I lent my underwater camera (Olympus TG-6) to a dear friend who recently visited Lady Elliot Island at the Great Barrier Reef. She came over last Sunday to return the camera, and to show me some of her photographs. My favourite is of the Parrot fish just beyond the magenta-coloured corals, shared above. Over the ledge the water is deeper, and the corals have a blue haze. This is because wavelengths in the blue part of the visible light spectrum penetrate water to some few metres, while all the wavelengths in the red part of the spectrum are absorbed by 5 metres under the water.
For those who have never snorkelled or scuba-dived, and who like to lament the dying Great Barrier Reef, the corals beyond the parrot fish in Jessica’s picture might all look bleached. But that is how corals look in the distance when visibility is good, because the water is so clear. It is only when you swim up to them, when you are nearer to the corals, that you can see their real colour.
When I see photographs online and in newspapers of corals described as bleached, I often wonder how the photograph was taken – at what depth and whether it was colour corrected. I wrote to a journalist, Michael Foley from the Sydney Morning Herald, back in April about a picture purportedly showing bleached coral.
Hi Michael
I’m really impressed with your interview with Terry Hughes and particularly how much online media has republished your article ‘Reef on path to destruction and clever science can’t fix it’ and that photograph.
I was curious about the image of the bleached corals. Where it was taken, and how it was colour adjusted. I sent an email via the Catlin Seaview Survey contact page, asking for this information last Tuesday (13th April) and to Sara Naylor at UQ. The email to Sara bounced, Catlin hasn’t replied.
This image was featured in many news reports back in April 2021, republished from a Sydney Morning Herald article with the Catlin Survey credited for the image, but otherwise providing no details.
What I would really like is the original full resolution raw image. Could you please send me this?
Also, where was the image taken/which reef, and when/which year?
If it was taken back in 2015 or 2016 or 2017 it would be important to know the state of that coral now?
Michael Foley never replied.
There is a wonderful library on Lady Elliot Island, at the resort in a room tucked behind the museum. I spent some time there most evening when I was on the island for a week back in May. I found a photograph very similar to the one I queried Michael Foley about. It is in a book entitled ‘Coral Whisperers’ by Irus Braverman published by the University of California Press in October 2018.
This picture is from the introduction to Irus Braverman’s book ‘Coral Whisperers’
The caption to this photograph provides a lot more information than the Sydney Morning Herald article by Michael Foley published on 8th April this year (2021). So, the photograph used in the article by Michael Foley was perhaps taken at Heron Island and back in February 2016.
It would seem somewhat disingenuous for a news story published on 8th April 2021 to be accompanied by a photograph from 2016 but without including this important information: that the photograph is five years old. It would also be useful if the publisher explained that visible light of a blue wavelength penetrates water, while red is absorbed, so corals even just a few metres away can have a blue haze and even appear bleached.
Also, if the Sydney Morning Herald are going to include a photograph from five years ago in a news story, why don’t they also show a more recent photograph – so we have some idea whether the coral is still there, or not?
The Sydney Morning Herald/ Catlin Seaview Survey photograph with the coral changed to beige by my friend Michael who first alerted me to this photograph and how easy it was for him to ‘fix’ what he described as the ‘blue cast’.
Of course, beige is the most common colour of corals at reefs around the world, as I explained in my short documentary film ‘Beige Reef’, that you can watch on YouTube.
Update Tuesday 28th September 2021
Much thanks to Steve Messer for finding a higher resolution image of the ‘bleached corals’ here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stopadani/33675818851
(more detail with his comment in the following thread). Reproducing just a section of this photograph from Flickr (below) it is apparent that the branches are a dark tan in colour with white axial corallites and/or white tentacles extended from the corallites. This coral is not bleached at all.
A section of the photograph from Flicker and closeup to show that each branch of coral is a brown stem with white corallites and/or white tentacles.
Considering my SST course notes on low visibility and night diving it is apparent that with depth orange/beige begins to look very dark and then eventually black. So, if we could lift this coral to the surface the stems would perhaps be orange/beige and covered in white corallites with white tentacles extended.
Reproduced from my SSI Scuba diving course notes/ manual.
I’m including a picture of an Acropora cervicornis from page 206 (volume 1) of Charlie Vernon’s ‘Corals of the World’, see below. This species of coral is from the Caribbean, not the Great Barrier Reef, but the photograph illustrates my point.
This is an example of a beige coral with white axial corallites.
So, which species of Acropora, or perhaps Anacropora, have the experts mistaken for bleached?
****
The feature image, at the very top of this blog post, was taken at Lady Elliot Island in September 2021 by Jessica with my TG-6 camera. I also like how Jessica’s photograph so clearly shows that the Parrot fish’s teeth are fused together. These fishes eat live coral. I’ve seen them scrap the massive Porites and bite into pretty Acropora.
Yep, there’s an ocean of people with marine biology related quals unable to earn a decent crust to pay their hecs debts – as a field it’s famously bad for employment in the field – yet they still keep enrolling!
Brian Johnstonsays
Just cant trust the media.
Just as well we have Jennifer.
Good spotting.
Might not be the exact same photo. Looking at the divers legs, kick motion I would say the same diver.
Pamela Matlack-Kleinsays
Alas, Photoshop has been around for a long time and it is not difficult to become adept at using it to create photographic falsehoods. IMO, that photo from the book sure does look a lot like the one from the Sydney Morning Herald article. The diver’s leg positions are identical.
I have dived on reefs in Florida, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. I can tell the difference between bleached coral and living coral, it really is very obvious when you see it in the field. Had my share of stings from accidentally brushing too close to the live stuff!
Richard Bennettsays
The refusal for the publishers of the coral picture republished from the Sydney Morning Herald to provide the original photo’s technical and date of photography details once again underlines the utter contempt that these people hold for the reputable scientific community and in the intelligence of the wider public.
Ian Thomsonsays
Well spotted.
Steve Messersays
Jenn, a quick Google reverse search shows this image was indeed taken on Heron, around January 2016. So well spotted.
Furthermore, those of us familiar with Parrot Fish in their natural environment can clearly see that the vivid pink markings usually found on these individuals are notably muted in your friend’s photograph… A graphic illustration of the point you made about colour shift towards the blue spectrum underwater.
Jennifer Marohasysays
Steve Messer, So much thanks for that link. And that is a much better photo, and close up I’m not even sure if the coral is bleached!
I’ve just posted an update (scroll to end of original post), with much more information. All in all it is looking like that stand of coral was not bleached at all, rather it is a beige coral with white axial corallites.
hunterson7says
The menticide infected have little interest in data driving narrative.
I think we may have lost the war, the elites & their politicians have got the momentum, but we need stuff like yours as ammunition, so at least we can go down fighting.
I re-posted some of your findings on another site. Some folk in Melbourne refused to even look at it as you were “a tool of the sugar farmers”. With a mind set like that I doubt they would admit global warming was a scam, even when under a few hundred meters of ice.
Even my own lady has taken about 10 years to decide she had been conned. She so hated admitting to herself our academics could so blatantly lie to us. It took the treatment of the covid thing for her to decide academia could no longer be trusted.
Glen MICHELsays
Much appreciated Jennifer. Agnatology has been a problem for science and scientists ever since it has relied on public funding for its sustainability. Marine biology is a tempting Tertiary engagement but as pointed out has little employment prospects.
CGsays
Perhaps it is A. Aspera?
Russell Haleysays
I used to live in the Caribbean. Live coral is literally teaming with fish and crustaceans. In the Caymans you can see a line between the live and the dead coral and very few animals venture into the bleached areas.
I’m not pushing any theory about pollution or warming or whatever. I’m just saying my lived experience says you are wrong about coral.
Selwyn Hsays
Hi Jennifer, I sent you an email in January 2014 about a sign on Lady Elliot Island captioned “Lady Elliot Island Climate Change Trail” with a sea level rise graph on it which was badly flawed both in its mathematics and in the rise shown.
You published my letter on your blog and I wrote to the Federal Minister advising him that it was embarrassing to see such a poor example of mathematics on a public sign. I’m wondering if the sign is still there.
It was near the shore close to the accommodation units and a reef that was used by the staff to show visitors at low tide what the reef looked like.
spangled drongosays
Hasbeen says; “I think we may have lost the war”
Well, the first battle anyway, but when the Gretas and their enthusiastic instructors are forced to survive with the results of their non-solutions to a non-problem, white flags could suddenly begin to appear.
I wonder how long before the “experts” notice that the Pacific has not effectively risen in the last century plus. In fact the latest MSL reading [Aug 2021] is 93mm LOWER than the first in May 1914:
Russell, I totally agree with your Caribbean experiences that fish do not like very dead coral areas. But this is exactly the point of this whole post. Many areas of coral “look” dead or bleached to the inexperienced eye. But bleached coral mostly grows back when the zooxanthellae repopulate, Dead coral does not, and leaves a dead rubble area- or might be overgrown by fast populating staghorn or acropora.
How do you differentiate “dead” areas of coral from “bleached, but regrowing” when you are flying a plane 100’s of metres in the air and can only see the top layers of coral- assuming it is a calm and clear day with no ripples in the water?
Scientifically, I would have thought that some actual diving pictures or underwater drone camera footage would be used to verify the areas/sites overflown and the scientist making the eyeball decisions. And that this control data would be available on request. Or are all scientists just spending their time reviewing other scientists papers these days and patting each other on the back and repeating the data over and over again until we accept it..
Geoffrey Williamssays
Excellent article Jennifer; Foley and the SMH have been caught red handed at it publishing a (5 year) old photo without any qualifications in order to mislead . .
ianlsays
Is not the High Court to supply a decision on the Peter Ridd case today ?
ianlsays
The High Court and Peter Ridd
Decision is *for* JCU and *against* Peter Ridd. Peter thinks this was based on the legality of the JCU work contract requirements. Perhaps (in fact likely), but in truth I expected that. If one examines western court decisions on various climate change aspects on a globally wide basis, for the most part actual scientific evidence and cross-examination of this is always excluded (avoided, actually) using fine-grained legality.
Aus universities have a puff piece in today’s MSM on adopting the Federal Government’s proposal to resolve this “academic freedom” issue. So we now have VC’s insisting that they absolutely crystal clear in retaining their ambiguity on the issue.
hunterson7says
So it turns out that the Academy is, literally, anti-science. Universities are just parasites, sort of tapeworms in the gut of the body politic.
Peter Ridd, and the taxpayers feeding the parasites, deserve much much better.
The irony that the faux university’s lies about coral are now exposed, and Peter is vindicated on the facts is only a bitter irony.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
Yep, there’s an ocean of people with marine biology related quals unable to earn a decent crust to pay their hecs debts – as a field it’s famously bad for employment in the field – yet they still keep enrolling!
Just cant trust the media.
Just as well we have Jennifer.
Good spotting.
Might not be the exact same photo. Looking at the divers legs, kick motion I would say the same diver.
Alas, Photoshop has been around for a long time and it is not difficult to become adept at using it to create photographic falsehoods. IMO, that photo from the book sure does look a lot like the one from the Sydney Morning Herald article. The diver’s leg positions are identical.
I have dived on reefs in Florida, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. I can tell the difference between bleached coral and living coral, it really is very obvious when you see it in the field. Had my share of stings from accidentally brushing too close to the live stuff!
The refusal for the publishers of the coral picture republished from the Sydney Morning Herald to provide the original photo’s technical and date of photography details once again underlines the utter contempt that these people hold for the reputable scientific community and in the intelligence of the wider public.
Well spotted.
Jenn, a quick Google reverse search shows this image was indeed taken on Heron, around January 2016. So well spotted.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stopadani/33675818851
Furthermore, those of us familiar with Parrot Fish in their natural environment can clearly see that the vivid pink markings usually found on these individuals are notably muted in your friend’s photograph… A graphic illustration of the point you made about colour shift towards the blue spectrum underwater.
Steve Messer, So much thanks for that link. And that is a much better photo, and close up I’m not even sure if the coral is bleached!
Charles Rotter, So much thanks for republishing: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2021/09/27/bleached-from-a-distance/
I’ve just posted an update (scroll to end of original post), with much more information. All in all it is looking like that stand of coral was not bleached at all, rather it is a beige coral with white axial corallites.
The menticide infected have little interest in data driving narrative.
The photograph in the book is actually this one; https://www.flickr.com/photos/stopadani/33764627036/in/photostream/
Compare the coral shapes in the foreground. They are exactly the same.
Great spot & post Jenifer.
I think we may have lost the war, the elites & their politicians have got the momentum, but we need stuff like yours as ammunition, so at least we can go down fighting.
I re-posted some of your findings on another site. Some folk in Melbourne refused to even look at it as you were “a tool of the sugar farmers”. With a mind set like that I doubt they would admit global warming was a scam, even when under a few hundred meters of ice.
Even my own lady has taken about 10 years to decide she had been conned. She so hated admitting to herself our academics could so blatantly lie to us. It took the treatment of the covid thing for her to decide academia could no longer be trusted.
Much appreciated Jennifer. Agnatology has been a problem for science and scientists ever since it has relied on public funding for its sustainability. Marine biology is a tempting Tertiary engagement but as pointed out has little employment prospects.
Perhaps it is A. Aspera?
I used to live in the Caribbean. Live coral is literally teaming with fish and crustaceans. In the Caymans you can see a line between the live and the dead coral and very few animals venture into the bleached areas.
I’m not pushing any theory about pollution or warming or whatever. I’m just saying my lived experience says you are wrong about coral.
Hi Jennifer, I sent you an email in January 2014 about a sign on Lady Elliot Island captioned “Lady Elliot Island Climate Change Trail” with a sea level rise graph on it which was badly flawed both in its mathematics and in the rise shown.
You published my letter on your blog and I wrote to the Federal Minister advising him that it was embarrassing to see such a poor example of mathematics on a public sign. I’m wondering if the sign is still there.
It was near the shore close to the accommodation units and a reef that was used by the staff to show visitors at low tide what the reef looked like.
Hasbeen says; “I think we may have lost the war”
Well, the first battle anyway, but when the Gretas and their enthusiastic instructors are forced to survive with the results of their non-solutions to a non-problem, white flags could suddenly begin to appear.
I wonder how long before the “experts” notice that the Pacific has not effectively risen in the last century plus. In fact the latest MSL reading [Aug 2021] is 93mm LOWER than the first in May 1914:
http://www.bom.gov.au/ntc/IDO70000/IDO70000_60370_SLD.shtml
Russell, I totally agree with your Caribbean experiences that fish do not like very dead coral areas. But this is exactly the point of this whole post. Many areas of coral “look” dead or bleached to the inexperienced eye. But bleached coral mostly grows back when the zooxanthellae repopulate, Dead coral does not, and leaves a dead rubble area- or might be overgrown by fast populating staghorn or acropora.
How do you differentiate “dead” areas of coral from “bleached, but regrowing” when you are flying a plane 100’s of metres in the air and can only see the top layers of coral- assuming it is a calm and clear day with no ripples in the water?
Scientifically, I would have thought that some actual diving pictures or underwater drone camera footage would be used to verify the areas/sites overflown and the scientist making the eyeball decisions. And that this control data would be available on request. Or are all scientists just spending their time reviewing other scientists papers these days and patting each other on the back and repeating the data over and over again until we accept it..
Excellent article Jennifer; Foley and the SMH have been caught red handed at it publishing a (5 year) old photo without any qualifications in order to mislead . .
Is not the High Court to supply a decision on the Peter Ridd case today ?
The High Court and Peter Ridd
Decision is *for* JCU and *against* Peter Ridd. Peter thinks this was based on the legality of the JCU work contract requirements. Perhaps (in fact likely), but in truth I expected that. If one examines western court decisions on various climate change aspects on a globally wide basis, for the most part actual scientific evidence and cross-examination of this is always excluded (avoided, actually) using fine-grained legality.
Aus universities have a puff piece in today’s MSM on adopting the Federal Government’s proposal to resolve this “academic freedom” issue. So we now have VC’s insisting that they absolutely crystal clear in retaining their ambiguity on the issue.
So it turns out that the Academy is, literally, anti-science. Universities are just parasites, sort of tapeworms in the gut of the body politic.
Peter Ridd, and the taxpayers feeding the parasites, deserve much much better.
The irony that the faux university’s lies about coral are now exposed, and Peter is vindicated on the facts is only a bitter irony.