As marine biodiversity continues to decline it is important we maximize the effectiveness of conservation efforts. The Great Barrier Reef is facing multiple threats from natural and man-made natural disturbances but for the first time, researchers at the Australian Institute of…
Why Reef Building corals are being hit the hardest by coral bleaching
Coral reefs are under existential threat. This year alone large scale bleaching has been observed on 500 separate coral reefs along the Great Barrier Reef, and up to 50% of bleached corals from in water surveys have already died, in…
First damages of the 2016 global coral mass bleaching event
An interview of leading coral expert Prof. Terry Hughes was recently published in a video. An areal survey reveals the first major damage of ENSO-induced warming on the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Countless bleached reefs, hanging like white ghosts…
Virus outbreaks may be linked to coral bleaching event
Significant outbreaks of viruses may be associated with coral reef bleaching events, especially as a result of multiple environmental stresses including rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification. A recent study at Oregon State University has documented a virus outbreak, including a…
Australia Seeks Corporate Sponsors for Great Barrier Reef
The Australian government is turning to corporate sponsorships and partnerships to help raise funds to deliver conservation projects on the Great Barrier Reef. While this is a unique way of infusing capital into much needed programs, many are wondering if companies could…
What you should know about the Crown-of-Thorns starfish
Acanthaster planci, more commonly known as the Crown-of-Thorn starfish, is a voracious predator which feeds on stony coral polyps. The starfish gets its name from the toxic thorn-like spines covering its body, which resemble a biblical “crown of thorns”. The…
The Great Barrier Reef Foundations announced the Winner of the 2015 Bommie Award
Patrick Buerger, a German-born PhD candidate from the Townsville’s Australian Institute of Marine Science has been awarded the grand prize of $5000 AUS for his 360 degree film titled, Coral disease treatment with phage therapy. Buerger’s creative use of technology…
German artist exhibits full-scale panoramic display of Great Barrier Reef
A German artist has turned a former gas storage tower into a full-scale, 360-degree panoramic display of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Located in Leipzig, Berlin-based artist Yadegar Asisi projects a visual panorama on a a giant circular screen inside the…
Australia’s newly discovered reef at Wilson’s Promontory Marine National park
As if Australia isn’t one of the luckiest continents with the largest reef in the world, a new reef has been discovered in the far south at Wilson’s Promontory Marine National park . This reef is a deep one, 300 feet…
