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National Coral Taskforceunleashes an armada of experts 05
APR 2016
After months of careful planning, 300 Australiancoral reef researchers have launched a small 국쎗otillaof research vessels, each one 椯唉lled to the gills withhighly trained experts. Their tightly coordinatedmission is a race against time – to document coralbleaching along the 1000km-long top half of theGreat Barrier Reef before more of the heavilybleached corals die.
“So far we have collectively undertaken 12 separatemissions using research vessels, and by the end ofthis month we will have examined close to 90 reefsthat have also been surveyed from the air,” saysProf. Morgan Pratchett, from the ARC Centre ofExcellence for Coral Reef Studies.
“Unfortunately, our underwater surveys are alsorevealing very high levels of bleaching from Cairnsto Torres Straits. Last week, our research diversfound that 75% of the corals were bleached onmultiple reefs near Port Douglas, and nearly 50%near Cairns. South of Cairns thankfully has closerto 10-30% bleaching”.
These amounts, measured and recorded by video
Research divers survey coralbleaching on a reef o奕嵓 of PortDouglas. Credit: ARC Centre ofExcellence for Coral Reef Studies /Cassandra Thompson.
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These amounts, measured and recorded by videounderwater, match very closely with the broaderaerial surveys of more than 750 reefs also beingconducted by the National Coral BleachingTaskforce.
Dr Neal Cantin, Research Scientist at the AustralianInstitute of Marine Science, is surveying mildlybleached reefs this week, north of Townsville.“When bleaching is mild, the corals can regain theircolour as water temperatures drop, and most ofthem will survive. Our coral experts have the skillsto measure how di奕嵓erent species are responding –some are susceptible and others are robust”.
But it’s a di奕嵓erent story further north, where manyreefs are heavily bleached.
“On reefs and sites around Lizard Island, bleachinghas approached 80-100%, and many corals arealready dying,” says Dr Anne Hoggett, co-Directorof Australian Museum’s Lizard Island ResearchStation. “This is by far the worst bleaching crisiswe’ve seen, eclipsing the 2002 event.”
The researchers have found a silver lining though.“The bleaching measured both from the air andfrom underwater is very patchy, with some reefsand portions of reefs escaping the worst impacts,”says Prof. Pratchett.
Underwater surveys show that the reef is morethan 60% bleached, matching the extent ofbleaching detected by aerial surveys. Credit: ARCCentre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies /Andreas Dietzel
National Coral Taskforceputs plan into e奕嵓ect asbleaching intensi椯唉es
National Coral BleachingTaskforce keeping a closewatch on the Reef
Coral Bleaching Taskforcedocuments most severebleaching on record
Underwater surveys of coral ...
Images and footage:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ra87vaqdlk7un8h/AADgFRN4A4ltJAUVTz1NgLxda?dl=0
Further information pleasecontact:
Dr Janice Lough, Senior Principal ResearchScientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science +61(07) 4753 4248 (AEST) or [email protected]
Prof Morgan Pratchett, ARC Centre of Excellencefor Coral Reef Studies +61 (0)488112295 (AEST) [email protected]
Prof Terry Hughes, Director ARC Centre ofExcellence for Coral Reef Studies, +61(0)400720164, +61 (0)7 4781 4000 (AEST) [email protected]
Rohan Astley, Communications Manager,Australian Museum +61 (0)2 9320 6086 [email protected]
Notes to editors
Coral bleaching occurs when abnormalenvironmental conditions, like heightened seatemperatures cause corals to expel tinyphotosynthetic algae, called ‘zooxanthellae’. Theloss of these colourful algae causes the corals toturn white, and ‘bleach’. Bleached corals canrecover if the temperature drops andzooxanthellae are able to recolonise them,otherwise the coral may die.
The National Coral Bleaching Taskforce is designedto co-ordinate research e奕嵓ort among Australia’smarine science community in the event of a massbleaching event in Australia. The taskforce drawstogether 10 research institutions across Australiato co-ordinate the e奕嵓orts of over 300 scientists.The associated research institutions are, ARC
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The associated research institutions are, ARCCentre of Centre of Excellence for Coral ReefStudies, Australian Institute of Marine Science,CSIRO, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority,James Cook University, NOAA, University ofQueensland, University of Sydney, University ofWestern Australia, WA Department of Parks andWildlife.
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ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000 Email: [email protected]
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