Megafauna

Observation is fundamental to science.  One of the best ways to know something about the underwater world, including Great Barrier Reef ecosystems, is to strap an air tank to your back and actually step into the world of the Coral Sea.   If you take a camera, you may have a permanent record of what you observe.   If you take a ruler, you might also have a measure.

Planning is currently underway for the 2025 Megafauna Expedition.

In celebration of the very largest of the marine organisms at the Great Barrier Reef, the inaugural 2024 Megafauna expedition set off from Townsville’s Breakwater Marina on Monday 2^nd September 2024.   Despite challenging weather conditions it was a great success, with the initial four categories expanded to six, to included not only photographs of the largest clam, largest coral colony, largest fish that is not a ray or shark, largest ray or shark, but also the largest reptiles including snakes and turtles.  Winners were announced and prize monies awarded.   

Clockwise from left Dave, Fred, Fiona, Robert, Nadine, Seb, Simon, Laura, Dave, Saxon, Paul, Jennifer, Stuart, Ewa, Jenn, Kate and Kass.

For more information try #sizematters #megafaunaexpedition and key blog posts include:

Part 1, Return to Myrmidon, link here.

Part 2, Largest coral colony.

Largest Coral Colony, Part 2. Inaugural Megafauna Expedition, September 2024  

Part 3. Largest of the saved clams, more information at this link.

And as regards turtles and fish at the Yongala wreck, there is part 5, link here.

You can read about ‘Diving the North Wall’ in Part 4.

Diving the North Wall, Myrmidon Reef, Part 4. Inaugural Megafauna Expedition, September 2024