Rebels to the Coral Reef Cause (Part 4)

Originally appeared in Dr Jennifer Marohasy's Website

It was so cold and rainy in Cairns on Tuesday, but it didn’t stop us getting on a cruise boat and going out to Moore Reef, which is part of the Great Barrier Reef. We went on the Sunlover day cruise with about 310 other paying customers.

Peter Ridd with me and some of the participants in the IPA’s new Reef Rebels program.

It was blowing a gale and the rain was relentless, but it didn’t stop us getting into the water and seeing some corals and fishes.

Me, climbing down from the pontoon on Tuesday.

Less than 5% of the corals that I saw exhibited colourful fluorescing, which is a form of bleaching. There were so many fish and between us we saw three different species of anemone fish/clown fish.

Did you know there is such a thing as a tomato clown fish – its Latin name is Amphiprion frenatus. We also saw the dusky clown fish – Amphiprion melanopus. But the only one that I have a photograph of from Tuesday is the clown fish known as the pink skunk – Amphiprion perideraion.

This photograph of two pink skunk clown fish, and the feature image at top, where taken on Tuesday 5th July under the water at Moore Reef, off Cairns.

If you've enjoyed reading this article from the Institute of Public Affairs, please consider supporting us by becoming a member or making a donation. It is with your support that we are securing freedom for the future.

JOIN DONATE