Out of the Blue Box is a global search for new ideas to strengthen the recovery of our iconic Great Barrier Reef. We are calling for solutions to the challenges facing the Great Barrier Reef, and reefs all over the world, to fast-track projects that will have an immediate and lasting impact.
Are you working on an idea that harnesses people as a source of positive impact on the Reef? How could you influence people to better support coral reef recovery and resilience? Ideas may consider behavioural change techniques and approaches, incentive programs and other mechanisms for human involvement that have been used in alternate contexts. Applicants should address the ways through which their program will enable a reduction in the overuse of marine assets and resources, as well as enable their sustainable use.
Examples
An incentive model that rewards and advertises positive behaviours.
A storytelling campaign that seeks to shift tourist behaviour.
An initiative that seeks to educate land users on approaches that may result in decreased sediment run-off into ocean waters and provide guidance on implementing these alternative approaches.
Technology
Given the immense loss of coral reefs around the world, the need for solutions that are cost-effective and that have the potential to scale will be crucial for generating long-term impact. Technology has the potential to provide these scalable and practical solutions for minimal cost.
The Challenge
Do you have a solution that harnesses the ubiquity and scalability of technology to support reef recovery? Concepts could consider how emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and Remote Sensing could be applied to the challenges facing the Reef.
Examples
An automated vessel monitoring system incorporating new technologies such as Remote Sensing, that tracks movement across the Reef, identifying where possible breaches of regulation may occur.
An engineering solution that can act as a barrier in key rivers, preventing or reducing the flow of sediment from land run-off into the Reef.
A data capture system that enables faster and more accurate information on damage to the Reef following a shock that can be used to price insurance products.
Finance
New financing tools are increasingly being used to re-imagine the way we achieve environmental and social impacts. From social bonds through to peer-to-peer lending, these tools have the potential to provide innovative ways to finance the recovery of the Reef following a shock.
The Challenge
Have you created a solution that utilises innovative financing tools to support the recovery of the Reef? How could these tools be adapted to support the recovery of coral reefs globally? Applicants should consider new financing tools and concepts used in different contexts, and their potential applicability to the Reef.
Examples
A re-insurance scheme that enables fast access to capital following a shock to the Reef, increasing ability and speed with which repairs can be made.
