REEF CHAT

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND
April 2018

 
   
 
  
 
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News on the Reef

 
 
 
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More than 700 tiny green sea turtles have hatched on Fitzroy Island and swum to freedom on the Great Barrier Reef in Tropical North Queensland. Fitzroy Island Resort marine biologists Jen Moloney and Azri Saparwan witnessed hatchlings about 6cm long burst from the sand and scurry into the Coral Sea in a matter of minutes. Jen and Azri have been monitoring seven turtle nests on the island which were laid over a three-month period by a green turtle called Yasi (pictured) who is believed to be up to 70 years old.

 
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Spotlight on Bash

 
 

By Calypso Reef Charters

Location:  Bash is on Opal Reef, accessed from Port Douglas

Maximum Depth:  18m

Visibility:  15m

 
 
 
 
 
 

Highlights:  Boulder coral gardens are the dominant feature of Bash which is short for Bashful Bommie. Recently turtles were seen eating moon jellies which are like jelly beans to them! Epaulette sharks frequent this site and frigate birds are regularly seen flying overhead.

Health: Some staghorn coral was affected by the 2016 bleaching event, but it is growing back as can been seen from the picture. The lower water temperatures during the past summer have given the corals a further reprieve which is helping them rejuvenate.

 
   
 

People on the Reef

 
 

Most people only get to visit the Great Barrier Reef once in their lifetime, however, for Wilson Tela, living and working as caretaker on Great Adventures’ Moore Reef pontoon is the ideal lifestyle.  Having grown up on the small Melanesian island of Matema, part of the Solomon Islands, Wilson says being on the 45 metre pontoon is like living on his own little island.  “I love the Reef and the ocean and I love seeing all of the amazing marine life. Living and working on the Great Barrier Reef is magic,” said Wilson.

 
 
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Reef Initiatives on the Land

 
 

Online story maps giving a “virtual walk” through nine catchments of the Great Barrier Reef are helping with funding decisions to improve the health the Reef. The Walking the Landscape model was developed through the Department of Environment and Science’s Queensland Wetlands Program in partnership with Terrain NRM. In addition to identifying priorities for catchment health, the project has helped people to better understand how activities in the catchments influence water movement. The Walking the 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Landscape model is also being used for the Wet Tropics Major Integrated Project which focuses on the Tully and Johnstone catchments.

 
 
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Marine Science Update

 
 

Fish poo could hold the answer to tackling large numbers of crown-of-thorns starfish which are eating the Great Barrier Reef. Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish are a major threat to the health of the Great Barrier Reef, with divers recently culling more than 47,000 at the remote Swains reefs.

 
   
  
 
 

Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) marine ecologist Dr Frederieke Kroon (pictured) is leading a ground breaking research project which is testing hundreds of fish poo samples. “We want to see if there are small fish on the Reef that eat some of the millions of tiny eggs and larvae of the crown-of-thorns starfish,” Dr Kroon said.

 
 
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📱Getting Social on the Reef

 
 
  
 
 

Be a part of the conversation and share your Great Barrier Reef photos with the world. For the chance to be featured use #exploreTNQ #thisisqueensland and #seeaustralia on Instagram.

 
   
   
 

We have been enjoying the underwater Commonwealth Games action courtesy of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Facebook page. There have been gymnastics medals to the Spanish Dancer nudibranch, a marathon award to the leatherback turtle and gold to the sailfish for being the fastest swimmer. The gold boxing medal went to this colourful mantis shrimp. Don’t be fooled by their size, Mantis shrimp are skilful predators and have the strongest punch of any animal in the world. Talk about punching above their weight!

 
 

Reef Management Update

 
 

Alice Ganfield actively encourages people in her area to look after the Great Barrier Reef. The Cape York teacher loves where she lives and gets out on the World Heritage-Listed icon as much as she can.  “My job is incredibly rewarding and, with my education connections, I really felt I had something worthwhile to contribute to how the Great Barrier Reef is managed,” she said. Ms Ganfield put up her hand to represent her community on one of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Local Marine Advisory Committees. There are 12 Local Marine Advisory Committees along the Queensland coast that advise the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority about all things marine and coastal. Four are in Far North Queensland: Cape York, Douglas, Cairns and Cassowary Coast. Nominations for membership for the next committees’ three-year terms are now open.

 
 
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Learn more...

 
 

The Cairns Institute at James Cook University will host the second Hack the Reef event on April 21 as part of Queensland’s annual Myriad Festival.

 
   
   
 

Enforced marine protected areas could help rebuild reef shark populations, according to research by the Global FinPrint Project.

 
   
 

What does the Great Barrier Reef look like during the wet season? Check out Norman and Hastings Reefs off Cairns on this Tusa Dive trip.

 
 
   
 
 

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Reef Chat is distributed on the 3rd Thursday of each month. Please submit your Great Barrier Reef news to Reef Chat before the 2nd Thursday of every month.

 
 
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