Port Douglas tourism operators Steve and Katrina Edmondson are so passionate about preserving the Great Barrier Reef they established a tree farm to offset their carbon emissions.

The Edmondsons own Low Isles Sailaway, a 33-passenger luxury catamaran that takes tourists to Low Isles off Port Douglas.

"We've set up our operation to be much more than 100 per cent carbon neutral. The vessel is powered primarily by wind, we have low-emission four-stroke outboards and we use recycled bio-diesel wherever possible," Mr Edmondson said.

They managed their residual carbon emissions by buying a 28 hectare former cane paddock on prime wet tropics land and turning it into a tree farm.

"We used the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's Emissions Calculator to estimate our residual emissions and found we needed to plant 51 trees per year to become carbon neutral," Mr Edmondson said.

"In the first year we planted 7000 permanent rainforest trees to establish nature corridors between the World Heritage rainforest adjoining our property and the creeks and wetlands feeding into the Great Barrier Reef adjacent to Port Douglas."

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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Tourism and Recreation Director Chris Briggs said Low Isles Sailaway was among a number of high standard tourism operators working with marine managers to reduce their impact on the Reef.

"A healthy Great Barrier Reef is vital for a healthy tourism industry and we commend operators who are taking action to minimise their impact on the marine environment," he said.

"We've worked with tourism operators to establish a Great Barrier Reef Tourism Climate Change Action Strategy to guide operators on how they can improve reef health and the viability of their industry.

"Reef-friendly carbon offsetting is a key action identified in this strategy."

The agency is recognising marine tourism operators who are taking powerful action on climate change to encourage other operators to adopt best environmental practices.

Mr Edmondson said he and his wife had planted about 15,000 trees on their Eco Shamba Tree Farm since purchasing it in 2010.

"These include wetland trees to control erosion, native cabinet timbers for sustainable harvesting and Pongamia pinnata 'diesel' trees for our own biofuel use and as a trial for larger projects."