast of Gladstone in the Coral Sea and is surrounded by 24 hectares of coral reef.
Marshall, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, said there are compelling environmental and economic reasons to preserve coral reefs.
“By 2050, half of the world’s coral reefs will have already been lost or severely damaged. If nothing is done, coral reefs will be the first large scale ecosystem on Earth to entirely collapse,” he said.
“The loss of coral reefs would have far-reaching effects worldwide as they support a staggering amount of marine life and, consequently, human life.
“Additionally, the Great Barrier Reef supports tens of thousands of jobs. It is essential we reinvest back into the reef and safeguard its future.”
Nurtured.Co uses science and technology to protect one of the seven natural wonders of the world in a cost-effective and scalable manner.
“At Nurtured.Co we use sacrificial anodes, which react with seawater to produce an electrical current that is supplied to our artificial reefs,” Marshall said.
“This electrical current stimulates minerals from the seawater to precipitate on the artificial reef structure and provides enhanced growing conditions for coral.”
Leggo, Marshall and Sciacca, who are all alumni of the Queensland University of Technology, became friends more than a decade ago at BGS.
Marshall is now responsible for finding new locations for Nurtured.Co’s reefs as well as sourcing materials, technology and government contracts.
Leggo, the Chief Engineer, leads the design process and innovation, while Sciacca oversees the company’s ventures as Chief Strategist.
They credit BGS for stimulating their interest in the natural world and providing them with the tools to tackle one of Australia’s most pressing environmental concerns.
“Brisbane Grammar School laid the foundation for most of the basic scientific knowledge and understanding we still apply today,” Marshall said.
“Through groups like Community Service and excursions in Geography and Biology, we were exposed to various field trips and surveys.
