Australia: First signs of coral bleaching near Great Keppel Island

First photos of coral bleaching
Nikita Watts The Morning Bulletin 13 Jan 11;

THESE are the first photographs to emerge that show coral bleaching near Great Keppel Island.

They were taken by researcher and Keppel coral expert Dr Alison Jones last week while studying the reef around Halfway Island.

Coral bleaching occurs when coral starves and eventually dies, due to high water temperature, sedimentation, pollutants and changes in salinity.

Dr Jones emphasised that so far she had seen only one reef flat affected to some extent and the conditions over the next few weeks would determine whether the flood would be as bad for the reefs as the 1991 flood.

“The difference between Keppel reefs and the rest of the Great Barrier Reef is that we have extremely high coral cover and fast regrowth, but also a very small inshore reef system that is extremely vulnerable to water quality impacts,” she said.

Dr Jones said CQUniversity had 10 permanent loggers placed in the Keppels looking at the tolerance to the salinity. “This will be the first time researchers have been able to study the effects of such a massive flood on local reefs,” she said.

Capricorn Tourism and Economic Development chief executive Mary Carroll stressed that the floodwaters were affecting only a small area of the reef.

“We continue to receive reports from divers from all over the world that these are some of the best dives they’ve ever experienced,” she said.