The genus Acropora includes the most diverse and abundant corals found on Indo-Pacific reefs, with different species displaying a baffling number of growth forms and color varieties. With over 150 species known to science, these corals often out compete all
Worldwide, coral reefs are declining at an alarming rate. This is most apparent in the Caribbean, where reefs have been transformed from coral gardens – 60-70% of the bottom was carpeted in thickets of elkhorn coral and staghorn coral, mountainous
After diving our first set of offshore Ribbon reefs we began exploring the Green, Pink and Blue Zones on a set of midshelf reefs. The depths, water clarity and habitat structure are all vastly different from offshore reefs. Most of
The Indo-West Pacific is known for their rich, diverse soft coral (octocoral) communities, and the Ribbon Reefs were no exception. They are plant-like, resembling trees or bushes, but they are made up of polyps just like a stony coral. Distinguished
For our first three days of research, we are comparing the coral and fish community within three Ribbon Reefs. Ribbon Reefs form a chain of 10 individual reefs beginning to the north of Cairns and stretching close to 120 km
Over the next month our research team will explore the remote northern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to evaluate the effectiveness of management in protecting biodiversity and enhancing the resilience of the reef system to climate change. The Marine Park
Title: Chief Scientist Name: Andrew Bruckner Questions: What do you do? I am a Coral Reef Ecologist. I am working to identify strategies to halt the degradation of coral reefs and promote their conservation and sustainable use. As Chief Scientist,
What Does Coral Eat? While it is widely known that tropical corals have the ability to grow and prosper, thanks to the small algae (zooxanthellae) present in their tissue that capture light energy and make food through photosynthesis, corals are
At the southern end of Grande Terre, is Prony Bay, a large sheltered bay at the convergence of the open ocean and two larger streams that drain the surrounding mountains and hillsides. The terrain here is unusual: dark red earth
South Pacific legends describe giant clams as man-eaters. The largest of all molluscs, giant clams, were once thought to be voracious predators that wait patiently on the seafloor to trap an unsuspecting swimmer. It’s no wonder with a life span
