We sought to limit intervention in the natural process of disturbance and recovery by playing a facilitative role applying the known success factors that we learned from using the coral tree nurseries. Plus, we took some leads from the scientific literature. In 2023, we took the decision to permanently attach the coral fragments directly to the branches in the nurseries and for those corals to become spawning stock.
Resilience & Recovery
When corals are suspended in water column, they are separated from the normal ecological stressors on the reef, including parasites, predators, and competitors. Our own monitoring demonstrates that they grow up to five times faster in this advantageous environment. A study from the Red Sea indicates they also reach reproductive maturity sooner and are more fecund.
The Resilience & Recovery program aims to achieve two core objectives:
Coral reefs are critical to the conveyor belt of life in the sea. The annual coral spawning event after the full moon, typically in October and November on the Great Barrier Reef, produces countless egg-and-sperm bundles, some of which become fertilised larvae that are distributed on the currents to coral reefs. The more spawning corals there are, the more new corals are added to the Great Barrier Reef.
The method of sourcing stock for our nurseries remains unchanged and is in accordance with our permits. Five coral fragments are cut from a mature donor colony to be attached directly to the branch of a coral tree. We use the same philosophy employed when outplanting nursery-reared corals in that the corals of the same genotype are attached on a single branch where they grow together and fuse to form a single colony.
Redesign of the coral tree nursery into modular units opened the door to several options, including the ease with which the trees could be lowered into deeper water when required. This is a critically important design feature that can be the difference between success and failure in time of prolonged elevated sea surface temperatures that have been decimating reefs, and some major reef restoration programs, in various parts of the world.
Monitoring
Mitigating ecological risk is an important component of any effort to assist reef resilience and reef recovery after disturbance. Maintaining species diversity, and genetic diversity within species, in our spawning stock nurseries is key to avoiding genetic bottlenecks during spawning that can actually reduce resilience.
We map, track, and monitor every genotype that is sourced from the reef, fragments of which are placed into our spawning stock nurseries. We know the date and location of genotypes sourced and can cross reference their location in the nurseries.
To monitor our program for internal continuous improvement and for our storytelling, we use photogrammetry in a time series to track changes in the corals. We additionally use cameras to monitor health (mortality, disease, paleness, bleaching and predation) and efficiency through growth.
We haven’t got to the stage of measuring productivity because we haven’t yet had a spawning season. However, when the time comes, we’ll collect spawn and quantify fertilisation to determine the number of larvae produced.
Built on Partnerships
We work at high-value tourism sites in partnership with tourism operators wishing to demonstrate site stewardship.
Our tourism partners are custodians of the sites that they have frequented under permit for many years.
Love what we do? Want to be involved? You can:
Where We Work
The island is our Research & Development hub and our Operational Headquarters. We have an enduring partnership arrangement with the Fitzroy Island Resort. It is a relationship that was critical in our establishment, and it is a relationship that will continue to develop over time.
Located about 30km east of Cairns in Gunggandji Sea Country, Fitzroy Island is where reef restoration started on the Great Barrier Reef with our first ocean-based coral nursery on 7 December 2017.
Fitzroy Island is a large tropical island with rainforest covering and its own fringing coral reef system. The island has a total area of 339 hectares (838 acres). The island’s highest point is 269 metres (883′) above sea level. It’s a beautiful place, and we love working there.
Installing a nursery at Hastings Reef was an important milestone, signifying the program’s expansion after one year of operation. And importantly, the development was a well-known outer reef and high-value tourism destination.
Hastings Reef is situated within a Marine National Park Zone (Green Zone), which means only non-extractive activities are permitted. It is located about 50km northeast of Cairns in Yirrganydji (Irukandji) Sea Country and is a popular site for marine tourism with several permits allocated.
Our nursery was installed on 12 December 2018 with the generous assistance of our partner, Seastar Cruises, another enduring relationship.
During the later stages of 2021, we added a new partnership with Reef Experience to our operation at Hastings Reef.
Moore Reef is probably the most visited reef in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Situated about 50km due east of Cairns in Gunggandji Sea Country, Moore Reef is a biologically important source for nearby reefs.
A non-extractive Marine National Park Zone, Moore Reef is more than 2,500 hectares and has just three pontoon sites.
Our first nursery at Moore Reef completes the combination of outer reef sites with different characteristics, enabling us to continue to explore every angle for improvement to our methods for the best results for the reef.
The operation at Moore Reef would not be possible without the unwavering support of Sunlover Cruises. Their large vessel, frequent trips, and big pontoon to work from makes this partnership critical to the success that we are building in our Reef Recovery Program on the Great Barrier Reef.
