Could there be an underwater communication system between reefs?
Saltwater Detectives are First Peoples awakening ecological knowledge on the Great Barrier Reef. This cinematic film sees next generation Guunggandji Traditional owner Frederick Lefoe, becoming a voice for the Great Barrier Reef and Traditional owners after an initiation ceremony. Frederick and Dr Eric Fisher are growing coral on Moore Reef -which the Elders call the Mother Reef. The remote underwater coral growing investigation resolves when a Creation story is shared by Elders, leading to a deeper understanding of how this ‘mother reef’ behaves during spawning time. This investigation will change the way conservation is managed and showcase ancestral knowledge and Western science coming together.
Thanks to lengthy consultation with Elders and Traditional owners – The film also explores the Cultural protocols needed for this Creation story to passed down by father to son. Shot in both a cinematic and observational style by Indigenous Co director Lucresia Willett & Margee Brown, the story follows Frederick Le Foe and marine biologists building a tetrus like coral nursery on Moore Reef in Far North Queensland.
Working on Sea Country revitalises his Cultural connections and awakens information about a place his people have always called the ‘mother reef’. What’s a stake? Years of reef stewardship, protection and detective work. What success looks like, is seeing these coral gardens mimic nature by reproducing. If this happens, millions of healthy coral sperm will give birth to a new generation of heat tolerant corals. For Frederick and his team, coral spawning is a rare event and they will face un-told environmental challenges before they can be sure their detective skills will work.
Your donation supports Traditional owners and Creation Story artists, working on the post production for our launch at Ocean Lovers Festival in Bondi in March 2027 and Educational assets.
