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The ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies places a high importance on informing policymakers, fellow researchers, marine users and the general community of the outcomes of our research activities.
Professor Julian Cribb FTSE of Julian Cribb & Associates provides advice on public communication of the Centre's work.


Lessons in coral reef survival from deep time: 23 January 2012
Lessons from tens of millions of years ago are pointing to new ways to save and protect today’s coral reefs and their myriad of beautiful and many-hued fishes at a time of huge change in the Earth’s systems.
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Multiple partners not the only way for corals to stay cool: 20 January 2012
For the first time scientists have shown that corals hosting a single type of "zooxanthellae" can have different levels of thermal tolerance.


Carbon dioxide is "driving fish crazy": 16 January 2012
Rising human carbon dioxide emissions may be affecting the brains and central nervous system of sea fishes with serious consequences for their survival, an international scientific team has found.
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Australians urged to support world's largest marine park: 26 December 2011
Two eminent tropical marine scientists today urged Australians to get behind a plan by the Federal Government to transform nearly a million square kilometers of the Coral Sea into the world's largest marine park.


The constant gardeners of the world's reefs: 8 December 2011
Australian scientists have urged greater consideration for the brilliantly-hued parrot fishes that tend and renew the world's imperilled coral reefs.
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When the heat's on, fish can cope: 5 December 2011
Australian scientists have discovered that some tropical fish have a greater capacity to cope with rising sea temperatures than previously thought - by adjusting over several generations.
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Do Marine Parks need sharks: 5 December 2011
Australia's reef shark populations will be under the microscope thanks to Lizard Island Research Station's latest John and Laurine Proud Fellow, Dr Ashley Frisch.
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Of turtles and men: 30 November 2011
Dr Mariana Fuentes and Dr Natalie Ban of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University are recipients of 2011 Queensland Young Tall Poppy Science Awards which will be presented by the Premier, the Hon Anna Bligh MP at the Science in Parliament reception in Brisbane tonight.
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Leaders urged to curb climate vulnerability: 28 November 2011
In a new scientific paper and book, leading marine researchers propose a novel framework for helping millions of people most at risk to cope with massive changes in their jobs, lives, and environment driven by the warming climate.
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Scientific sleuths pinpoint the guilty coral killers: 23 November 2011
The elusive culprits that are killing countless coral reefs around the world can now be nabbed with technology normally used to diagnose human diseases, marine researchers say.
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Corals can sense what's coming : 18 November 2011
Australian scientists have thrown new light on the mechanism behind the mass death of corals worldwide as the Earth's climate warms.
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Sea life "must swim faster to survive": 4 November 2011
Fish and other sea creatures will have to travel large distances to survive climate change, international marine scientists have warned.


Fair trade "can help save reefs": 20 October 2011
To prevent the collapse of worldwide fisheries and the death of coral reefs, fishing communities must be able to earn alternative incomes from other industries, a marine researcher warns.


Give Fishers a Break, Says Researcher : 17 October 2011
Demonising fishermen does not help protect fisheries, a leading scientist will tell the "Coral Reefs: Coast to Coast" symposium held at Fremantle on Friday. The fishing trade is of huge importance to the livelihoods of many communities in the coastal parts of Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.
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Deep-reef coral hates the light, prefers the shade: 17 October 2011
New research used genetic and photosynthetic analyses to demonstrate that genetic differences of corals reflect adaptations to the different environmental conditions encountered at different depths.


Decline and recovery of coral reefs linked to 700 years of human and environmental activity: 3 October 2011
Changing human activities coupled with a dynamic environment over the past few centuries have caused fluctuating periods of decline and recovery of corals reefs in the Hawaiian Islands, according to researchers.



Call for Australian lead in safeguarding oceans: 3 October 2011
Australia should show a strong international lead in protecting the oceans and sea-life against overexploitation and other human impacts, a leading marine scientist says.
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New analysis confirms sharks are in trouble: 28 September 2011
Sharks are in big trouble on the Great Barrier Reef and worldwide, according to an Australian-based team who have developed a world-first way to measure rates of decline in shark populations.
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World-first discovery 'can help save coral reefs': 27 September 2011
An international team of scientists has achieved a major breakthrough in fishing sustainability on coral reefs which could play a vital role in preventing their collapse.
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Award winner "can count fish from space": 19 September 2011
Dr Nick Graham of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University is this year's laureate in the Life Sciences & Biological Sciences category of the Scopus Young Researcher of the Year Awards.
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Seeking the keys to coral reef renewal: 5 September 2011
Vital clues to coral reef recovery have been identified in a remarkable research project in which three scientists laboured to hand-build 30 coral reefs from hundreds of tonnes of rock and gravel.
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Centre researcher wins L'Oreal Fellowship: 23 August 2011
ARC Centre researcher, Tracy Ainsworth has been awarded a $20,000 L'Oreal Australia For Women in Science Fellowship for 2011. Tracy is changing our understanding of the life of the tiny coral animals that built Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef - now threatened by a warming ocean and by bleaching.


Coral genome decoded: 25 July 2011
ARC Centre researcher, David Miller has collaborated with a Japanese team led by Nori Satoh at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) in sequencing the genome of Acropora digitifera
"Coral Genome Decoded": OIST media release


Climate change will damage reefs 'at different rates': 22 July 2011
Climate change and acidifying ocean water are likely to have a highly variable impact on the world's coral reefs, in space, time and diversity, international coral scientists cautioned today.
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Gene secrets of the reef revealed: 5 July 2011
Australian scientists today announced they have sequenced the genome of the staghorn coral Acropora millepora, a major component of the Great Barrier Reef and coral reefs worldwide.
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Big marine parks 'save money and oceans': 19 April 2011
Big marine protected areas (MPAs) are cheaper to manage per hectare than small ones, and no-fishing zones are cheaper to manage than multiple-use zones, a new study has found.
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2011 Rosenstiel award winner revealed: 6 April 2011
The University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science is proud to announce that Professor Peter Mumby is the 2011 recipient of The Rosenstiel Award, one of the School's top honours.


Fish know to avoid the spear: 21 March 2011
Fish are not as dumb as people sometimes think: marine scientists have found that fish that are regularly hunted with spearguns are much more wary and keep their distance from fishers.
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Weed eating fish 'key to reef survival': 10 March 2011
Preserving an intact population of weed-eating fish may be vital to saving the world's coral reefs from being engulfed by weed as human and climate impacts grow.
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Coral 'Network' can protect Asia-Pac fish stocks: 22 February 2011
An international scientific team has shown that strong links between the corals reefs of the south China sea, West Pacific and Coral Triangle hold the key to preserving fish and marine resources in the Asia-Pacific region.


Extinction predictor 'will help protect coral reefs': 15 February 2011
More than a third of coral reef fish species are in jeopardy of local extinction from the impacts of climate change on coral reefs, a new scientific study has found.
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Acid oceans demand greater reef care: 14 February 2011
The more humanity acidifies and warms the world's oceans with carbon emissions, the harder we will have to work to save our coral reefs.
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Kenya's fisheries management promotes species that grow larger and live longer: 10 February 2011
Marine conservationists working in Kenya have found that better fisheries management that includes restricting fishing gear is producing more predatory and longer-lived species and is improving fishing even in adjacent areas where no management is taking place.
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New research tracks dugong movements within Torres Strait: 10 February 2011
The Torres Strait supports the largest population of dugongs in the world, however not a lot is known about their movements within region. The ARC Centre of Excellence at James Cook University, the Torres Strait Regional Authority and the Torres Strait Island Regional Council together with the Torres Strait Rangers are working to collect this valuable information.


Finding new ways to protect both fish and fishers: 27 January 2011
Researchers at Australia's leading coral reef research centre have developed a way to protect both coral reef fish - and the interests of fishers.
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Migration helps corals survive climate change: 24 January 2011
The key to preserving the extraordinary richness and beauty of the world's coral reefs through the coming period of fragmentation caused by climate change lies in a better understanding of how newborn coral larvae disperse across the oceans to settle and grow on new reefs.
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De coral has de rhythm to beat de night-time blues: 14 January 2011
The world's corals not only display stunning beauty and diversity - they also have rhythm, man. And that helps to keep them going through the lonely low-point of the night, when their partner robs them blind.
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Oceans where fishes choke: 30 November 2010
Australian marine scientists have expressed disquiet over the continued worldwide spread of large, dead zones in the ocean.


Location! Location! Location!
Some coral reefs less vulnerable to rising sea temperatures: 25 November 2010
New research highlighting coastal locations where coral can better withstand rising sea temperatures, a leading cause of stress to coral reefs, may guide efforts to conserve the largest living structures on Earth.

Scientists Call for Protection of Australia's Subtropic Seas: 22 November 2010
Leading scientists and marine managers have called for a greater national effort to protect vital 1000-kilometre stretches of ocean bordering the middle of Australia's eastern and western coastlines.
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Worst coral death strikes at SE Asia : 19 October 2010
Many reefs are dead or dying across the Indian Ocean and into the Coral Triangle following a bleaching event that extends from the Seychelles in the west to Sulawesi and the Philippines in the east and include reefs in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and many sites in western and eastern Indonesia.
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Turtles, Dugongs 'at Risk Under Climate Change': 8 October 2010
The "turtle and dugong capital of the world", the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and Torres Strait region, faces increased pressure under climate change from human actions such as fishing, hunting, onshore development and pollution.



Call to Heal the World's Reefs: 7 October 2010
There is still time to save the world's ailing coral reefs, if prompt and decisive action can be taken to improve their overall health, leading marine researchers say.



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Call to Curb Reef Runoff: 6 October 2010
A leading earth scientist is calling for intensified efforts to curb the runoff of sediment and nutrients onto Australia's Great Barrier Reef and other coral assets, to protect them through a period of unavoidable climate change.



Ending the Oceans' 'Tragedy of the Commons': 14 September 2010
Leading international marine scientists are proposing radical changes in the governance of the world's oceans to rescue them from overfishing, pollution and other human impacts.



Corals dangerous childhoods: 24 August 2010
Tiny corals face shocking losses when first they settle on reefs, making the full complexity and wonder of the mature coral reef all the more remarkable.
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How corals fight back: 17 August 2010
Australian researchers are a step closer to understanding the rapid decline of our coral reefs, thanks to a breakthrough study linking coral immunity with its susceptibility to bleaching and disease.
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Bikini atoll inscribed on World Heritage List : 3 August 2010
It seems that finally, the sacrifice of the Bikinians is recognised by the world. Bikini Atoll has been inscribed today on the prestigious World Heritage List by the 34th meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Brazil.
Related story: Bikini corals recover from atomic blast : 15 April 2008


Super-rare "Elkhorn" coral found in Pacific: 28 July 2010
An Australian scientist has discovered what could be the world's rarest coral in the remote North Pacific Ocean. The unique Pacific elkhorn coral was found while conducting underwater surveys of Arno atoll in the Marshall Islands.
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Scientists test Moreton Bay as coral "lifeboat": 26 July 2010
An international team of scientists has been exploring Moreton Bay, close to Brisbane, as a possible 'lifeboat' to save corals from the Great Barrier Reef at risk of extermination under climate change.
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Carbon emissions threaten fish populations: 7 July 2010
Humanity's rising CO2 emissions could have a significant impact on the world's fish populations according to groundbreaking new research carried out in Australia.
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Fringe dwellers "hold secrets to survival": 18 June 2010
Corals right out on the exposed edges of the world's great coral reef zones may hold an important clue to the survival of coral ecosystems facing intensifying pressure from human activities and climate change.



Line BayMoving "house" tests corals: 18 June 2010
Finding out how corals adapt to a different environment and climate change will be boosted by a special grant to Centre researcher Dr Line Bay.



Fishers caught between degradation and development: 10 June 2010
The livelihoods of tens of millions of fishers in the world's richest coral reef region, the Coral Triangle, are at risk from the combined impact of collapsing fish stocks, environmental decline and coastal development.



Deputy Director elected to the Royal Society: 25 May 2010
Coral reef expert and Premier's Fellow at The University of Western Australia, Professor Malcolm McCulloch, Deputy Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, has been elected to The Royal Society.


Climate change skeptics 'lack scientific credibility': 12 April 2010
The skeptics who frequently deny the reality of climate change in the world's media lack all scientific credibility, charge three eminent Australian researchers who have just been listed among the world's 20 most influential scientists in the field of climate change.

"Evil twin" threatens world's oceans scientists warn: 29 March 2010
The rise in human emissions of carbon dioxide is driving fundamental and dangerous changes in the chemistry and ecosystems of the world's oceans, international marine scientists warned today.


Sharks and rays need "car wash" too: 8 March 2010
Sharks and manta rays gather in large numbers at special spots on the Great Barrier Reef and Osprey Reef for a regular "clean, wax and polish".
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Centre of Excellence Fellow awarded Pew fellowship: 4 March 2010
Peter Mumby, an Australian Laureate fellow in the Centre of Excellence has been awarded a 2010 Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation for his project to develop scientific models that will identify which coral reef systems are most resilient to, or can best withstand, environmental threats.


Ancient corals hold new hope for reefs : 1 March 2010
Fossil corals, up to half a million years old, are providing fresh hope that coral reefs may be able to withstand the huge stresses imposed on them by today's human activity.
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World class protection boosts Australia's Great Barrier Reef : 22 February 2010
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is showing an extraordinary range of benefits from the network of protected marine reserves introduced there five years ago, according to a comprehensive new study published in the Proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences.


Participation "important for healthy marine parks": 22 February 2010
The involvement of locals is a key ingredient in the success of marine parks which protect coral reefs and fish stocks. The largest-scale study to date of how coastal communities influence successful outcomes in marine reserves has found that human population pressure was a critical factor in whether or not a reserve succeeded in protecting marine resources – but so too was local involvement in research and management.


New theory could help save biodiversity: 3 February 2010
Australian scientists have announced a major new finding that helps explain how natural systems like coral reefs and forests maintain the richness of their mix of species. Their findings have important implications for understanding how humans can better protect biodiversity during one of the worst episodes of species extinction in the Earth's history.
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Weeds Submerge Inshore Reefs: 4 January 2010
Part of a global effort to record and understand changes in coral reefs worldwide, the study has found that more than 40 per cent of inshore reefs on the GBR are dominated by seaweeds (macroalgae) – but that the mid-shelf and outer reefs are virtually free of weed.
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Coastal Trees 'Poor Shield Against Tsunamis': 25 December 2009
On the 5th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, an international scientific team has cautioned against claims that ‘bioshields’ - belts of coastal trees - offer protection from tsunami or storm surges.
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POLITICIANS URGED TO SAVE THE GREAT BARRIER REEF: 17 November 2009
To have even a chance of saving the world's coral reefs from extensive damage caused by global warming, carbon emissions in industrialised countries need to be cut by 25% below their year 2000 levels by 2020- & 80-90% by 2050.
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ONLINE BRIEFING: Emissions reduction targets and the Great Barrier Reef


Scientists call for urgent "global cooling" to save reefs: 9 November 2009
Australian marine scientists have issued an urgent call for massive and rapid worldwide cuts in carbon emissions, deep enough to prevent atmospheric CO2 levels rising to 450 parts per million (ppm).
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Bullies Evict Little Fish as the Reef Warms: 3 November 2009
Small fish are at risk of being bullied to death by big ones as coral reef resources are hit by climate change. The finding has serious implications for both fishing and reef-based tourism industries.
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Scientists call for 'ocean parks' to protect seas: 19 October 2009
An international team of scientists has called for the creation of marine protected areas in the open oceans to protect the world's sea life from growing damage and loss caused by overexploitation, pollution and other human impacts.


Corals 'could starve in high co2': 5 October 2009
As human activity pumps more and more carbon into the atmosphere, a new threat has emerged to the world's coral reefs - starvation.
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Scientists call for humanity to 'set safe boudaries to the damage': 24 September 2009
Humanity needs to act now to avoid threats to human well-being caused by irreversible damage to the Earth, its climate, species and life-supporting systems.


Man-made crises 'outrunning our ability to deal with them', Scientists warn: 11 September 2009
The world faces a compounding series of crises driven by human activity, which existing governments and institutions are increasingly powerless to cope with, a group of eminent environmental scientists and economists has warned.


'Invisible' fish warn the reef is at risk :24 August 2009
The smallest fishes on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are sending out a warning that profound change is taking place in the Reef’s natural systems, probably as a result of human activity.
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Terry Hughes Q150 digital story
Professor Terry Hughes is the Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. He talks about being a coral reef ecologist and about coral reefs in general. This is a Storylines Q150 digital story. This digital story was made by the State Library of Queensland with funding from the Queensland Government. It is a legacy of the Q150 celebrations in 2009.



Communique on the future of coral reefs and the human communities that depend on them: 6 August 2009
Leading Australian scientists today released the following call for action to save the world's coral reefs, at a scientific symposium in Brisbane




C7000 YEAR OLD CORALS OF MORETON BAY TELL THEIR STORY: 5 August 2009
The 7000-year-old coral communities of Moreton Bay are telling a curious tale, expanding when sea-levels rise or water quality improves, then declining when current circulation becomes more restricted.


Coral forum to probe reef future: 3 August 2009
The future of the world's coral reefs, including The Great Barrier Reef, the fish and human coastal communities that depend on them will be under the spotlight when the nation's leading coral scientists meet in Brisbane this week.


Australia's first full genome project gets green light: 30 July 2009
One of the corals that form the backbone of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is to become the first complex animal to have its genes fully explored in Australia.
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Humans "damaging the oceans": 29 July 2009
Mounting evidence that human activity is changing the world's oceans in profound and damaging ways is outlined in a new scientific discussion paper released today.


Daly landholders polled on conservation plans: 21 July 2009
Landholders in the Daly River catchment region are being asked what types of conservation measures are needed in the area. "We want to understand what types of support and incentives are needed to develop effective conservation schemes for landholders to undertake conservation actions on their own land."


Corals Raise Hopes for Survival: 7 July 2009
Hope some of the world's corals may be able to escape destruction under climate change has emerged from a study by an international team of scientists working in French Polynesia in the Pacific. Researchers found that corals off Moorea, in the central Pacific, have rebounded on five occasions despite sustaining heavy damage from four bleaching events and one cyclone in the past 18 years.
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Corals facing a stormy future: 23 June 2009
As global warming whips up more powerful and frequent hurricanes and storms, the world's coral reefs face increased disruption to their ability to breed and recover from damage.



Gear bans can "help save reefs": 18 June 2009
Banning or restricting the use of certain types of fishing gear could help the world's coral reefs and their fish populations survive the onslaughts of climate change.
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Centre researcher wins Smart Futures Fellowship: 16 June 2009
Dr Nick Graham been awarded a $150,000 Smart Futures Fellowship to create models to predict the potential of reefs to recover from disturbances.


World's top reef scientists flock to JCU: 14 May 2009
James Cook University will host the next world conference on all matters relating to coral reefs. The Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence, Professor Terry Hughes from James Cook University, said today that the conference would bring leading coral reef scientist and reef managers from all over the world to Australia.


Avoiding "catastophe" for world's coral heartland: 13 May 2009
A region harbouring more than half the world's coral reefs is at risk of "a major environmental and human catastrophe" a report released by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) at the World Oceans Conference in Manado, Indonesia, today has warned.
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Rules proposed to save the world's coral reefs: 11 May 2009
An international team of scientists has proposed a set of basic rules to help save the world's imperiled coral reefs from ultimate destruction. "The catastrophic decline in the world's coral reefs demands urgent management responses on two fronts," say the researchers.


A big lesson from the reef: 7 May 2009
The lesson from Australia's Great Barrier Reef is that we have to protect its biodiversity - because biodiversity in turn protects us.That’s the message from Professor Sean Connolly who today receives the Australian Academy of Science’s prestigious Fenner medal for his pioneering work in understanding how ecosystems develop and maintain their amazing diversity.


Coral "can't escape the heat" : 7 May 2009
The world's corals cannot escape the inevitable impact on them caused by humanity's carbon emissions.The warning comes from the eminent scientist who has used coral from the Great Barrier Reef to reveal disturbing changes in the chemistry of the world's oceans due to human activity.


How cities mine fish stocks: 27 April 2009
The state of coral reef fish stocks often depends how close they are to markets. Striking new research carried out in the Solomon Islands has drawn a direct line between the depletion of local fish stocks and their proximity to national or even local markets.
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Reef boom beats doom: 22 April 2009
Marine scientists are astonished at the spectacular recovery of certain coral reefs in Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park from a devastating coral bleaching event in 2006
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Baby fish shaped by mothers' stress: 17 April 2009
Stressed reef fish mothers produce highly active babies, and this affects survival and has important implications for fish populations in a changing environment, according to new research.
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Support builds for automated reef watch: 7 April 2009
There is strong support for developing the next generation of a high-tech sensor network to watch over the health and resilience of the vast area of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, a new study has found
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Hon. Virginia Chadwick awarded Honorary Doctorate: 25 March 2009
Centre Board member, the Honorable Virginia Chadwick has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from James Cook University for her outstanding service to the North Queensland community and for her commitment to the conservation of the Great Barrier Reef


Proof that Marine Parks work: 25 March 2009
New evidence that networks of marine protected areas (MPAs) can play a big role in protecting threatened coral reef fish and other marine species from local extinction has been found by an international research team.
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"Fat" corals make better survivors: 9 March 2009
A team of international scientists has revealed for the first time how corals can survive or perish in the face of the climatic onslaught.


Coral disease found to have similar MO to cholera: 25 Febuary 2009
The complexities of coral disease are starting to be unravelled with the key revelation that a similar mechanism that causes cholera in humans may be causing White Syndrome (WS) in coral.
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ARC Centre of Excellence funding extension: 17 Febuary 2009
The ARC Chief Executive Officer, Professor Margaret Sheil, has today announced an additional $9.8m funding to the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, extending the Centre operations to 31 Decemebr 2013.
View general funding announcement
View selection report


Beat poverty: save fish: 10 February 2009
An international team of researchers has proposed a revolutionary strategy for ending the plunder of the world's coral reefs and destruction of their fish stocks - beating poverty.
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The heat of the moment: Australian Story ABC1, 8:00pm: 9 Febuary 2009
Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg is waking up the world to the impact of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef. This summer has seen unprecedented high ocean temperatures across the region; a strong indicator of another coral bleaching event. If we don't act to drastically lower carbon emissions, Ove believes that the world's largest coral reef system will die within 50 years.


Conservation plan aims to save Australia's only biodiversity hotspot: 5 Febuary 2009
Professor Bob Pressey will be working with the Southwest Australia Ecoregion Initiative in the first phase of an Australian Government-funded project that will develop a conservation strategy to preserve Australia's only internationally-listed biodiversity hotspot; a region under significant threat.


Nemo "won't be coming home": 4 Febuary 2009
Nemo, the lovable clownfish of movie fame, may be unable to find his way home as the world's oceans acidify due to human carbon emissions. Fish lose the sense of smell that guides them home when sea water becomes more acidic - with potentially devastating consequences for sea life, an international team of scientists has discovered.
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The Reef Stars in Google Earth's Ocean: 3 Febuary 2009
Australia's Great Barrier Reef, its wonders and its battle for survival, are a star attraction of the world's latest internet sensation, Ocean in Google Earth. Researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies are making a major contribution of science, information and underwater images to the site.
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Health Watch on the Reef : 14 January 2009
Tourists, holidaymakers, divers and tour operators have been invited to become 'citizen scientists' and help with a major health check-up for Australia's Great Barrier Reef.


Scientists Probe Enigma of Coral Death : 6 January 2009
With corals currently dying en masse in Indonesian waters and a significant risk of large scale coral bleaching deaths on Australian reefs in 2009, scientists are racing the clock to unravel the causes of these devastating global losses.
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Trees won't stop tsunamis scientists warn: 26 December 2008
Claims that coastal tree barriers can halt the might of a tsunami are false and dangerous, a team of international marine scientists said today.
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Fish Have Sexy Ears : 1 December 2008
You can tell when a fish has changed sex just by looking at its ears. At least, Australian marine biologists Stefan Walker and Mark McCormick can - having just pioneered a new breakthrough for studying the behaviour and productivity of fish populations
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Reef fish hit by double trouble: 24 November 2008
The world's coral reef fish are caught in a double whammy of intensifying fishing pressure and spreading reef destruction, a team of leading international coral scientists has warned.
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Urgent Action on International Coral Reef Crisis: 10 November 2008
Coral reef scientists and policy makers from the world's most prominent coral reef nations are meeting in Australia this week to develop urgent action plans to rescue the world's richest centre of marine biodiversity from gradual decline.
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Rising CO2 'Will Hit Coral Reefs Harder': 28 October 2008
Rising carbon dioxide levels in the world's oceans could deliver a disastrous blow to the ability of coral reefs to withstand climate change.
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Rare Corals Breed Their Way Out of Trouble: 21 October 2008
Rare corals may be smarter than we thought. Faced with a dire shortage of mates of their own kind, new research suggests they may be able to cross-breed with certain other coral species to breed themselves out of a one-way trip to extinction.
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Turf wars: sand and corals don't mix: 8 October 2008
When reef fish get a mouthful of sand, coral reefs can drown. That's the latest startling evidence to emerge from research into the likely fate of reefs under climate change and rising sea levels.
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Fishy future written in the genes : 30 September 2008
The roadmap to the future of the gorgeously-decorated fish which throng Australia's coral reefs and help earn the nation $5 billion a year from tourism may well be written in their genes.



Scientists call for world's largest marine park in coral sea: 10 September 2008
Australia's most eminent tropical marine scientists today strongly backed calls by the Pew Environment Group and partners to secure world-class, no-take marine reserves at key locations around the world. They called for the Coral Sea to be made the world's largest marine protected area.
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Seaweeds wage chemical war on corals : 1 September 2008
A ground-breaking discovery by Australian researchers has proved that some sea weeds, or algae, produce toxic chemical signals that deter coral larvae from settling on reefs devastated by bleaching, storms or other impacts. The good news is that the clever little coral larvae may also use the algal chemicals to find a good home.

 

GBR Management is a model for the world : 27 August 2008
International scientists have determined that Australia’s approach on the Great Barrier Reef, where a third of the total area is protected by no-take or ‘green’ zones was a model for how to protect large reef systems under climate change.
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Students to guard the reef : 26 August 2008
Students at Mundingburra State School will become the latest guardians of the reef tomorrow (Wednesday August 27). Dr Line Bay, postdoctoral research associate with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies based at James Cook University, will be speaking to them about the vital role they can play.
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'Hopping Hotspots' reveal how the planet drives life : 1 August 2008
An international team of marine scientists has proposed that huge explosions of life may be due in part to continental 'traffic accidents' - the Earth's tectonic plates slamming into one another.
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Why reefs matter: ABC Radio National coral feature : 24 July 2008
Centre members' research presented at the International Coral Reef Symposium:
Can corals adapt to global warming? Prof Ove Hoegh-Guldberg and Prof Terry Hughes
Caught on film - the best approaches to saving reefs. Dr David Wachenfeld


Many Countries 'Unable to Save Reefs' : 22 July 2008
An international team of scientists has found coral reef conservation in key regions of the world faces serious risk of failure under climate change.
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Moving with the times: moving species to save them from extinction : 17 July 2008
The Centre's Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg and collegues believe we need to consider the radical step of moving plants and animals to help them survive the impact of climate change.


Corals Not Doomed - 'If We Do the Right Thing' : 10 July 2008
The world's coral reefs are not doomed - provided governments and communities take the urgent and necessary actions to preserve them. That's the message from eminent Australian marine scientist and recipient of this year's Darwin Medal, Professor Terry Hughes in his keynote address to the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium.
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Coral Decline to Hit Rich and Poor : 9 July 2008
The gradual disintegration of the world’s coral reefs under climate change will have significant impacts on food supplies, international tourism, water quality and the safety of coastal communities. Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg says there is now convincing science coming through to indicate that reefs everywhere are in trouble.
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Corals in a Climate of Sexual Confusion : 8 July 2008
Climate change may have major impacts on the reproduction of the world's corals, by changing some of the cues which trigger corals to spawn.This is one of the major issues being explored by the world's leading coral scientists at the International Coral Research Symposium (ICRS) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (July 7-11).
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Finding a Cure for the "Coral Crisis" : 7 July 2008
The management of Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park has been hailed as a groundbreaking international model for better managing the oceans, in a leading United States scientific publication.


Corals Deliver Acid Shock : 7 July 2008
New coral evidence suggesting the oceans may have acidified by almost a third of a unit of pH as a result of human emissions of CO2 will be presented today to the International Coral Reef Symposium, at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in a keynote paper by Australian earth scientist Professor Malcolm McCulloch of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and Australian National University.

East Coast Fin Fishery : 30 June 2008
Prof. Sean Connolly recently spoke to the Triple J current affairs show Hack about the East Coast Fin Fishery and shark finning.



Protected Fish Stage a Comeback : 24 June 2008
Dramatic evidence that protected fish populations can bounce back rapidly from the impact of years of heavy fishing has been obtained by a team of marine scientists working on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.



Devastating coral disease may have bacterial cause : 24 June 2008
Researchers from AIMS and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at JCU have identified the possible cause of a virulent coral disease that until now has been mysterious.
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Fishy 'fingerprints' to identify suspect coral killers : 23 June 2008
Scientists are poised to solve a major underwater crime mystery and pinpoint the guilty suspects in the case of ‘who killed the coral reef’. For some time researchers have suspected that starving fish, deprived of food by coral bleaching, may play an unfortunate but critical role in killing the few surviving corals.


Science for managing coral reefs : 18 June 2008
On the June 18 the Australian Research Council held the inaugrual Graeme Clark Research Outcomes Forum at Parliament House in Canberra.



Climate To Impact Coral Fishes : 16 June 2008
Climate change is likely to have significant impact on the world's beautiful coral reef fishes and will increase the risk of fishery collapses, a new scientific study warns.



Ove Hoegh-Guldberg wins Premier's fellowship : 21 May 2008
Deputy Director, Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, who pioneered research linking climate change projections with coral reef distress is the 2008 Queensland Smart State Premier's Fellow.



Fish diet to avoid fights : 12 May 2008
People diet to look more attractive. Fish diet to avoid being beaten up, thrown out of their social group - and getting eaten as a result. That is the fascinating conclusion of the latest research into fish behaviour by Centre researchers.
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Fate of Coral Reefs - ONLINE : 9 May 2008
The fate of the world's coral reefs including Australia's Great Barrier Reef under climate change is going under the public microscope for the first time in the International Year of the Reef. Around Australia and the world, citizens are invited to join a new online seminar on coral reef futures presented by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies as part of its contribution to the International Year of the Reef 2008 (IYOR 08).



Stronger measures needed to save sharks : 28 April 2008
Scientists have called for tough scrutiny of Queensland's east coast shark fishery to save it from possible collapse. In a submission to the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries East Coast Finfish Fishery management proposal, a research team argues that proposed changes to shark fishing regulations are inadequate to ensure a sustainable fishery.


Bikini corals recover from atomic blast : 15 April 2008
Half a century after the last earth-shattering atomic blast shook the Pacific atoll of Bikini, the corals are flourishing again. Some coral species, however, appear to be locally extinct.
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Research honour to Terry Hughes : 2 April 2008
Australia's influence on international scientific research was today recognised by Thomson Scientific, a leading provider of information solutions to the worldwide research and business communities, as it gave Citation Awards to ten of the most pre-eminent researchers working in Australia, including Centre Director Terry Hughes.


Coral's Addiction to 'Junk Food' : 24 March 2008
Over two hundred million humans depend for their subsistence on the fact that coral has an addiction to 'junk food' - and orders its partners, the symbiotic algae, to make it.This curious arrangement is one of Nature's most delicate and complex partnerships - a collaboration now facing grave threats from climate change.



The Great Barrier Reef in 2050 : 19 March 2008
Keeping the Great Barrier Reef alive is one of the greatest environmental and social challenges faced by Australia today. Some of Australia's best known reef scientists met with politicians in Canberra on Wednesday to express their concerns about the future of this great Australian icon and discuss potential solutions.


Rabbits to the rescue of the reef : 19 March 2008
While rabbits continue to ravage Australia’s native landscapes, rabbit fish may help save large areas of the Great Barrier Reef from destruction.The reason, say scientists, is the same in both cases – both rabbits and rabbit fish are efficient herbivores.
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Reef fish lose their way as the environment turns hostile : 7 March 2008
Environmental stresses, including warmer and more acidic seawater, may be affecting the development of the ear bones in young reef fish, causing the fish to get lost at sea during a crucial stage of their development.



Butterfly fish may face extinction : 25 February 2008
A beautiful black, white and yellow butterflyfish, much admired by eco-tourists, divers and aquarium keepers alike, may be at risk of extinction, scientists have warned.
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The lost language of fishes : 21 February 2008
The spectacular colours of coral reef fishes represent a 'language' that has been around for at least 50 million years - to which humans have lost the key, says Dr David Bellwood, a leading coral researcher.
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Taboos "help stop pirate fishing" : 23 January 2008
Reinforcing traditional management of coral reefs and fisheries may help to tackle the root causes of 'pirate' fishing in Australian waters, Dr Josh Cinner, a leading coral researcher says.
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Saving Nemo: 12 January 2008
Centre researchers on Radio National's Science Show describe how the changing climate is affecting coral reefs. Hear about the changing climate, the effect of protection zones, the importance of fish, sharks and concerns for their future and how fish populations are connected.


Starfish Strike at Coral Kingdom : 16 January 2008
Outbreaks of the notorious crown of thorns starfish now threaten the "coral triangle" - the richest center of coral reef biodiversity on Earth.



Corals May Head South to Beat the Heat : 1 January 2008
The seaboard between Perth and Geraldton could end up with coral reefs as rich and varied as the celebrated reefs of Ningaloo, two marine scientists say in new research published in the international journal Global Change Biology.



Consensus Declaration on Coral Reef Futures
Over 50 scientists of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies today made a call for action following the National Forum on Coral Reef Futures held at the Academy of Science in Canberra on 18/19 October



Key Found To Moonlight Romance
An international team of Australian and Israeli researchers has discovered what could be the aphrodisiac for the biggest moonlight sex event on Earth. An ancient light-sensitive gene has been isolated by researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) that appears to act as a trigger for the annual mass spawning of corals across a third of a million square kilometres of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, shortly after a full moon.


Acid Oceans Warning
The world's oceans are becoming more acid, with potentially devastating consequences for corals and the marine organisms that build reefs and provide much of the Earth's breathable oxygen. The acidity is caused by the gradual buildup of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, dissolving into the oceans. Scientists fear it could be lethal for animals with chalky skeletons which make up more than a third of the planet's marine life.


What future for coral reefs?
A major national forum on the future of Australia's coral reefs will be held in Canberra from 18-19 October. Key issues will include climate change, ocean acidification, fisheries management, conservation planning, capacity building, ecosystem-based management and adaptive governance.
Registration



Weird 'Engine of the Reef' Revealed
A team of coral researchers has taken a major stride towards revealing the workings of the mysterious ‘engine’ that drives Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and corals the world over.
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Eureka prize to Terry Hughes
Professor Terry Hughes, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence Coral Reef Studies based at James Cook University, last night won one of the prestigious Australian Museum Eureka Prizes: the Sherman Eureka Prize for Environmental Research.



Keeping on top of wildlife threats
One of Australia's greatest conservation challenges in protecting the Great Barrier Reef and other natural assets is staying one jump ahead of both the movement of protected species and the emergence of new and unforeseen threats.
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US teachers go back to school at JCU
Two New York high school science teachers have been sent back to "school" at James Cook University.Michelle Seeley from New York's Elmont Memorial High and Margaret Savitzky from Thomas Edison Vocational/Technical School are in their last week of a five-week internship at JCU.

Save the Reef, Save our Heritage
Protecting the Great Barrier Reef from the impacts of climate change, natural disasters and rising human pressures will be a key test of Australia's ability to keep our natural environment healthy and resilient. That's the message from the Professor Malcolm McCulloch of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies to this week's gathering of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), in Cairns.

Storm over Climate Claims
Scientists from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies have strongly criticized claims made by climate skeptics in a program to be aired on ABC television tonight as lacking in scientific credibility.



Line Bay Smart State Fellowship
Dr Line Bay, a research fellow at the Centre of Excellence has been awarded a Smart State Fellowship worth $150,000 over three years. Line will undertake critical research into climate change and coral bleaching



De-bunking the Debunkers
Scientists from the Australian National University, Stanford University, USA, and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies will expose the scientific flaws and half-truths in the claims of climate change skeptics at a public forum at the ANU this Friday, July 13th.


"Sundried tide" silent, natural disaster
In a paper published in scientific journal Marine Biology, Dr Ken Anthony and Dr Ailsa Kerswell, of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) at The University of Queensland (UQ) and James Cook University (JCU) have revealed that extreme low tides on clear sunny days can lead to widespread damage of coastal coral colonies.
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Churchill Fellowship
Dr Morgan Pratchett, an Australian Research Fellow, will use the Quicksilver Connections Churchill Fellowship for travel to the UK to work with Professor Nick Polunin at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne



How Fish Punish Queue Jumpers
Fish use the threat of punishment to keep would-be jumpers in the mating queue firmly in line and the social order stable, a new study led by Australian marine scientists has found.
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Coral Disease linked to Warming
An Australian study reveals that survival isn’t easy for young fish living on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) - and may be even harder under climate change.
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Corals reveal impact of land use
Using the corals on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) as a history book, researchers have linked land use along the coast to decades of declining water quality and poor coral health.
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Coral Disease linked to Warming
An international team of scientists working on Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has found a clear link between coral disease and warmer ocean temperatures
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Nemo comes home - with a tag
A team of Australian, American and French coral reef scientists has achieved a world breakthrough in tracking fish that could revolutionise the sustainable management of coral reefs and help restore threatened fisheries.
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Corals: More complex than you?
The humble coral may possess as many genes and possibly even more than humans do. And remarkably, it has many of the immune system genes that protect people against disease.
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Massive Coral Death attributed to Earthquake
Researchers say over 300 kilometers of coastline heaved more than a meter upwards, exposing and killing corals in unprecedented numbers
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Reef 'at Risk in Climate Change'
The two main threats facing the reef are rising sea temperatures, which cause mass coral die-offs due to bleaching, and the gradual acidifying of the oceans from CO2 in the atmosphere, which prevents corals from forming their limestone skeletons.
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Suicide: Unexpected coral killer
A mysterious disease is causing the corals of the Great Barrier Reef to kill themselves - and scientists are battling to find out why.
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Tracking Down Coral's Serial Killers
Australian scientists are throwing new light on the killers responsible for the mass death of corals under global warming. And one of their interesting findings is that 'fat' corals cope with stress and survive the onslaught a lot better than those which have been on a diet.
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Moreton Bay: Future Coral Haven
As Australia’s corals move south driven by global warming, Moreton Bay Marine Park off Brisbane will become an even more vital haven for marine species of all kinds.
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Investigating the Trochus "El Dorado"
Scientific and indigenous knowledge must join together to better manage disappearing marine resources in developing countries, such as shark, trochus, and sea cucumber stocks on the islands to Australia's north.
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Fish: Healthcare Workers of the Reef
An international team of researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies has shown that a healthy fish population is essential for coral recovery after a severe bleaching event, storm or disease outbreak.
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Pesticides compound climate risk to Reef
Corals already under pressure from global climate change are facing an additional threat in the form of pesticides running off from the land, a new scientific study in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series shows.
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Cold corals shine light on ocean history
The corals of South Australia are throwing new light on the history of Australia's southern oceans, revealing details of past climates and human impact on the seas.
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Baby Fish "Smell Their Way Home"
Marine scientists have uncovered evidence that baby fish, only millimetres long, manage to find their way to their home coral reef across miles of open sea by using their sense of smell.
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How We Keep the Reef Great
Climate Change is affecting the Great Barrier Reef, but researchers, government authorities and tourism operators are cooperating to protect Australia's greatest natural asset. Article in the January 2007 issue of Qantas The Australian Way reproduced courtesy of QANTAS.



Climate Change Strikes Fish
Researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies have found evidence that climate change may play havoc with fish populations.
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Batfish to the Rescue!
A masked marauder has emerged unexpectedly from the ocean to rescue a dying coral reef from destruction in the nick of time.
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Coral stress 'like never in history'
Large scale coral die-offs are now occurring more frequently than at any time in the last 11 000 years, according to investigations by Associate Professor John Pandolfi
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Reef Sharks Threatened by Overfishing
A study by Australian scientists has warned that coral reef shark populations on the Great Barrier Reef are in the midst of a catastrophic collapse.
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Stormy Days Ahead for Coral Reefs
A scientific team from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies has produced the world's first engineering model to predict how much damage a reef is likely to suffer when confronted with might of an angry sea.
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REEF WARNS OF SEA LEVEL RISE
Margaret River in WA, famed for its wine, is about to become famous for another reason: warning coastal dwellers what they may have to cope with under global warming.
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TSUNAMI NO PROBLEM FOR CORALS IF REEFS WELL MANAGED
A tsunami's impact on a coral reef is slight compared to the devastation wreaked by human use of explosives and poison, latest research from the coast of Aceh in Indonesia has disclosed.
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CROWDS CAUSE FISHY SEX CHANGES
Dr Philip Munday of the Centre of Excellence has found that juvenile bluehead wrasse choose their sex according to the crowd they grow up with.
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FISH THAT LIVE FAST, DIE YOUNG
Centre researchers have received official notification from Guinness World Records that the Australian coral reef pygmy goby has the shortest lifespan of any creature with a backbone known to science.
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GARDENING TO SAVE THE REEF
Australians may have to resort to 'underwater gardening' if they are to protect their priceless coral reefs through the stresses of climate change.
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Reef health check
In a major checkup of the health of the central Great Barrier Reef, scientists report that while corals on the outer reef are in excellent condition, coral health is in sharp decline close to the Queensland coast.
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CALL TO GET TOUGH WITH OCEAN BANDITS
Twenty of the world's leading marine scientists have called for action by governments to halt the unsustainable plunder of the world's ocean resources.
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Indigenous lessons in conservation
A study into the many ways to protect coral reefs has found that some of humanity's oldest and most traditional methods are proving to be the best.
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Australia trains the world's reef experts
The ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) - the world's largest team of coral reef specialists - is cementing Australia's position as a leader in coral reef studies across the globe thanks in part to the hard work of its students.
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SCIENTISTS WARN OF CORAL PANDEMIC
A sinister black band chewing through living corals on Australia's Great Barrier Reef is a sign of what scientists fear may be an emerging global pandemic of coral diseases. The black band of microbial infection advances at millimetres a day, steadily and remorselessly killing corals when conditions promote its spread, says Dr Bette Willis, a chief investigator in the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies.
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OCEAN BREAKTHROUGH ON GLOBAL WARMING
A major discovery has opened the way for researchers to measure the ability of the world's oceans to absorb man-made CO2 - a key factor in global warming. The discovery by Professor Malcolm McCulloch, deputy director of the Centre of Excellence will allow researchers to see far into the past to understand the biological and chemical makeup of the oceans.



STRESSED MUMS HAVE TINIER BABIES
Groundbreaking research by Dr Mark McCormick, a Chief Investigator in the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies has found that stressed mother fish have smaller babies, with lower chances of survival.
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ANCIENT GIANT CLAMS ISSUE EL NINO WARNING
A 35-year window into the climate of one of the longest interglacial periods of the last million years has sounded a warning that El Nino events were half as frequent then as they are today.
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Sea sore: Coasts, estuaries degraded by humans
Severe resource depletion and ecosystem destruction of coasts and estuaries began during Roman and Medieval times but have rapidly accelerated over the last 150-300 years, according to a new study in Science. Dr Roger Bradbury, Adjunct Professor in the Resource Management in Asia-Pacific Program at ANU and Chief Investigator in the Centre of Excellence....

NO-FISH ZONES BOOST COASTAL COMMUNITIES
Evidence is emerging from around the world that 'no fishing' zones can lead to better catches and more income for coastal communities.
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CORALS FACING "BIGGEST CHANGES IN HISTORY"
A new study has found that the damage caused by human activity to some of the world's iconic coral reefs in the past 30 years is greater than at any time in the last 220 000 years.
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TOP RESEARCH AWARD FOR CENTRE DIRECTOR
Professor Terry Hughes, the Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies was awarded his second five-year Federation Fellowship by the Federal Minister for Education, Science and Research, Julie Bishop yesterday.
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MANGROVES "NO DEFENCE V. TSUNAMIS"
Coastal mangroves and green belts offer little or no protection against the deadly might of a tsunami. This is the finding of a controversial new scientific report, just published in the international journal, Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Science.
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CORALS HELP PINPOINT EVOLUTIONARY LEAP
An international team of scientists has challenged one of the key assumptions about how the body-shapes of the world's animals evolved.
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OF URCHINS AND ROVING BANDITS
An international team of researchers has today warned of an emerging tragedy in the world's marine ecosystems.
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SAVE THE GARDENERS, SAVE THE REEF
The fate of the world's coral reefs may hang on a group of weed-eating fish, an Australian scientist has warned.
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Scientists Torpedo Reef Theory
Three James Cook University researchers at the new ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies have called for the worldwide networking of tropical marine parks and protected areas to limit the risk of large-scale extinctions under global change, in the light of new scientific findings.
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