‘Out on a swim’ is a coral reef blog that tells the stories of the characters who live under the waves and what has caught my eye when ‘out on a swim’ in the lagoons of Norfolk Island. It is also a record of the difficulties Norfolk Island’s reef faces, like many others around the world, as a result of the poor water quality that has been allowed to flow onto it.
This page shows the most recent blog posts. For the complete catalogue, visit the ‘Out on a swim index’ page.
This blog is rated in the Top 20 Coral Reef Blogs in the world.
A flatworm, Pseudobiceros sp, dining on the tunicates
Emily Bay and Slaughter Bay have recently experienced a significant increase in the numbers of overgrowing tunicates. In this post I take a look at these critters – which, incredibly, are distant cousins to humans – and ask some questions about their presence and impact on our coral reef ecosystem.
Read MoreIsland Sea Star - Astrostole rodolphi
Marine scientists have been giving these underwater stars an image makeover. The starfish of our childhoods, for those of you who have a few beachside summers under your beach towel, is now more properly known as a sea star. They have seawater for blood, two stomachs, no brain, and tiny ‘eyes’ at the end of each arm!
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