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
Great Barrier Reef
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)
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
My Second Short Film: Under the Sea at the Ribbon Reefs
During the bushfires that devastated so much of southeast Australia, before the pandemic that stopped all the travel, I had the opportunity to spend a whole week on a boat traversing the northeast edge of Australia’s continental shelf – about 60 kms … [Read more...] about My Second Short Film: Under the Sea at the Ribbon Reefs
Great Barrier Reef Platitudes, More Dangerous Than Sharks
It has always been the case that the individual is expected to conform, and that there is hierarchy within myths. Myths are of course traditional stories, often explaining a natural phenomenon typically involving supernatural beings or events. … [Read more...] about Great Barrier Reef Platitudes, More Dangerous Than Sharks
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.