The Great Southern Reef, not to be confused with its tropical cousin, stretches from New South Wales to Western Australia, one of the largest reefs systems in the world. A network of rocky reefs and kelp forests, the reef is home to hundreds of species found nowhere else.

But this summer the reef is facing the threat of marine heatwaves, with extreme water temperatures already occurring off the coast of Victoria and Tasmania. Conservationists are calling on the Australian Government to do something before it's too late.

We speak to Stefan Andrews from the Great Southern Reef Foundation, which is dedicated to raising the profile of this amazing place.

Image: John Turnbull/Flicker.