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WHATS NEW: We have given our show a face lift. New photos and for the first time video has been added. Now, together with the real life specimens of coral and fish the show really brings the Reef to life. Also check out our new look website with loads of information: www.reefteach.com.au. You can also follow us on Twitter: @reefteach.

The start of winter is a very exciting time on the Great Barrier Reef with the arrival of the whales. The Reef is home to nearly 30 species of marine mammals. The whales of particular interest at this time of year are the Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and the Dwarf Minke Whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata subsp.).

Photograph by Matt Curnock from the Dwarke Minke Whale Project

Photograph by Gareth Phillips from Reef Teach

To read the entire newsletter click here now

Continue reading »]]> If you’ve been to the Reef Teach show, you’ll know a bit about the impact of plastic and other garbage on marine life. Plastic doesn’t biodegrade, but it does photodegrade, breaking down into smaller and smaller, but just as toxic particles, which are consumed by marine life mistaking it for food. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates it is killing more than a million seabirds, and over 100,000 other marine animals (including sharks, dolphins, whales and sea turtles) every year, and that there are on average 46,000 pieces of plastic in every square kilometre of the world’s oceans!

Where does it all come from? From us! When we use plastic bags that get blown away or accidentally let go of the string on a balloon. When we open the car or train door and the empty food wrapper or water bottle falls out. When we lose a net or line overboard and don’t retrieve it. It comes from our towns and cities and highways and boats.

Where does it go? It gets washed up on beaches where there are on-shore currents, creating an unsightly mess that deters tourists and decreases the nesting success of turtles and bird life. It gets caught up in ocean currents where it circles endlessly, slowly breaking down into smaller particles. It gets eaten by marine life.

Have you heard about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Over many years, plastics have been accumulating in the North East Pacific, trapped by the currents of the North Pacific Gyre. The location of this floating garbage patch shifts with the currents and estimates of its area vary greatly, but some suggest that is 3 times the size of Spain & Portgual, twice the size of Texas, or about the size of Queensland. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to accurately measure it.

It’s easy to point fingers and blame other people, other nations, but it is encouraging to see that many businesses, cities, states and countries are starting to take responsibility for this problem and ban the use of plastic bags.

Bangladesh was the first country to ban plastic bags in 2002. Coles Bay in Tasmania became Australia’s first plastic-bag free town in 2003. South Australia banned plastic bags at checkouts in 2008 - that’s around 400 million less plastic bags every year. Several countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe, have either banned plastic bags outright or introduced restrictions or taxes on their use. In 2008 China banned plastic bags being given away free in shops, and introduced a ban on manufacture of plastic bags under 0.025mm in thickness. The same year, San Francisco became the first city in the US to outlaw plastic bags in supermarkets. New York, Toronto, and London are considering similar measures.

There is still much more that we can do to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in our oceans. But each of us can make a decision, every day… not to use plastic bags, not to drink bottled water, not to drop litter. To reduce, recycle, reuse! 

If we haven’t convinced you yet, or you’re having trouble persuading your friends / family / work mates / room mates… have a look at this slideshow from the Pocono Record in the US.

Or join a cause like Stop Plastic Pollution: The Great Garbage Patch on Facebook. Inspire yourself and others by reading about The Plastiki Expedition – a journey from San Francisco to Sydney in a boat made out of recycled plastic bottles or Plastic Manners - one woman’s attempt to spend a year without plastic!

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May we present one of the most intelligent animals on the planet… the OCTOPUS! These amazing molluscs are remarkable escape artists: capable of changing their colour and texture and squeezing into the smallest gaps to camofluage themselves; squirting ink into the face of potential predators to mask themselves and their scent while they make their escape. They are capable of recognising colours and shapes, working out problems, finding their way through mazes, and even remembering a sequence of events… and now scientists have recorded octopii using coconut shells as tools! They are truly extraordinary animals! Read the story and watch the video by clicking on the photo.

Continue reading »]]> Just $18 for adults, $9 for children and $45 for families (2ad, 2ch)

A unique experience to help you get the most out of your visit to the Great Barrier Reef.   Learn what to look for, where to find it and how to discover as mach as possible!  Reef Teach is staffed by qualified marine biologists and conservationists, who aim to educate, inspire and enthuse visitors to the Great Barrier Reef about this unique and incredible place.

Reef Teach presentations are held each evening from 6.30pm – 8.30pm (except Sunday and Monday).  Admission is just $18 for adults, $9 for children 14 & under and $45 families (2ad, 2ch).

Free: Fish and coral identification sheets, tea, coffee, Milo and the best chocolate biscuits in town!

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enrich your Great Barrier Reef experience.

Book Now!!

Email learn@reefteach.com.au
Phone: 07 4031 7794

Continue reading »]]> When you think about the impact of climate change on the reef, you probably think about coral bleaching. Few people have heard about ocean acidification, but for many marine scientists this is an even more worrying issue… just harder to explain because you can’t see the impacts as easily as you can see bleached coral.

However, Acid Test, a new documentary starring Sigourney Weaver, produced by the National Resources Defence Council (NRDC) explains ocean acidification in terms we can all understand.

You’ve probably heard about how the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide (CO²)? Well, this comes at a cost - ocean acidification. As CO² is absorbed by the ocean, it increases the acidity of the water (lowering the pH value). Ocean pH has been relatively stable for 20 million years, but has risen dramatically (30%) in the last 250 years. This increasing acidity reduces the amount of carbonate atoms in the water which marine animals likes corals, shells, crustaceans and zooplankton need to absorb to create their protective external skeletons (made of calcium carbonate, or limestone).

This means that e.g. corals grow more slowly, and the skeletons of many animals are thinner and more fragile (effectively the marine equivalent of osteoporosis), providing them with less protection. Ever visited a limestone cave? Then you’ll have witnessed how the acidity of rainwater gradually dissolves limestone. Scientists believe that the “tipping point” for reefs – when the rate of erosion begins to outstrip growth – could be as soon as 2050… within many of our lifetimes.

This will have global implications for marine ecosystems and for the millions of people that rely on coral reefs (and marine life in general) for income (from tourism and fishing), coastal protection (healthy reefs offer coastlines protection from storm surges and tsunamis) and protein – not just the crabs and lobsters we enjoy in fancy restaurants but for the 350 million people in developing countries who depend on coral reefs to provide their only source of protein. Ocean acidification not only threatens to disrupt the marine food web, but to bring hardship to millions of people around the world.

To learn more about ocean acidification and its potential impact, look at:

• Ocean Acidification: The Other CO²Problem pages on the NRDC website
• or download the NRDC factsheet in PDF format
• watch the Acid Test documentary.

Continue reading »]]> Coral Spawning Update

We anticipated a split spawning this year (because the full moon was so early in November), and we’ve got one. Initially, conditions looked good for the coral to spawn in November, but a change in the weather brought rougher and cooler conditions than expected, and although a few corals went ahead and spawned anyway, most held back. This means you have another chance to catch them in flagrante! If you’re feeling voyeuristic, and want to get in on the act, contact Deep Sea Divers Den (Tel: 07-4046-7333) or Tusa Dive (Tel: 07-4047-9100) who are running coral spawning trips on:

Sunday 6 / Monday 7 / Tuesday 8 December