Last week we were fortunate enough to visit One Tree Island Research Station (OTIRS), in the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) with our MARS5007 Coral Reefs and Climate Change class.

As you may know the GBR is currently in the midst of another mass bleaching event with the southern GBR this time around being badly hit. The condition of the reef was really appalling with much of the coral either fluorescing (stressed), bleached or already dead and covered in macro algae. Despite these confronting scenes it was a unique teaching opportunity for 19 masters students and 4 staff to explored the diverse range of habitats that characterise the once pristine but now impacted One Tree coral reef ecosystem.

Images showing severely bleached, stressed and/or dead, algal covered corals on the reefs slope and gutter at One Tree Island, SGBR (April 5-10th) (Image sources: GRG, 2024).

The field trip has several objectives for the students: (1) gain an understand the main characteristics of coral reef environments; (2) investigate the main processes operating at different spatial & temporal scales that influence these environments; (3) design & successfully complete a significant independent group research project; (4) develop their independent & critical thinking, ability to analyse/integrate (critically) relevant scientific reef data, literature, improve scientific writing and presentation skills, and (5) gain experience working in a group environment.

The research projects were incredibly interesting and diverse, such as investigating the relationship between sea cucumber distribution and reef habitats, and the effect of hydrodynamic energy on coral growth form and diversity on the reef flat, as well as quantifying coral mortality and subsequent algal growth following the major bleaching event in February. The students will now be furiously analysing and interpreting the data they collected and we look forward to hearing about their discoveries later in the semester.

In summary, it was a wonderful trip despite the confronting bleaching going on. And many thanks to the OTIRS managers Heinrich and Ruby who looked after us so well and also the other Geoscience teaching staff (Dr Claire Reymond, Phd students – Kate Whitton and Ratneel Deo) who supported the students learning on the reef.

Cheers

Jody #MarineScienceSydneyUni