The following update on Norfolk Island’s rescue turtle, Doris, was released by Australian Marine Parks on 7 November 2022. For more information on Doris follow the hashtag #operationdoris.
Read MoreDoris in her rehab tank
Norfolk Island's Blenny Fest
At this time of year, as the mating season begins, the delightful little Lady Musgrave blennies, Cirripectes chelomatus, change colour from dark inky blue black with a few barely visible red spots to a showy and vibrant mustard yellow.
Read MoreA flatworm, Pseudobiceros sp, dining on the tunicates
Sea squirts – friend or foe?
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 MoreDoris, a young green sea turtle, in a bad way
#OperationDoris – green sea turtle rescue
One of our Norfolk Island turtles was covered in an unsightly algal growth. Not just her shell but over her eyes and her flippers too. I could see she needed help, but we had no facilities to nurse a sick turtle; however, with a strong community behind us, and plenty of caring people, this is just what we did. This is how #operationdoris unfolded.
Read MoreCorals found in the lagoons of Norfolk Island
First records of coral spawning on Norfolk Island
There were three confirmed coral spawning events on Norfolk Island’s coral reef during the 2021–2022 season. The evidence for these has now been published in Galaxea, Journal of Coral Reef Studies. Written by Professor Andrew Baird, chief investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, I am very kindly cited as a co-author because of my observations of these events. Read here to find out more.
Read MoreSurge wrasse – Thalassoma purpureum
No, it's not a parrotfish!
Wrasse and parrotfish often get confused, but they each have quite differen roles to play on our reefs. Parrotfish are vital to the health of coral reefs. They clean up the surface algae that live on and compete with the coral. Read more to find out how they differ.
Read MoreSea cucumber, class Holothuroidea
Heroes of the beach – sea cucumbers
The beautiful sand of Emily Bay, Norfolk Island, didn’t get there by accident. It is the direct result of the hard pooping work of generations of marine animals, including parrotfish and sea cucumbers. This post takes a closer look at sea cucumbers and their role in the coral reef’s ecosystem.
Read MoreEmily Bay: Paragoniastrea australensis, also known as the lesser star coral, is a species of stony corals in the family Merulinidae. It occurs in shallow water in the Indo-Pacific region. (Source Wikipedia)
The ancient massives!
We have some beauties when it comes to brain corals inside our lagoons. They are quite amazing, and a hugely important part of a healthy reef. Here’s the low down!
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The Norfolk chromis, or Chromis norfolkensis
Norfolk chromis, the kissing fish
Norfolk Island now has a new species of fish. What was once classified as Chromis fumea has been recognised as a separate species, Chromis norfolkensis.
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Tonna melanostoma
Citizen science in action on Norfolk Island
My photos of the Tonna melanostoma, a giant underwater mollusc, are the only ones of the live animal in the public domain. We are so fortunate to have these special and rare creatures living in our coral-reef lagoons; their existence here serves to highlight what a special habitat Norfolk Island’s reef really is. It is an ecosystem that must be preserved at all costs.
Read MoreIsland Sea Star - Astrostole rodolphi
Sea stars? Starfish? What’s the difference?
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!
Read MoreRemnant reef overgrown with algae, 31 January 2022, Emily Bay, Norfolk Island
Come on in. The water's fine ...
As Costa Georgiadis says, nature tells the truth, and we must only look at our reef on Norfolk Island to know its truth. We, as custodians, have not been caring enough for it and now that carelessness is coming home to roost.
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The Great Big Coral Spawn Myth
The mass spawning coral myth, debunked: coral mass spawning has captured the imagination of the public, while some of the coverage in the media has cemented a number of myths surrounding the event. The most pervasive being that mass spawning only occurs on one night each year. Not true! Read more here.
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Old Gnarly the swal doodle, Emily Bay, Norfolk Island
Old Gnarly, the swal doodle
When I’m out on my swim, one guy I always stop by and say hello to is Old Gnarly, a spotted porcupinefish known here as a swal doodle. He knows when I arrive. The first thing you see are his big luminescent white lips as he floats to the door of his cave. We pause, study each other for a moment, then I give him the thumbs up before continuing my swim. It is a precious moment when you connect with a wild animal like this, and it makes my day.
Read MorePink coral spawn floating on the surface of Emily Bay, Norfolk Island, 28 December 2021
Coral spawning, Norfolk Island 2021
Out on a swim on the morning of 27 December 2021, the mood was palpably different. Call me fanciful, but I immediately noticed a frisson of excitement among the fish. Lots of activity and agitation. And all kinds of slightly unusual observations. The annual coral spawning here on Norfolk Island had begun.
Read MoreStylocheilus striatus – commonly called the lined sea hare, blue ring sea hare or furry sea hare
Furry sea hares as eco-warriors
Stylocheilus striatus – commonly called the lined sea hare, blue ring sea hare or furry sea hare – have appeared in numbers at one end of the shallows of Emily Bay. These little sea hares are great to have around as they consume the toxic blue-green alga that fish and other herbivores don’t or can’t eat or tolerate.
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#LittleFig, my puppa, following me in for a swim at Cemetery Bay, the island’s dog beach.
Penis fencing flatworms
Here’s a quick round up of what has been happening on Norfolk Island’s reef in the last couple of weeks. There is always so much going on. Read on to find out about the mating habits of flatworms, and see a busy bluestreak cleaner wrasse hard at work cleaning his wide variety of customers.
Read MoreSurge wrasse - Thalassoma purpureum
Nuptial colouration in blennies
Warmer water and some behavioural changes: some fish are getting their nuptial colours on, while others have started incubating eggs in their mouth. It is all happening ‘out on a swim’. Catch up on the last week in Norfolk Island’s lagoons here.
Read MoreBubble-tip anemone
Turtles and snake eels
Emily Bay never fails to lift my spirits. Today in my ‘Out on a Swim’ blog, I talk about our beautiful, elegant snake eels. We have at least three different species. I also saw my elusive spotfin squirrelfish, and our two resident green sea turtles snoozing next to each other. Naawww!
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Full moon rising over our home on Norfolk Island, #DownArthurs
September full moon on Norfolk Island
The full moon last night brought us some beautiful, settled weather, right on cue, which meant I was able to get out into Slaughter Bay for the first time in ages. Click here to read what was happening in the coral reef lagoons of Norfolk Island.
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