The Lizard Island Research Station 2018 Report is available here (PDF 4.9 MB).


The Report is set out under the following headings, showing donors how their funds are being put to good use:

Welcome: Messages from Australian Museum Director & CEO Kim McKay and myself. (page 1)

Growth of new corals in some areas is astounding and larger branching corals provide habitat for small fish.

2018 in review: Research Station Directors Lyle Vail & Anne Hoggett reflect on coral growth, climate change, the Station’s multi-year studies (reef calcification, coral community structure and traditional-owner archaeology) and the support it provides for school visits & documentary film makers. Both science and its communication are crucial as reefs around the world face serious environmental challenges. (page 3)

Fellowships & Grants: Seven new fellowship recipients will commence work in 2019: four PhD students and three early-career scientists. Funding continues into 2019 for six fellows who are in the second or third year of their award, and for The Ian Potter Foundation research on Crown-of-Thorns Starfish. (page 4)

LIRRF: In 2018 (our 40th Anniversary year) LIRRF donors provided $514,432 for science and research facilities at the Station. We held donor update events in Sydney and Melbourne. Our fundraising was again supported by the Lizard Island Resort. (page 11)

For the record: The Lizard Island Field Guide now lists over 2,500 local species.

A photo from the Lizard Island Field Guide: Broadclub cuttlefish Sepia latimanus at Dynamite passage (on Reef 14-140) near Lizard Island. © Lyle Vail

This section of the Report also covers Station staff; undergraduate and postgraduate internship programs; volunteers; facilities usage and fees. (page 12)

Visitors: In 2018, 122 researchers from 38 institutions in 9 countries conducted 98 projects at Lizard Island.  All these researchers are listed in the Report, with their project titles and institutional affiliations. Almost all projects at the Station are led or closely supervised by a senior scientist. (page 14)

Publications: The Report lists the 107 scientific publications based on field work at the Lizard Island that were received into the Station’s library collection in 2018. It now holds over 2,280 such publications, providing a uniquely-documented foundation for further research. (page 18)

Donors: The Research Station would not exist and could not continue without the support of LIRRF donors.  The Report lists Members (donors who have given $1,000 or more in the past year) and Life Members (those who have given or pledged $100,000 or more). (page 24)  See how to donate.

Back copies of the annual Station Reports (originally called “newsletters”) dating back to 1994 are available here on the Australian Museum website.