Researchers have some promising early data from a mooted plan to shift cool water using "giant fans" on the Great Barrier Reef to reduce heat stress on corals.

The original Reef Havens proposal was to involve eight large, slow-moving, solar-powered impellers to draw cool water from depths of up to 30 metres and distribute it at surface level along the northern parts of Moore Reef.

Diagram of the water mixes.

Reef and Rainforest Research Centre program director Dr Suzanne Long said the funded research project involved a first stage aiming to answer the question of when and where cooler water was available during summer bleaching conditions.

"So we've installed a range of in-water sensors that measure temperature and flow at a rate of depths at the study site," she said.