Leonard Lim’s exquisite photo of John Brewer Reef – Are you enjoying it?

Originally Posted at Jennifer Marohasy’s Blog

Jennifer Marohasy,

The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) has been tasked with reporting on the health of corals and coral cover. They surveyed John Brewer Reef in March, did not mention any coral bleaching in their report and claimed coral cover of only 21.8%. No picture.

Underwater photographer Leonard Lim visited the same reef a month later and his exceptional underwater photos reveal a coral wonderland with over 100% coral covering much of it The top of the reef extends for nearly 5 km. At the top of the reef, many different types of coral compete for light – often growing on top of each other. It would be unreasonable to assume that there is only 21.8% coral cover here.

The AIMS falsely reported that coral cover at John Brewer was only 21.8% when surveying only the circumference of the reef. Having the methodology is absurd, and it avoids habitats with most coral cover.

Anyone serious about accurately reporting coral cover at John Brewer Reef will swim around the perimeter and also at the top where most of the coral is – here’s what photographer Leonard Lim did .

Each photo of Leonard Lim is a work of art, and also an accurate depiction of the reef in its time. From Leonard Lim’s photo we can see how coral cover varies with different reef habitats as well as the form of different coral species. They have a flat top on top of the reef, where sea level is the limit for growth. Around the perimeter corals are sparser and higher.

There is such diversity and beauty in this reef. However, the New York Times is covering the sixth major coral bleaching event, and The Guardian is explaining that John Brewer Reef is at the center of it all. These news feeds for millions are being led by taxpayer-funded activists at leading Australian research institutions including the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) whose primary display purpose is to determine coral cover by reporting it to one decimal place (21.8%) while in just a small print it is explained that they only surveyed the circumference of the reef.

Then of course Terry Hughes from James Cook University. He was candid about his reasons for lamenting the beauty of this wonderland. Last year, he went on national radio to say that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Area deserves a UN downgrade because he doesn’t like Australia’s climate change policies.

Columnist Fran Kelly made the very sensible remark that a list should have something to do with actual impacts.

‘… If we look at it more broadly, Terry, I mean, if the effects of climate change are used as an excuse to justify an endangered list, then every coral reef, must therefore be listed as dangerous because climate change is an issue [all over the world]. Any World Heritage Site affected in any way by climate change must be listed as endangered. Is that a reasonable extension of this? ‘

The University professor responded very politically.

‘Not really. There are 29 World Heritage Sites with coral reefs. Four of them are in Australia. But the other countries responsible for those World Heritage properties have much better climate policies [not necessarily better reefs] than Australia. Australia is still refusing to register for a net zero target by 2050, which makes it the exception. And I think this UNESCO draft decision is looking to Australia and saying, If you’re serious about saving the Great Barrier Reef, you need to do something about your climate policies. ‘

Everyone claims to want to save the Great Barrier Reef but very few take the time to visit it. Professor Hughes flew over it at an altitude of 150 meters and recorded the state of the coral through the window of the plane. I suppose it’s impossible to know their true health from this height. Surely to see the exquisite beauty captured so perfectly by photographer Leonard Lim, it is necessary to go underwater.

One of the most beautiful and biodiverse ecosystems on Earth is being misreported as dying.

It is clear from the photographs by Leonard Lim and in the upcoming feature-length documentary by Stuart Ireland that there are bleached corals at John Brewer Reef and many of the corals are fluorescing as a form of bleaching.

The brightest pink and purple corals expelled their symbiotic algae and increased their natural pigment levels. This fluorescence occurs at the end of the season. These same corals will likely be filled with new algae, with new animals (Zooxanthellae) within a few months. Corals change color naturally over the course of a year although it is rare to see such a large number of luminescence. This was last observed at the Great Barrier Reef in 1998 and 2017.

Coral bleaching was reported during the first scientific expedition to the Great Barrier Reef made by the Royal Society in 1929. There are pictures of coral bleaching was observed in 1867 by Eugen von Ransonnet from a diving bell in the Red Sea.

Also, with me over 12^order April is Stuart Ireland’s underwater cinematographer. He’s currently editing a feature-length documentary that shows not only the corals we swam through, but cheeky clownfish, clouds of blue chromis and a reef shark friendly white. I saw the meter-long Maori wrasse, tiny sea cucumbers and speckled sweet lips – all swimming in the warm clear waters of this most wondrous reef, one of thousands including the Great Barrier Reef, remains one of the great wonders of the world.

My visits this week (Sunday 10^order and Tuesday the 12th^order April 2022) has been sorted through Diving & Snorkeling Adrenalinand I’m already planning my next trip with Paul in October.

All of my research is funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation through the Institute of Public Affairs.