For two years, I have stopped by and photographed this beautiful Acropora coral formation in Emily Bay on Norfolk Island. In my database for this colony, I called the folder 14_StairwayReef; 14 for the geographic location on a map, followed by my romantic name for it. Today it is just so much rubble.
Read MoreThe spatiotemporal dynamics of a coral disease
A pictorial study of the spread of white syndrome, over time, in a Hynophora pilosa colony on Norfolk Island. This beautiful coral colony is in the middle of the channel that runs between the contiguous Emily and Slaughter Bays, in Norfolk Island’s inshore coral reef lagoon. It’s one of my favourite places to pause and admire the scenery, when I’m out on my swim.
Read MoreThe Water Rats – the Southern Hemisphere's oldest surf lifesaving club?
Can Norfolk Island claim the Southern Hemisphere’s oldest surf lifesaving club? Read on to find out more!
Read MoreSponge blob!
It’s common, wide spread around the globe, and yet I have only noticed it in recent weeks. It has been hiding in plain sight, yet this spongey algal blob, Hydroclathrus clathratus, is edible, and has been found to possess some remarkable medicinal properties. Read on to find out more!
Read MoreDo sea anemones hold the key to immortality?
A close relative of corals and jellyfish, sea anemones are soft-bodied animals that ensnare passing prey with their stinging tentacles. No one really knows how long they can live, but in the wild they are thought to live for more than a hundred years. They have some clever adaptations that contribute to their longevity. Maybe they can teach us their secrets for a long life!
Read MoreBrown? Yes. Boring? Definitely not!
Norfolk Island’s reef is one of Australia’s most southerly. It isn’t showy like the Great Barrier Reef, and I often hear the comment that it is a little dowdy – boring and brown. I’m here to tell you that it is anything but.
For this little photo essay I randomly selected just a handful of my many ‘boring, brown’ coral images to demonstrate my point. I barely scratched the surface of my photo library, yet I think you will agree, the diversity is just amazing!
Read MoreAtlas of Living Australia recognises iNaturalist observations for Norfolk Island
After about 18 months of asking, and with the help of some wonderful people from the data department of the Atlas of Living Australia and the Australian Museum, the Atlas of Living Australia website now recognises iNaturalist citizen science observations for Norfolk Island. Which is definitely something worth celebrating!
Read MoreThe clock is ticking for Norfolk Island’s reef
Three years ago, on 31 July 2020, we woke after a night of torrential rain to a scene of devastation in Emily Bay on Norfolk Island. Arguably one of the most beautiful bays in the world was a fetid, smelly mess caused by the raw sewage that had flowed from the poorly maintained sewerage works and private septic tanks, down the hill and into the bay. Read on to find out what has happened since that dreadful day.
Read MoreFull moon, low tides and Norfolk Island’s reef
With the low, low tides associated with a full moon, the bays on Norfolk Island are like a huge, calm swimming pool, giving us some great snorkelling opportunities. These low tides should also let us view the causeway, which will no doubt be exposed too. This post explores these opportunities as well as what the low tides mean for corals. Read more in this fact packed blog post.
Read MoreSame, same, but different – confusing fish identities
There are a few fish species in Norfolk Island’s bays that are easily mixed up. Here’s four commonly confused pairs, with a few pointers to help you identify them.
Read MoreCasting your offspring to the currents – sea star reproduction
In May on Norfolk Island, the day after the full moon and at low tide, I witnessed an enormous Leach’s sea star, Leiaster leachi, as it broadcast its gametes into the water column. What an amazing WOW moment! And what a privilege to witness such a rare event. Here are some images and video of the action.
Read MoreThe resilience of corals
On Norfolk Island’s reef, acropora coral colonies upturned in storm surges in September 2020 initially struggled to survive, but now they are now showing signs of new, healthy growth. This incredible photo is of those early days as it struggled. You can read more and see what it looks like today in my latest blog post, here.
Read MorePretty in pink – the real coral reef builders
Animal, vegetable or mineral? What are crustose coralline algae? Are they important? What role do they play on our coral reefs?
There’s a lot to learn about coralline algae. For a humble lifeform, they really pack a punch.
Read MoreFor the sake of our grandchildren
What will my grandson see when he is old enough to snorkel on Norfolk Island’s reef? Will there be anything left as I know it? Or will he think it is all great because of that hoary old phenomenon called ‘shifting baseline syndrome’? This record of all my photos and observations will give him some idea of what we had in our bays in the 2020s.
Read MoreBlack Blenny - a new record for Norfolk Island
This is a copy of the Australian Fishes journal post about new fish sightings on Norfolk Island: ‘This observation [of a black blenny] highlights the power of citizen scientists working with professional ichthyologists to achieve important outcomes,’ Mark McGrouther, Senior Fellow at the Australian Museum.
Read MoreDoris – just one turtle?
Many of the turtles that live in Norfolk Island’s coral-reef lagoons are juveniles. In other words, they are the future of their species, and an important piece in the genetic jigsaw. Yet they seem to fall through the cracks when it comes to being protected by the EPBC Act.
Read MoreA pair and a spare – snubnose darts on Norfolk Island's reef
Norfolk Island’s reef is small and intimate. We can count the numbers of some species of fish on one hand, and that is how I can watch the comings and goings with interest as I swim among them. I love the stories that play out and which I get to witness – these snubnose darts (Trachinotus blochii) are a case in point.
Read MoreA tale of two corals
My March focus on Norfolk Island’s reef could almost go on for a full year, there’s so much to write about. But time dictates, so I will confine my efforts to one concentrated effort of randomness! Randomness, because there has been no plan to my posts. They have evolved as the month has progressed. Today I highlight two very different corals commonly seen, but not necessarily common.
Read MoreBubble and fizz – a quick guide to coral reef chemistry
March is often the warmest month on Norfolk Island’s reef, so it's no surprise that the algae are very busily photosynthesising and flourishing. Yesterday, I noticed that the algae had created a thick carpet of bubbles. As I swam my face was gently brushed by thousands of tingling bubbles, fizzing to the surface. It was quite a sight. And a rather weird sensation. So what is going on here?
Read MoreBeneath the waves in Emily Bay, Norfolk Island
Looking across Emily Bay, do you wonder what is beneath the waves in there? Although this is not strictly part of Norfolk Island’s reef, it is part of one continuous ecosystem; therefore, in today’s March focus on Norfolk Island’s reef I thought it was worth showing you what you can see at your feet as you wade into the shallows.
Read More