LIRRF Winter 2022 Update

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Dear <<First Name>>

It’s fitting that this update starts with a message from Dr Anne Hoggett, one of the Station’s two co-directors. In this short video, shot from the Station, Anne shares her insights about bleaching over summer in the Lizard Island area and gives an update of activities at the Australian Museum’s Lizard Island Research Station (LIRS).

Click image to watch Dr Anne Hoggett's report.

Activity at the Station has picked up markedly these past few months. Already this year two LIRRF supported internationally led groups have returned. Dr Simon Brandl and Dr Chris Goatley (who both completed their PhD’s at Lizard and are joint recipients of the 2020 John and Laurine Proud Fellowship), along with a team of six including two Australian Museum scientists, continued their work on “cryptobenthic” reef fishes. These tiny fish are bottom-dwellers that are mostly hidden within the reef structure (hence the name) and they are an important base of the animal food chain that supports healthy coral reefs.

Dr Chris Goatley inspecting a tiny cryptobenthic reef fish. Photo: supplied.

Separately, Dr Maria Dornelas (University of St Andrews, Scotland) and Dr Joshua Madin (University of Hawai’i) returned in April with a team of two postdoctoral researchers and three PhD students to continue their multi-year collaborative project collecting data and monitoring changes in coral communities. Maria brought with her exciting news, namely the award she received of a prestigious 2 million euro grant spread over 5 years which, among other things, will enable her to expand on this research and increase frequency of work at Lizard. Maria’s work at the Station over the past 3 years has been supported by the Charles Warman Foundation and there’s no doubt that this funding, supporting her team’s work, has been integral in securing this large and important international grant.

Ambon damsel and a cleaner wrasse removing its parasites. Photo: Valerio Tettamanti

In April the LIRRF announced a new initiative, a critical grants program which we hope can be an ongoing annual award. The 2022 award went to Prof. Andrew Baird of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University. The project, taxonomy of reef-building corals of Lizard Island, is timely and of fundamental importance to understanding coral reef ecology. Andrew and his team have just been at Lizard and completed the main collection phase of the project. We thank donors Ian and Min Darling and Sally White for funding the first year of this grant.

Over the years LIRS has been used by many researchers as a base for projects to better understand and combat the coral eating Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS). A large grant in 2014 from The Ian Potter Foundation enabled the Australian Museum to award 20 research grants over the past 7 years aimed at finding practical methods to reducing the impacts of COTS. In an informative post, titled “The next Crown-of-Thorns Starfish outbreak is coming”, Dr Anne Hoggett discusses some of the work currently going on, why further work is needed, and why it’s only a matter of time before the next outbreak begins …

Crown-of-Thorns Starfish eating living tissue from a plate coral. Photo: Lyle Vail.

The much delayed and inaugural Coral Reef Study Tour for select NSW Government High School biology students finally took place over Easter this year and a post contributed by the two teachers and 13 students shares highlights of this program. The study tour was generously funded by the James N. Kirby Foundation, the Corella Fund and the Coles Danziger Foundation.

The 2021 Station Report has recently been printed and a soft copy can be accessed here. It’s a wonderful account of Station activity over the 2021 year and includes detail of each of the LIRRF funded new Doctoral Fellowships (4) and new Postdoctoral Fellowships (3) awarded for 2022, as well as detail of the 84 scientific publications based on work carried out at the Station and received in 2021.

We thank all our supporters for your interest in the work of LIRS – and for supporting science to advance our knowledge of reef conservation. None of the abovementioned projects, and lots more, could happen without your generosity. If you haven’t renewed your support as a LIRRF Member or Friend, please consider doing so. Options are available at lirrf.org/donate.

Best wishes

Kate Hayward
LIRRF Chair

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The next Crown-of-Thorns Starfish outbreak is coming
Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) are natural members of coral reef communities and their numbers erupt periodically into outbreaks. Adult starfish – which can reach more than 50 cm diameter – eat the living tissue of corals. When outbreaks occur, COTS consume coral much faster than it can grow so coral cover is substantially reduced.

Why Donate to support science at the Australian Museum’s Lizard Island Research Station?

Because the Great Barrier Reef is hugely important;
the science advances knowledge of life and informs reef conservation;
the Station is one of the world’s best coral reef field research facilities and helps develop the next generation of marine scientists;
the science depends on continuing donor support;
LIRRF provides a super-efficient funding channel where you will see your funds being put to good use;
and because we have a sense of wonder.

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Our mailing address is:

Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation

Australian Museum

1 William Street

Sydney, Nsw 2010

Australia

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