May 5, 2020 | Bleaching, Global change, Observation
In early 2020, the Great Barrier Reef suffered its third major coral bleaching event in five years due to heat stress. At Lizard Island, bleaching first became noticeable in mid-February. February is normally “wet season”, with clouds and rain that keep the sea... 
May 1, 2020 | Fellowships, Global change, Research
Ph.D. student Kelly Hannan is undertaking research into the impact of ocean acidification on fishes under the supervision of Associate Professor Jodie Rummer (James Cook University). The fieldwork for her research has been supported by a Lizard Island Reef Research... 
Apr 15, 2020 | Fellowships, Global change, Research
My research at Lizard Island sought to answer two questions: Are all larval corals (a.k.a. planulae) created equal, or do they vary depending on parental condition, species, location and time of birth? and Are corals born from parents that survived mass bleaching...Apr 13, 2020 | Fellowships, Global change, Research, Sound
For the last four years, I’ve been fortunate to carry out research on coral reef bioacoustics at Lizard Island. My most recent trip was funded by a LIRRF Ian Potter Doctoral Fellowship, awarded by the Australian Museum. Coral reefs are alive with sound; the crackle... 
Feb 11, 2020 | Ecology, Global change, Grants, Reef condition, Research
Assoc. Prof Maria Dornelas (University of St Andrews, Scotland), Assoc. Prof Joshua Madin (University of Hawaii) and fellow collaborators have been making annual visits to LIRS since the early 2000s during which they monitored the changing ecology of coral reef... 
Feb 6, 2020 | Fellowships, Global change, Reef condition, Research
Corals and goby fishes are slowly recovering, less than 3 years after the devastating climatic events that occurred at Lizard Island. While this is great news for Lizard Island, more recovery time is needed. The last 5 years have been rough for the reef, with two...