Page 17 - Port Douglas Magazine 28

PHOTO CREDIT:
Reef Restoration Foundation

Great Barrier Reef Legacy Reef Restoration Foundation, Fitzroy Island the performance of the Fitzroy Island coral
Expeditions and Research Nursery trees with baby baubles nursery with the support of funding from
Their philosophy is to bring together the The Reef Restoration Foundation obtained the Australian Government’s National
best scientific marine and coral minds the first permit within the Great Barrier Reef Environmental Science Program.
and explore the Great Barrier Reef. Their Marine Park to establish a pilot research Quicksilver Powering for Growth
expeditions from Port Douglas travel to the offshore nursery on Fitzroy Island, near The Quicksilver Group and their Reef
most diverse coral sites on the Great Barrier Cairns in December 2017. Biosearch team, in partnership with Reef
Reef. These are sites that have recovered It was the first offshore nursery of its kind Ecologic and the Natural Environmental
from the bleaching and give an important and was instigated after the 2016 and 2017 Science Program with funding support
key to understanding how some corals don’t Great Barrier Reef bleaching events. from AMPTO, are involved in cutting edge
survive bleachings whereas others do. research out at the on the Great Barrier
This pilot offshore coral nursery was
Through these expeditions they have established after receiving a permit from the Reef. The innovative method being tested is
identified a strain of ‘super corals’ that Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority literally giving corals a shocking time!
have managed to withstand the higher (GBRMPA) using a method developed in Three large steel mesh panels have been
temperatures. Samples of these are now in the Florida Keys and Caribbean, where more placed over an area of coral rubble. This
the National Sea Simulator in Townsville to than 25,000 corals are grown and planted stabilises the rubble, which allows small coral
spawn. They have also found completely annually in offshore nurseries. colonies to be attached. The mesh is then
new strains of coral never found before. This connected to a power source that emits low
is not surprising, with Dr Charlie Veron on Cuttings of coral have been growing voltage electricity. These pulses stimulate the
successfully on coral tree frames - looking
board, who is credited with discovering 20% not dissimilar to large Christmas trees with coral colonies to deposit calcium carbonate
of the world’s coral species.
hanging coral baubles. These trees at Fitzroy (the polyp’s external protection, like a shell)
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation and Island were installed in December and are three to five times faster than normal.
Australian Government support this ‘harvested’ every six to 12 months. Eventually, the coral will cover the mesh
research through Great Barrier Reef Marine panels and a healthy reef will be restored.
Parks Authority, Australian Institute of The corals have been found to grow more
efficiently when suspended, which is why Reef Restoration in partnership with the
Marine Science and through the research this method is used. Australian Government
work of Universities throughout Australia.
Researchers from James Cook University’s In 2018 $443.3m was earmarked by the
Tropwater and Reef Ecologic are monitoring Government to be given to the Reef Trust

PORT DOUGLAS MAGAZINE 17