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Articles on Great Barrier Reef

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Many Caribbean reefs are now dominated by sponges. from www.shutterstock.com

The rise of sponges in Anthropocene reef ecosystems

Marine sponges are ancient organisms that have survived mass extinctions. Many are more tolerant of climate change and may dominate over corals in future reef systems.
The GBR Foundation fills a gap in funding research that might be seen as too much of a risk by other agencies. AAP Image/Alison Godfrey

Great Barrier Reef Foundation chief scientist: science will lie at the heart of our decisions

Federal Labor has pledged to withdraw the A$443 million given to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. But the foundation’s decisions are led by science, and free of undue influence, its chief scientist says.
Successive governments have seen the Great Barrier Reef not just as a scientific wonder, but as a channel to further economic development. Superjoseph/Shutterstock.com

Politicised science on the Great Barrier Reef? It’s been that way for more than a century

The $444 million awarded to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation has been criticised as a politically calculated move. But governments have been asking what the reef can do for them ever since colonial times.
Some fish fared better than others amid the extreme temperatures of the 2016 heatwave. Rick Stuart-Smith/Reef Life Survey

The 2016 Great Barrier Reef heatwave caused widespread changes to fish populations

The 2016 heatwave that caused mass bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef didn’t just kill corals - it also significantly changed the makeup of fish communities that call these reefs home.
Silent Evolution by Jason deCaires Taylor. Taylor makes sculptures and sinks them beneath the sea to create artificial reefs. © Jason deCaires Taylor

The science and art of reef restoration

Not everything humans put in the ocean is garbage. From walls of tyres to sunken sculptures, reef restoration is both a science and an art.
Green sea turtle eating seagrass off Lizard Island. Abbi Scott

Dugong and sea turtle poo sheds new light on the Great Barrier Reef’s seagrass meadows

New research highlights the role of sea turtles and dugong in the dispersal of seeds and maintenance of seagrass meadows, an important marine habitat and the primary food source for both animals.
Staghorn and tabular corals suffered mass die-offs, robbing many individual reefs of their characteristic shapes. ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies/ Mia Hoogenboom

How the 2016 bleaching altered the shape of the northern Great Barrier Reef

The 2016 bleaching event resulted in 30% mortality on the Great Barrier Reef, with many corals dying of the heat before they bleached and the loss of branching corals creating less complex reef structure.
Boat noise can interfere with the underwater communication of fishes and other marine animals. Unsplash

The fishy problem of underwater noise pollution

The noise from motor boats, sonar and other industrial activity interferes with the underwater chatter of fishes.
Pause and reflect on what really makes wilderness valuable. John O'Neill/Wikimedia Commons

The moral value of wilderness

Imagine being one of the last few people alive. Would that make it ok to destroy the natural world? This thought experiment reveals the true value of nature, beyond the benefits to humans.

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