Politics & the Reef Don’t Mix
On March 18, 2022, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) confirmed on that there had been severe and widespread bleaching to 60 per cent of the corals along a 500-kilometre stretch of Great Barrier Reef. This was the fourth mass bleaching event to occur in the past 6 years and the first mass […]
What Happened to the Spanish Mackerel?
The well-known and much sought Spanish Mackerel has recently been in the news for all the wrong reasons. First, the latest research tells us that the Spanish Mackerel population is down to a mere 17 % of its original, unfished population. Not a healthy situation. Second, this has occurred in the Great Barrier Reef World […]
Coral Bleaching in 2022 … Maybe
The recent heatwave should remind us all that if it is hot on land, it is quite likely to be hot underwater. In fact, the current heatwave is causing some concern amongst marine scientists that the Great Barrier Reef may be facing a serious marine heatwave this summer. Based on forecasts from the Bureau of […]
Australia Needs to Step Up at COP 26 to Save the Reef
I recently spent five fascinating and inspiring days on the Great Barrier Reef working with a dedicated and passionate group of Marine Park staff and volunteers. Our project involved relocating healthy coral to a site that had suffered severe cyclone damage. The objective was to support and, hopefully, speed up the natural recovery process of […]
Coral & Coal do Not Mix
Election Promises Will Destroy the Reef! You know that an election is drawing near when politicians start making promises that they can’t keep or, at best, shouldn’t keep. Case in point – the proposal for a new coal-fired power station for Collinsville. A few politicians, including our current Whitsunday mayor, Andrew Wilcox, are touting this […]
Common Sense & Climate Change
After reading the recent IPCC report, I felt of dismay, anger and a tiny bit of hope. The report made it very clear that the rate of global warming is faster than scientists initially predicted, the impacts of climate change are increasing and we have as little as a decade to significantly reduce our carbon […]
Reef Listed in Danger
The recent UNESCO draft decision to list the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger” seems to have caused much shock and consternation amongst our politicians. Why? As a dive instructor working in the Whitsundays, I am very passionate about the Reef. I have been following the “Reef In Danger” story for nearly 10 years now […]
The Sea Turtle’s Struggle
Sea turtles have successfully cruised the world’s oceans for 65 million years, since the time of the dinosaurs. That’s why it’s hard to believe these animals could become endangered after all that time. As I prepare for another day of diving on the Great Barrier Reef – a job I have cherished for the past […]