Mini versions of the Great Barrier Reef will be used by scientists to develop ways of combating threats to the nation's underwater jewel.
The aquaria are part of a $35 million research centre opened in Townsville on Thursday.
Dubbed SeaSim, they allow researchers to simulate and manipulate ocean environments.
Australian Institute of Marine Science research director Jamie Oliver says the facility is one of the largest and most sophisticated of its kind in the world.
"We now have the ability to do very complicated and precisely controlled experiments," the coral biologist told AAP.
"This will give us the ability to try and answer highly relevant questions in terms of how we will be able to meet the challenges of human and climatic pressures on the reef."
This includes what impact dredging and dumping soil within the reef's World Heritage area may have on the world's largest underwater eco-system.
The federal government is weighing up whether to allow the dredging of millions of tonnes of soil to expand Abbot Point coal port, near Bowen.
"We need to know with precision what the tolerance of corals and sponges is to the addition of sediment," Mr Oliver said.
"Right now developers don't know what thresholds they should be using with any degree of accuracy when it comes to dredging."
Dredging experiments will include injecting soil into coral grown in tanks at the facility and then monitoring changes.
Researchers are able to manipulate the amount of light and temperature of the water to ensure it is similar to what the reef is exposed to.
It is also hoped the centre will provide a more in-depth understanding of coral bleaching and crown of thorns starfish, which have destroyed much of the reef's coral cover in recent years.
Share
