In 2004 the Western Australian Government committed $5 million to support scientific research into the Ningaloo Reef, its ecosystems and its largest visitors, whale sharks. This research program is being coordinated by the Western Australian Marine Science Institution which, with its 16 partners, has built a strong marine science capacity with more than 250 scientists working on 87 research projects. WAMSI’s partner, the Department of Environment and Conservation, manages 15 collaborative research projects across the Ningaloo Marine Park. This comprehensive and collaborative research program shows that initial government funding can leverage greater funding through co-investment and interest by the scientific community. This, in turn, leads to better research outcomes. The Ningaloo Collaboration Cluster is a major research project that commenced in the region in 2007 involving researchers from the CSIRO, Sustainable Tourism Cooperative and a range of Australian Universities. The ultimate aim of the group is the development of planning and management tools that will ensure sustainable use of the region. This group’s research focuses on the impacts of human activity on both the ecological and the social fabric of the area. Now in its third year, this $35 million research program involves over 100 researchers working on at least 80 projects based in and around the Ningaloo Reef area alone, providing the largest coral reef study in the Indian Ocean and invaluable information that will be used to successfully manage the Ningaloo Marine Park into the future and be used in the management of coral reefs around the globe.