Late last year, I went on an expedition in search of a type of very old coral known as massive Porites. Stuart, Shaun and I dived five very different coral reefs between Cairns and Townsville. The first was an inshore fringing coral reef to the … [Read more...] about Measuring Old Corals & Coral Reefs (Part 2)
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Reef Heresy? And the Importance of Asking Questions
I am so privileged to have written the introduction to Peter Ridd’s new book, ‘Reef Heresy?’. In it I explain that it is of great concern to both Peter, and myself, that those who claim the Great Barrier Reef to be in terminal decline are so … [Read more...] about Reef Heresy? And the Importance of Asking Questions
Gardens of Old Porites, Without Sharks
It is often reported that the Great Barrier Reef is half dead, specifically that the corals are bleached, and the water quality is degraded with pesticides and plastics. If I didn’t know better, I might never want to visit a coral reef, lest I be … [Read more...] about Gardens of Old Porites, Without Sharks
Measuring Old Corals & Coral Reefs (Part 1)
Fundamental to science is measurement. It is a way of objectively assessing something, anything, even the state of a coral reef, even of an individual coral. Historically coral growth rates were measured by coring the really old massive Porites. … [Read more...] about Measuring Old Corals & Coral Reefs (Part 1)
Noosa River Mouth, 1973 & Yesterday
River mouths are ever changing with the seasons and with the tides, and they can also be completely changed through the building of rock walls. I remember Noosa’s river mouth back in 1973 when we lived in the caravan park, which was at the end of … [Read more...] about Noosa River Mouth, 1973 & Yesterday
Half the Corals Dead – But Not in Real Life
The claim that half the corals of the Great Barrier Reef are dead is based on a new method using ‘proxies’ (not a direct measure of coral cover), applied to badly cyclone damaged reefs, just after a major coral bleaching event – from which the corals … [Read more...] about Half the Corals Dead – But Not in Real Life
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
