How will the abundance and diversity of life respond to the overall declining health of the Great Barrier Reef? The drivers of abundance and diversity are complex. They include the availability of food, the availability of shelter, and access to the services provided by other species (such as cleaner fish). Many researchers have used the […]

Written by Elliot Connor Dr Kyle Zawada is a humble man, but show him just a glimpse of Acropora loripes and he’ll give you its distribution, distinctive features and more in a heartbeat. Whereas some specialize in the language of mathematics or the coded workings of the human mind, Kyle’s forté lies in interpreting the […]

After years of planning, the solar power system at LIRS was upgraded and expanded in April 2021. That was one of the wettest periods this year which made installation of the new system by Tropical Energy Solutions (Townsville) very challenging. The original 30 kW hybrid solar/battery/generator system was installed in 2010, and in 2014 solar […]

An inspiring video by a Student Group from Emmanuel Anglican College in Ballana during their recent Marine Research Trip to Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef (2021).  

The Lizard Island Research Station’s 2020 Report is available here and includes: 2020 in Review by resident Directors Lyle Vail & Anne Hoggett; Fellowships & Grants: Updates on the program and impacts of COVID-19; Visitors in 2020, including details on 62 visiting researchers and their projects; Publications:  Titles & citations of the 94 publications based […]

The title of this article springs from an apocryphal quote of the late British evolutionary biologist, J.B.S. Haldane – “The Creator, if He exists, has an inordinate fondness for beetles” – alluding to the extraordinary diversity of this group. – Editor   In April of 2019, Dr. Darko D. Cotoras (2019 LIRRF fellowship recipient) invited […]

  Two tagged gobies from my project that are different species living together in a live coral: Fiveline Coral Goby (Gobiodon quinquestrigatus) on the left and Yellow Coral Goby (Gobiodon okinawae) on the right. © Catheline Froehlich When we think of coral reefs, we immediately imagine corals of different shapes and sizes with many colourful […]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. For Dr Simon Brandl and Dr Christopher Goatley, success and frustration came hand in hand. Joint recipients of the 2020 John and Laurine Proud Fellowship, neither could visit the Lizard Island Research Station to resume their work. COVID has taken its toll on […]