Reef Dreams (ATOM Study Guide)

Reef Dreams is a four-part investigative documentary suitable for secondary students examining some of the complex issues facing the Great Barrier Reef. Australia has one fifth of the world's reef area, most of it within the confines of the Great Barrier Reef. Marine life on the reef is amazingly diverse. Around 2800 different species of fish and 400 different types of coral are known to live in the reef and its surrounding region. The film highlights the competing interests between commerce and conservation that surround this World Heritage listed site and its long-term sustainability. The film looks at the juxtaposition between the commercial interests generating more than $4 billion dollars in revenue every year and the vital need to protect the reef from incalculable and irreversible damage.

Curriculum Links:
Reef Dreams is relevant to teachers of:

• Science
• SOSE/HSIE
• Geography
• Economics
• Community and Family Studies
• Biology
• Tourism and Environmental Science