Public support for novel interventions to protect, restore, and accelerate adaptation to climate change in the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

Novel technological interventions are under development to build the resilience of ecosystems by providing short-term protection from climate extremes, enhancing recovery from disturbance, and accelerating adaptation to changed climate states. Drawing on surveys of Australian residents (n = 5320) conducted in 2018 and 2022, this paper investigates support for the development and deployment of six novel interventions on the Great Barrier Reef (marine cloud brightening, fogging, rubble stabilization, coral seeding, natural breeding for heat tolerance, and genetic engineering) and how support varies across time, social groups, perception of climate risk, and approach to intervention. It finds strong support for research and small-scale trials of all six interventions although support was highest for coral seeding, followed by rubble stabilization, fogging, natural breeding, marine cloud brightening, and genetic engineering. Reflecting their early stage of development, support for large-scale deployment of novel interventions across the Great Barrier Reef moderated, with respondents indicating strongest support for deployment of coral seeding, rubble stabilization, and fogging and lower support for natural breeding, marine cloud brightening, and genetic engineering. Trust in science to deliver solutions was a consistently strong predictor of support for both intervention R&D and large-scale deployment. The perceived ability to identify and test environmental impacts was a strong predictor of support for scaled deployment. Perceived climate threat, trust in the Reef's management authority, and ethics were also consistently associated with support for intervention R&D and implementation. With the vast majority of Australian residents supporting strong action to protect and restore coral reefs the maintenance of trust in scientists and scientific institutions stands out as critical to support for the implementation of novel interventions at scale, including the ability of researchers to identify and assess the environmental risks of these interventions.