{"id":335621,"date":"2024-07-05T17:24:07","date_gmt":"2024-07-05T15:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=335621"},"modified":"2024-07-05T17:31:28","modified_gmt":"2024-07-05T15:31:28","slug":"seeing-barren-island-corals-and-fish-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=335621","title":{"rendered":"Seeing Barren Island Corals, and Fish. Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

By jennifer<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am often reminded of the Marcus Aurelius quote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The object of life is not<\/em> to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself on the side of the insane.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And so, I am feeling some relief since I made it crystal clear to everyone who reads me at Facebook and this blog, I made it very clear in my last post, that I do not<\/em> and cannot subscribe to the Peter Ridd, Anthony Watts, Graham Lloyd and Joanne Nova claims of record coral cover at the Great Barrier Reef, CLICK HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor who ruled nearly two thousand years ago.   He apparently, would begin each day by very consciously being grateful, being grateful to be alive.   That is how I feel when I am underwater at the Great Barrier Reef \u2013 looking at the corals and the fish, up-close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is how I felt last Sunday afternoon on the second dive at Barren Island.  What a privilege, I thought, living in a world with so much natural beauty.  I am so grateful to be able to access this, to be able to witness this extraordinary beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Can you see the gold and green, in this very close-up photograph of a coral, that I found under a dead plate coral. In the wide angle photograph it doesn\u2019t look so special, but up-close it is magnificent.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And so, it is not that I think the Great Barrier Reef is ruin \u2013 I just know as surely as the fog lifted at my local beach yesterday, that coral cover varies and it is a lie to claim record coral cover this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was much more coral cover 2,000 years ago when sea levels were about 1.5 metres higher, and there was more of it last year before the very real coral bleaching that was widespread at the southern Great Barrier Reef, and before cyclone Jasper that affected the northern reefs, and cyclone Kirrily that impacted the central region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we are to ever understand the nature of life, and regeneration and what drives significant change at coral reefs, including changes in the distribution and abundance of coral and fish species, then we need to be better able to monitor changes in coral cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as sometimes it can be difficult to see across to Great Keppel Island because of the fog, visibility can also vary a lot underwater.  So, any proper survey method, whether underwater or aerial, would need to consider this, and not just the setting on the camera.   An accurate report of total coral cover would also include the different habitats at most coral reefs, including the reef crest.  At the moment, for the last forty years, the Australian Institute of Marine Science in-water surveys used to report on total coral cover at the Great Barrier Reef, they have only been of the reef perimeters.  I explained all of this in my last blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Sunday afternoon, just last weekend, visibility was perhaps 8 metres at the coral reef fringing Barren Island.   The coral is down 10 metres. From the surface it is impossible to know that the coral is even there.  The sea was just a beautiful blue, and it appeared so deep.   It wouldn\u2019t matter what setting I had on my camera, from above the waves, whether at the surface or 150 metres in the air, I would not be able to see the extraordinary beauty that is Barren Island Reef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The area overlaid with the Google text and also my red arrow, marking the area of coral reef, that is about where I dived. It is about 10 metres underwater that I took the photographs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After I stepped-off the boat just on midday and let all the air out of my buoyancy control device (BCD) and started to sink down to the bottom I saw so many corals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have a photograph of the large Porites<\/em> sp.  From a distance it was a haze of blue \u2013 to know that it was healthy I needed to get up-close.  Then I could see that it was very much alive. I could see the individual corallites and that they were intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Wide angle, and also close-up photographs of the Porites sp.<\/em>, underwater at Barren Island reef on Sunday 30th June 2024.   Even without my light on, in the wide angle shot, it is possible to see the yellow lemon damsel fish.  Colour in the longer red wavelengths is lost within a few metres of the surface, but yellow that is a shorter wavelength can penetrate to at least 10 metres depth, and so the yellow damsel fish are yellow even though most of the rest of the above photograph is blue. For the close-ups I had my new underwater light turned-on, and see how red that clam is, the clam embedded in the Porites sp.<\/em>.  So colourful with lines and spots in red, against that brilliant purple.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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*****<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 1 of this series is here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeing Barren Island Corals \u2013 and Fish.  Part 1. – Jennifer Marohasy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

That is a lot of coral. This last summer has not been good for many of the corals, for coral cover, at the Great Barrier Reef. If we are to know the natural cycles of death and regeneration, then we need to acknowledge that not every summer is the same.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":335622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691829523,691829524,691819663],"class_list":{"0":"post-335621","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-barren-island-reef","9":"tag-coral-colour","10":"tag-coral-cover","12":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/00F-P6300124.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1pjf","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":335439,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=335439","url_meta":{"origin":335621,"position":0},"title":"Seeing Barren Island Corals \u2013 and Fish.\u00a0 Part 1.","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/07\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I had such a good weekend, over at Great Keppel Island completing a PADI Advanced Open Water course with Hayley and Ines from Keppel Dive. We managed five dives over the two days, but I only had my camera with me for the last dive, when we dove Barren Island\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Barren Island Reef\"","block_context":{"text":"Barren Island Reef","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=barren-island-reef"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/00F-LemonDamsel-P6300096.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/00F-LemonDamsel-P6300096.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/00F-LemonDamsel-P6300096.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/00F-LemonDamsel-P6300096.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/00F-LemonDamsel-P6300096.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":344772,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=344772","url_meta":{"origin":335621,"position":1},"title":"All the Dead Coral from the Bleaching. \u00a0Part 4.","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/10\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Self-censoring is a real thing \u2013 that I refuse to engage in. Over the last year there has been a dramatic reduction in live hard coral cover at many reefs at the Great Barrier Reef, but this has not been documented in official statistics or in the official reporting that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"coral reef\"","block_context":{"text":"coral reef","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=coral-reef"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0P9260106.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0P9260106.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0P9260106.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0P9260106.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0P9260106.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":319930,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=319930","url_meta":{"origin":335621,"position":2},"title":"Stark White \u2013 Fields of Bleached Acropora, Great Keppel Island","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"22\/04\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Scuba tank on my back, I rolled backwards off the Keppel Dive boat at Bald Rock reef yesterday into the ocean. I was hoping that as with previous claims of mass bleaching, this was exaggerated.","rel":"","context":"In \"Bald Rock reef\"","block_context":{"text":"Bald Rock reef","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=bald-rock-reef"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0P4190265-copy-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0P4190265-copy-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0P4190265-copy-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0P4190265-copy-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0P4190265-copy-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":335589,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=335589","url_meta":{"origin":335621,"position":3},"title":"How Things Change \u2013 the Weather and Coral Cover","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/07\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"For sure the Great Barrier Reef will recover. 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Part 1.","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"09\/04\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In \"Central Great Barrier Reef\"","block_context":{"text":"Central Great Barrier Reef","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=central-great-barrier-reef"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0Clowns-Me-Screenshot-2024-04-06-at-7.02.57%E2%80%AFam.jpg?fit=1200%2C671&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0Clowns-Me-Screenshot-2024-04-06-at-7.02.57%E2%80%AFam.jpg?fit=1200%2C671&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0Clowns-Me-Screenshot-2024-04-06-at-7.02.57%E2%80%AFam.jpg?fit=1200%2C671&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0Clowns-Me-Screenshot-2024-04-06-at-7.02.57%E2%80%AFam.jpg?fit=1200%2C671&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0Clowns-Me-Screenshot-2024-04-06-at-7.02.57%E2%80%AFam.jpg?fit=1200%2C671&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":351725,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=351725","url_meta":{"origin":335621,"position":5},"title":"Reflections on Claims about Coral Cover (Part 1)","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"20\/11\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) put out a media release earlier today claiming to have scientifically documented changes in coral cover for the northern section of the Great Barrier Reef, particularly in the vicinity of Lizard Island.","rel":"","context":"In \"Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)\"","block_context":{"text":"Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=australian-institute-of-marine-science-aims"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/01-2001161_js_verticalgardens-14.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/01-2001161_js_verticalgardens-14.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/01-2001161_js_verticalgardens-14.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/01-2001161_js_verticalgardens-14.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/01-2001161_js_verticalgardens-14.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=335621"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335621\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":335637,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335621\/revisions\/335637"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/335622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=335621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=335621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=335621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}