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.
The Great Barrier Reef is about to give birth! Once a year, on just a few nights, over 150 species of corals along the Great Barrier Reef give birth during the biggest orgy on the planet! This extraordinary mass reproductive event is unparalleled anywhere on earth. Corals need exactly the right conditions (sea temperature, tides, time of day) to spawn, and mass spawning usually occurs 4-6 nights after the full moon in November. This year, because the full moon occurs so early in the month, scientists predict it will occur between the 6th and 8th November, with a potential second (split) spawning in early December. Don’t miss your chance to witness this incredible event: 
1st November marks the official start of the Stinger Season when swimmers and divers need to take precautions against Box Jelly and Irukandji stings. Young box jellies grow up in the creeks all around northern Australia, and begin to turn up along our beaches when heavy rains flush them out of the creeks and along the coastline. They are active swimmers but are mainly found close to the coast along our beaches and fringing reefs. At this time of year, swimmers should only swim in the stinger nets put up on popular North Queensland beaches (from Cooktown down to Rockhampton) and wear a stinger suit or wetsuit for protection when snorkelling or diving. 
