ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au
Scientists discovered dozens of new coral species on a recent voyage along the length of the Great Barrier Reef.
A team of scientists completed a 21-day trip from the Capricorn Bunkers off Gladstone to Thursday Island in the Torres Strait late last year.
“On almost every dive we were finding species that aren’t in the books,” said Professor Andrew Baird from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University (Coral CoE at JCU).
Scientists from Queensland Museum (QM), University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia were also part of the expedition.
Prof Baird said the discoveries are timely as recent molecular advances reveal that much of the existing classification of corals is deeply flawed.
“One hard coral species, Acropora hyacinthus, was previously thought to be found on almost every reef crest along the length of the reef,” Prof Baird said.
But the recent molecular advances plus a closer look at the morphology, or shape of the coral, has overturned this assumption.
“What we once thought was a single species is potentially five different species—some with a very limited geographical range,” Prof Baird said.
The team also found a number of species not previously seen on the reef.
“The new species we found means that the biodiversity of some groups is up to three times higher than we had thought,” said Dr Francesca Benzoni, from KAUST.
JCU PhD student Jeremy Horowitz was on the voyage. He said much of what they found was new.
“Despite the economic and ecological importance of black corals this is the first survey of this group on the reef. It’s amazing how much remains unknown and how much more work needs to be done,” Mr Horowitz said.
The end of the voyage is just the beginning of a lot of hard work to formally describe this treasure trove.
“The volume of new material is overwhelming,” Prof Baird said.
“We need more trained taxonomists—biologists who can group organisms into categories—and more funds to reassess the taxonomy of common groups found on the reef, including hard, soft and black corals.”
“Australia is the custodian of the world’s largest coral reef system and as a World Heritage-listed site it is the nation’s obligation to manage it well.”
“Understanding the diversity of species on the reef underpins virtually every area of research and conservation,” Prof Baird said.
“It is vital to ensure we have a robust understanding of species diversity and their distributions, but taxonomy isn’t currently a research priority. This has to change.”
“You can’t manage the Great Barrier Reef if you don’t know how many species you have, how common they are, or where they are found.”
A selection of images for media stories can be used with credit to the photographer named in the file.
CONTACT
Prof Andrew Baird (AEST)
P: +61 (0)7 4781 4857
M: +61 (0)400 289 770
E: andrew.baird@jcu.edu.au
Jeremy Horowitz (AEST)
P: + 61 (0) 473 870 683
E: jeremy.horowitz@my.jcu.edu.au
FURTHER INFORMATION
Melissa Lyne (AEDT)
Media Manager, Coral CoE
M: +61 (0)415 514 328
E: melissa.lyne@jcu.edu.au
James Cook University researchers have found brightly coloured fish are becoming increasingly rare as coral declines, with the phenomenon likely to get worse in the future. Christopher Hemingson, a
Researchers working with stakeholders in the Great Barrier Reef region have come up with ideas on how groups responsible for looking after the reef can operate more effectively when the next bleaching
A new study has delivered a stark warning about the impacts of urban growth on the world’s coral reefs. As coastal developments expand at pace around the world, a year-long study of coral on a reef
Alarming new research shows global warming of 1.5°C relative to pre-industrial levels will be catastrophic for almost all coral reefs – including those once thought of as refuges. Associate Profes
Abstract: Molecular approaches have revolutionised our understanding of the systematics and evolution of most branches on the tree of life, including corals. Over the last twenty-five years molecula
Abstract: Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are a major driver of coral decline across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and compound upon the impacts of increasingly frequent and severe coral
Abstract: Being a new staff member at JCU, I will start with a short overview of my research. Next I will zoom in on a specific topic that I have been interested in for a long time: the impact of e
Abstract: The harsh truth is that, despite exciting innovations and increases in activity, ocean conservation is not succeeding, at least not fast enough. This is my conclusion from the last decad
This talk is the last of the parachute science seminar series organized by the ARC CoE Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) committee. Abstract Universities and institutions across th
This talk is the second of three on parachute science being organized by the ARC CoE Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) committee. Abstract For millenia, Traditional Owners have hel
This talk is the first of three on parachute science being organized by the ARC CoE Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) committee. Abstract Parachute science is the practice whereby
ABSTRACT Climate change loss and damage is known as the “third pillar” of international climate governance in addition to mitigation and adaptation. Although there is no agreed upon definition,
Partner Research Institutions
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au
