{"id":317158,"date":"2024-04-09T19:58:54","date_gmt":"2024-04-09T17:58:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=317158"},"modified":"2024-04-09T19:58:58","modified_gmt":"2024-04-09T17:58:58","slug":"wheeler-chicken-lynch-central-great-barrier-reef-april-2024-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=317158","title":{"rendered":"Wheeler, Chicken, Lynch \u2013 Central Great Barrier Reef, April 2024. Part 1."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Screenshot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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From Jennifer Marohasy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0jennifer<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The corals in the central region of the Great Barrier Reef have suffered through this last summer with some bleaching and also damage from cyclone Kirrily.   There are seasons under the sea, just as there are on land \u2013 and in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though large areas of reef crest are denuded of coral \u2013 colonies of clown fish have hung-on including at Lynch reef.\u00a0\u00a0 These little fishes, they still come out to say \u2018Gidday\u2019, at least to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Clown fish and their anemone at a mostly denuded reef crest, Lynch Reef, 3rd April 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That was my experience earlier this week when I had the privilege of diving five reefs off Townsville \u2013 Chicken, Wheeler, Davies, Lynch, and also John Brewer Reef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These reefs are part of the central region of the Great Barrier Reef. \u00a0I was diving with Paul Crocombe the owner of\u00a0Adrenalin Snorkel and Dive<\/a>, and also Stuart Ireland the owner of\u00a0Calypso Productions<\/a>. \u00a0 There is a combined 60 years of experience, much of it under the water at the Great Barrier Reef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stuart Ireland after a good dive, central Great Barrier Reef 3rd April 2024.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Paul Crocombe on board Adrenalin, 3rd April 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Paul and Stuart have seen cyclone damage before, and also bleaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We did find one reef, Wheeler reef, that was essentially intact, with an extraordinary diversity of fish, corals, and very little bleaching.   We will feature this reef in an IPA-sponsored short documentary about this adventure, soon. (You can find previous efforts online, click here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, yes, it is the case that you can always find somewhere that is flourishing, even if overall conditions have not been so good.\u00a0 In this little clip (click here<\/a>, and following), that I\u2019ve just now uploaded to Vimeo you can see Paul with the fishes at Wheeler reef on Wednesday 3rd April 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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