How do we know that in the back lagoon at Myrmidon Reef there are some massive bolder corals – immovable, representing layer upon layer of calcium carbonate laid down year after year, back more than 300 years.
And so healthy; in various shades of green and blue and, also golden.
Their health and size are captured in the photographs from the inaugural Great Barrier Reef Megafauna Expedition.
We made it all the way to Myrmidon Reef on Friday 6th September and the three competition photographers – Dave Baxter, Jenn Mayes, and Laura Boderke – got measuring, with their yardsticks.
Each of the photographers entered more than one photograph in the first category: Largest Coral Colony.
I measured the height and width of the largest coral colonies from their submissions using ImageJ software and the reference within each photograph – their yardsticks.
Jenn Mayes and Laura Boderke both submitted coral colonies of the same equally large width: 3.6 metres!
Jenn Mayes coral colony, however, was significantly taller at 3.0 metres, while Laura Boderke’s coral was squatter at 2.2 metres.
So, the winning photograph – the largest coral colony – is awarded to Jenn Mayes. This coral was photographed on the first dive at Myrmidon at a depth of 8 metres. The coral measures 3.6 metres wide and 3.0 metres tall.
Holding the 1 metres scale above the coral colony is her scuba buddy Nadine Huth.
Congratulations!
Acknowledgements
Charter of the MV Sea Esta for the inaugural Megafauna Expedition was made possible by Sydney-based philanthropist Simon Fenwick.
Despite a challenging weather forecast Paul Crocombe skippering the MV Sea Esta got us all the way to Myrmidon Reef – with first mate, Robert Arthur also from Adrenalin Dive.
The photographs of the photographers and their buddies in action measuring – Jenn Mayes and Nadine Huth, Laura Boderke and Sebastian Falk, Dave Baxter and Kate Armstrong – were taken by Stuart Ireland, funded by the Institute of Public Affairs. I was able to help organise this inaugural Megafauna Expedition thanks to the continued financial support of Perth-based philanthropist Bryant Macfie through the IPA.
The measure used by Nadine and Jenn, the one metre long-ruler, was made by John Abbot.
Our megafauna logo is the creation of Ewa Buczkowska.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
