Blizzard Island lived up to its affectionate name on our recent trip to the research station. With the April trademark south east winds in action we spent most of our time around the more protected parts such as Watson’s Bay and Mermaid Cove.
At Clam Gardens in Watson’s Bay I was lucky enough to experience a captivating glimpse into the reef food chain. I snorkelled across a tawny nurse shark resting within a giant clam. Buzzing around the clam, and its new resident, were five or six attentive black tip reef sharks, excited and hungry. The tawny nurse then swam head down into the clam shell, writhed around, ripping off ghostly white remnants of the clam while the black tips circled looking for scraps. The following day a large titan triggerfish had assumed dominance over the detritus left by the sharks.
Tawny Nurse and Black tip reef sharks feeding on giant clam, Watson’s Bay, Lizard Island
While the coral cover was somewhat diminished at Clam Gardens, with areas of the reef flat covered in algae, we had been told about severe degradation at nearby North Point. Two years ago at the same time of year the coral at North Point was some of the best to be seen around Lizard Island: living, colourful and supporting a thriving ecosystem. On this visit the hum of the once vibrant reef has been overcome by a graveyard of coral covered in algae. A stark reminder of the rapidity of climate change impacts on this fragile environment. A once aquatic metropolis was noticeably quieter without its living coral infrastructure.
North Point, Lizard Island, April 2025
North Point, Lizard Island, July 2023
As a family we have been lucky to take our children almost yearly to the station since 2018, and for them to see this collapse firsthand is heartbreaking. What it emphasises is the crucial importance of the scientific research undertaken at the station to document, understand and communicate the changes to these precious coral reefs and the massive effort to identify actions that can be taken to address negative impacts.
With some local intel of a healthier snorkelling spot from the new Directors Emily and David, we headed to Big Vicky’s reef the following day. Within sight of the research station it supports a wealth of hard and soft corals fighting hard to buck the trend of bleaching prevalent in nearby reefs. The resilience of the system as a whole was on display, giving hope that healthy adult corals may help to re-populate degraded reefs come the summer spawning season.
Big Vicky’s, Lizard Island, April 2025
Through the hard work of scientists visiting Lizard Island Research Station, the challenges faced by coral reefs are being explained and recorded. This station boasts an enviable record of over 50 years of continuous scientific research and is a beacon for scientists across the globe, many returning year after year to build their data sets. The ability for researchers to access the reef easily by using the station’s well maintained and fit-for-purpose facilities, supported by the Australian Museum and the Lizard Island Reef Foundation, is unparalleled.
As I reflected on the sharks ripping apart what was left of the giant clam, I hoped that dead and dying reefs were not the final remains of these iconic ecosystems. By donating to the Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation the science at the station continues, enhancing our understanding of coral reefs in a changing world and leading to more effective protections.
By Greer Banyer, Trustee, Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation