Tuesday 18 June Lizard Island Research Station

The Museum of Australia (in Sydney) maintain a marine research centre on the eastern side of the island. A visit had been arranged so we tagged along. It's a forty minute walk across the low part of the island following the airstrip and then the sand track from airstrip to centre. Like we saw in Orpheus island a couple of weeks ago this centre welcomes visiting scientists and students from across the world. We met a couple of Canadians who'd set up an experiment to see if fish usually found in slack water areas of the reef could adapt and develop into fitter stronger fish if raised in faster flowing water and visa versa. Take fish from turbulent water areas of the reef and put them into no current situation. Do they grow fat and lazy? There must be a commercial advantage to discovering and answer because they had a grant.

fish training pools

On a more obvious level there was also research on the insidious Crown of Thorns starfish which in plague years can destroy vast swathes of reef as they eat the protective algae. Injecting with chloride sulphate(?) aka pool cleaner is the most effective method currently in use. One of the permanent staff gave us a very interesting tour and pointed out best places for snorkelling on their side of the island. I did snorkel later and it is very healthy reef with a mix of soft and hard corals and plenty of fish. It's so nice to have clear water for a change – something that's been missing for much of this trip up the GBR (Gt Barrier Reef).