Reefs of the Great Barrier Reef are increasingly under threat from global, regional and local impacts, and are losing their ability to recover. Reefs close to the coast of the Great Barrier Reef, also called ‘inshore’ reefs, face additional threats because of their proximity to land and runoff.
Inshore reefs naturally have a mixture of hard corals, soft corals and macro (large) algae. After a reef has been damaged, such as through a cyclone or coral death after coral bleaching, the ecosystem can shift, as macroalgae grows quickly, dominating the seafloor and preventing recovery of important reef-building corals.
Active intervention may be required to remove the macroalgae to help restore balance. However algae removal is just the first step. How do we return the area to its coral-dominated state before the algae re-establishes?
Scientists are investigating if the recovery of a reef with algae recently removed can be sped up by a technique known as larval seeding. With the help of volunteers, scientists will work to remove algae from a number of sites around Magnetic Island. Coral larvae, from hard corals in the same area, will be raised in the National Sea Simulator then later introduced, or ‘seeded’ into these sites and monitored. This technique will hopefully increase the number of corals successfully establishing, helping to re-establish the reef and prevent algae re-growing.
This research will help inform future efforts to restore inshore areas of the Great Barrier Reef.
Want to learn more?
- Article - Algae clearing supports transplanting of coral babies at Magnetic Island
- Learn more about the citizen science behind this project
- This project is supported by NESP – Project 4.3
