95-704: Lizard Island , also known as Jiigurru or Dyiigurra , is an island on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland , Australia, 1,624-kilometre (1,009 mi) northwest of Brisbane . It is part of the Lizard Island Group that also includes Palfrey Island , and also part of the Lizard Island National Park . Lizard Island is within the locality of Lizard in the Cook Shire . The traditional owners of
190-472: A "long-term reorganisation of the reef ecosystem if the trend continues." The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (section 54) stipulates an Outlook Report on the Reef's health, pressures, and future every five years. The last report was published in 2019. In March 2022, another mass bleaching event has been confirmed, which raised further concerns about the future of this reef system, especially when considering
285-510: A "shark control" program ( shark culling ) that deliberately kills sharks throughout Queensland, including in the Great Barrier Reef. Environmentalists and scientists say that this program harms the marine ecosystem ; they also say it is "outdated, cruel and ineffective". The Queensland "shark control" program uses shark nets and drum lines with baited hooks to kill sharks in the Great Barrier Reef – there are 173 lethal drum lines in
380-512: A ceremonial ground reserved for adult men. The visiting men attacked, killing Ah Leung and wounding Ah Sam. After the attack, accompanied by her child and Ah Sam, Mary attempted to flee to the mainland in an iron boiling tank used for boiling sea cucumber, a large rectangular tub. The vessel floated away from the coast and all three died of thirst nine days later on the waterless No 5 Howick Island . Their bodies were found three months later along with Mary Watson's diary. The boiling tank can be seen in
475-581: A depth of 150 metres (490 ft) due to their need for sunlight, and cannot grow above sea level. When Queensland edged into tropical waters 24 million years ago, some coral grew, but a sedimentation regime quickly developed with erosion of the Great Dividing Range ; creating river deltas , oozes and turbidites , unsuitable conditions for coral growth. 10 million years ago, the sea level significantly lowered, which further enabled sedimentation. The reef's substrate may have needed to build up from
570-506: A disease of bony corals caused by the protozoan Halofolliculina corallasia , affects 31 coral species. According to a 2012 study by the National Academy of Sciences , since 1985, the Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half of its corals with two-thirds of the loss occurring from 1998 due to the factors listed before. In 2022, the northern and central parts of the reef had the highest amount of coral cover since monitoring began, but
665-450: A doubling of the chlorophyll in the water leads to a tenfold increase in the crown-of-thorns starfish larvae's survival rate. Sediment runoff from farming carries chemicals into the reef environment also reduces the amount of light available to the corals decreasing their ability to extract energy from their environment. Pesticides used in farming are made up of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic and other toxins are released into
760-499: A draft decision, expressing serious concern about the impact of coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef. The draft decision also warned Australia that it will not meet the targets of the Reef 2050 report without considerable work to improve water quality. Climate change has implications for other forms of reef life – some fish's preferred temperature range leads them to seek new habitat, thus increasing chick mortality in predatory seabirds. Climate change will also affect
855-486: A lawsuit against the government of Queensland to stop shark culling in the Great Barrier Reef. In March 2015, the Australian and Queensland's governments formed a plan for the protection and preservation of the reef's universal heritage until 2050. This 35 years plan, titled "Reef 2050 Plan" is a document proposing possible measures for the long-term management of the pollution, climate change and other issues that threaten
950-411: A rate of about 0.1 per decade this century. The acidic water breaks down the materials that coral and shell building creatures need to grow. Another key threat faced by the Great Barrier Reef is pollution and declining water quality . The rivers of north-eastern Australia pollute the Reef during tropical flood events. Over 90% of this pollution comes from farm runoff . 80% of the land adjacent to
1045-665: A representative of the Dingaal people, Johnathan Charlie, began excavating a new trench 2 m (6 ft 7 in) east of Mills trench. This new trench was 60 cm (24 in) x 40 cm (16 in) x 140 cm (55 in), and showed six layers of stratigraphy similar to Mills trench. There were recovered pieces of quartz, granite, and pumice discovered from the basal levels of layer number 6, which using radiocarbon dating were dated to be from 3815-3571 cal BP to 3206-2959 cal BP. In 2006, New Zealand archaeologist Matthew Felgate found pottery in an intertidal zone by chance when he
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#17330859209331140-427: A team including Kenneth McLean, chair of Walmbaar Aboriginal Corporation, and other members of the Dingaal and Ngurrumungu communities, that excavated several more pieces of pottery from the site in 2009, 2010, and 2012. Initial analysis showed local materials were used in the manufacture. However, the age of the pottery could not be established. The Ulm team revisited Jiigurru and excavated a shell midden not far from
1235-583: A wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labelled it one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World in 1997. Australian World Heritage places included it in its list in 2007. The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland in 2006. A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park , which helps to limit
1330-609: Is Cook's Look, 370 m (1,210 ft) above sea level. It is a continental island , once around 20 km (12 mi) inland and separated after the post- Pleistocene flooding, around 7000 years ago. It was created mostly by an orogenic pluton of porphyritic biotite and muscovite , formed during the Permian age around 300 million years ago. There are many beaches on the island, including Mangrove Beach, Freshwater Beach (also known as One Tree Coconut Beach), Watson's Beach, and Casuarina Beach. The oldest occupation layers on
1425-473: Is a distinct feature of the East Australian Cordillera division. It reaches from Torres Strait (between Bramble Cay , its northernmost island, and the south coast of Papua New Guinea ) in the north to the unnamed passage between Lady Elliot Island (its southernmost island) and Fraser Island in the south. Lady Elliot Island is located 1,915 km (1,190 mi) southeast of Bramble Cay as
1520-485: Is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating over AUD$ 3 billion per year. In November 2014, Google launched Google Underwater Street View in 3D of the Great Barrier Reef. A March 2016 report stated that coral bleaching was more widespread than previously thought, seriously affecting
1615-570: Is also part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park , administered jointly by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency . Permits are required for all manipulative research in the Lizard Island Group and the waters surrounding it. Lizard Island has a number of heritage-listed sites, including Mrs Watson's Cottage As the sea level rose in
1710-468: Is an expert in radiocarbon dating. The significance of the study lies in the fact that it is the first pottery in Australia to have been found and reliably dated, and that it shows that the people of Australia were not geographically isolated, but involved with other seafaring peoples. There is conclusive evidence that the pottery is not of Lapita origin, and it is also proof of continuous seasonal occupation of
1805-460: Is expected to become an annual occurrence. In 2020, a study found that the Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half of its corals since 1995 due to warmer seas driven by climate change. As global warming continues, corals will not be able to keep up with increasing ocean temperatures. Coral bleaching events lead to increased disease susceptibility, which causes detrimental ecological effects for reef communities. In July 2017 UNESCO published in
1900-565: Is how they've collected much of their data regarding threats to the Great Barrier Reef. In addition, the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan was announced in 2018 in order to help transition local communities, agricultural organizations and industries to more sustainable practices. This plan will join the Queensland government and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to manage the amounts of runoff that reach
1995-488: Is located in the Coral Sea , off the coast of Queensland , Australia , separated from the coast by a channel 160 kilometres (100 mi) wide in places and over 61 metres (200 ft) deep. The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps . It supports
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#17330859209332090-450: Is located in the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef, 27 km (17 mi) directly off the mainland, north of Cooktown and Cape Flattery . It is a granite island about 10 km (3.9 sq mi) in size, with three smaller islands nearby (Palfrey, South and Bird). Together these islands form the Lizard Island Group, and their well-developed fringing reef encircles the 10-metre (33 ft) deep Blue Lagoon. The highest point
2185-759: Is rarely seen. Green marine turtles ( Chelonia mydas ) and loggerhead marine turtles ( Caretta caretta ) can be seen nesting on the island in the summer and are often spotted in the shallow water. There are over 40 species of birds that reside on or visit Lizard Island. Only about 20 species nest on the island, including terns . The island is home to many land and sea birds including the bar-shouldered dove ( Geopelia humeralis ) , pheasant coucal ( Centropus phasianinus ), yellow-bellied sunbird ( Nectarinia jugularis ), white-bellied sea-eagle ( Haliaeetus leucogaster ), and osprey ( Pandion cristatus ). Seasonal birds such as white-tailed tropicbird ( Phaethon lepturus ) and dollarbird ( Eurystomus orientalis ) also appear on
2280-399: Is thought that the poor water quality is due to increased light and oxygen competition from algae . Farming fertiliser runoff release nitrogen , phosphorus , and potassium into the oceanic ecosystem, and these limiting nutrients cause massive algal growth which eventually leads to a reduction in oxygen available for other creatures in a process called eutrophication . This decreases
2375-492: The Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The first European to sight the Great Barrier Reef was James Cook in 1770, who sailed and mapped the east coast of Australia. On 11 June 1770 Cook's ship, HMS Endeavour , ran aground on a shoal south of the present-day location of Cooktown , requiring seven weeks to repair. It
2470-627: The Australian Museum . It continues to be operated by the museum, providing research and education facilities for those interested in studying coral reefs. LIRS is part of the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI), headed by Kris Helgen. As of November 2024, Anne Hoggett and Lyle Vail are co-directors of LIRS. As a result of research conducted at the station, about 1,000 scientific publications had been produced by Australian and international researchers as of 2008. On
2565-720: The Coral Sea Basin formed, coral reefs began to grow in the Basin, but until about 25 million years ago, northern Queensland was still in temperate waters south of the tropics – too cool to support coral growth. The Great Barrier Reef's development history is complex; after Queensland drifted into tropical waters, it was largely influenced by reef growth and decline as sea level changed. Reefs can increase in diameter by 1 to 3 centimetres (0.39 to 1.18 in) per year, and grow vertically anywhere from 1 to 25 cm (0.39 to 9.84 in) per year; however, they grow only above
2660-410: The Coral Sea and is situated about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south-east of Cape Melville . The area of the island is approximately 480 hectares (1,200 acres). The island group was named by Lieutenant Charles Jeffreys RN, captain of HMS Kangaroo , in 1815, possibly after Sir Charles Grey, Viscount Howick , a soldier. Ion Idriess ' first novel, Madman's Island , was published in 1927 and
2755-522: The Great Barrier Reef Foundation in 2018. The announcement of the grant was subject to backlash as the grant had avoided proper tender and transparency processes. The Great Barrier Reef contributes to the overall wellbeing of the marine biome. Numerous species of aquatic plants, fish and megafauna use the reef for feeding, shelter and mating. Threats such as ocean acidification , pollution runoff and outbreaks of destructive species like
2850-437: The Great Dividing Range with some larger hills (most of which were themselves remnants of older reefs or, in rare cases, volcanoes ). The Reef Research Centre, a Cooperative Research Centre , has found coral 'skeleton' deposits that date back half a million years. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) considers the earliest evidence of complete reef structures to have been 600,000 years ago. According to
2945-581: The Ok Tedi Mine in Papua New Guinea are a potential pollution risk for the far northern Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait regions. Some 67% of corals died in the reef's worst-hit northern section, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies report said. The runoff problem is exacerbated by the loss of coastal wetlands which act as a natural filter for toxins and help deposit sediment. It
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3040-521: The Queensland Museum , and the State Library of Queensland holds two diaries by Mrs Watson. One is about her last nine months on Lizard Island, and the other comprises notes documenting her last days. In retaliation to the attack, a punitive expedition was mounted against Aboriginal peoples, and many innocent Aboriginal people were massacred in retribution, a part which has often been left out of
3135-438: The coastal dune there is strand vegetation. The waters around the island contain a number of coral reefs. Climate change is causing the reefs to suffer coral bleaching , in the summer of early 2024 over 97% of some reefs around the island died. As of 2009 there were 11 species of lizards on the island. The most commonly found lizard is the yellow-spotted monitor ( Varanus panoptes ). Skinks and geckos are among some of
3230-576: The crown-of-thorns starfish have brought about the decline of this ecosystem. These threats to the reef are not only a danger to the organisms inhabiting it, but also the economy of this region, a large part of which relies on revenue from ecotourism of the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian government has had the goal of protecting this World Heritage Site since 1972 when they created The Australian Institute of Marine Science. The Australian and Queensland governments have contributed about $ 142.5 million to their National Environmental Science Program which
3325-428: The olive ridley . The green sea turtles on the Great Barrier Reef have two genetically distinct populations , one in the northern part of the reef and the other in the southern part. Fifteen species of seagrass in beds attract the dugongs and turtles, and provide fish habitat. The most common genera of seagrasses are Halophila and Halodule . Saltwater crocodiles live in mangrove and salt marshes on
3420-581: The "Guugu Yimidhirr Warra Nation" extend from Lizard Island to the Hope Vale region. The website "Dingaals Lizard Island" states that the island has been in the custodianship of the Dingaal people for thousands of years. According to the Cairns Institute and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service , the Dingaal people are the traditional owners of the Lizard Island group. As of April 2024 the senior elder of
3515-675: The Dingaals is Gordon Charlie. The Dingaal believed that the Lizard group of islands had been created in the Dreamtime . They saw it as a stingray , with Lizard Island being the body and the other islands in the group forming the tail. The island has along been regarded as a sacred place, used for ceremonies and trading. Pottery found on the island has been dated at more than 1,800 years old, showing that pots were most likely made by Aboriginal people using locally-sourced materials. The 2024 study showed that
3610-555: The GBRMPA, the current, living reef structure is believed to have begun growing on the older platform about 20,000 years ago. The Australian Institute of Marine Science agrees, placing the beginning of the growth of the current reef at the time of the Last Glacial Maximum . At around that time, sea level was 120 metres (390 ft) lower than it is today. From 20,000 years ago until 6,000 years ago, sea level rose steadily around
3705-559: The Great Barrier Reef as well as mitigating crown-of-thorns starfish population flare-ups. Howick Island The Howick Island is the southernmost and a now uninhabited island in the Howick group that is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Far North Queensland , Australia. It fell within the territory of the Ithu people in pre-colonial times. The island is located in
3800-482: The Great Barrier Reef can be found in The Kimberley , Western Australia. The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area has been divided into 70 bioregions , of which 30 are reef bioregions. In the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef, ribbon reefs and deltaic reefs have formed; these structures are not found in the rest of the reef system. A previously undiscovered reef, 500 metres tall and 1.5 km wide at
3895-490: The Great Barrier Reef in warm waters up to 50 metres (160 ft) deep and are more common in the southern than in the northern section. None found in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area are endemic, nor are any endangered. Six species of sea turtles come to the reef to breed: the green sea turtle , leatherback sea turtle , hawksbill turtle , loggerhead sea turtle , flatback turtle , and
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3990-403: The Great Barrier Reef is the rising levels of ocean acidification in the ocean. Ocean acidification occurs when excess atmospheric carbon dioxide gets absorbed into the ocean. This causes a decrease in the pH and this alters the chemistry of the ocean's water. This reduces the amount of aragonite, a key mineral for coral to grow, in the water. The Great Barrier Reef is predicted to lose aragonite at
4085-690: The Great Barrier Reef is used for farming including intensive cropping of sugar cane, and major beef cattle grazing. Farming practices damage the reef due to overgrazing , increased run-off of agricultural sediments, nutrients and chemicals including fertilisers , herbicides and pesticides representing a major health risk for the coral and biodiversity of the reefs. According to a 2016 report, while higher regulation contributes to less overall pollution from "other land uses, such as industrial, mining, port development, dredging and urban development", these can still be locally significant. Sediments containing high levels of copper and other heavy metals sourced from
4180-449: The Great Barrier Reef. In Queensland, sharks found alive on the baited hooks are shot. Queensland's "shark control" program killed about 50,000 sharks from 1962 to 2018. Also, Queensland's "shark control" program has also killed many other animals (such as dolphins and turtles ) – the program killed 84,000 marine animals from 1962 to 2015, including in the Great Barrier Reef. In 2018, Humane Society International filed
4275-571: The Island Lizard Island." Cook climbed the peak on Lizard Island to chart a course out to sea through the maze of reefs which confronted him and the island's summit has since been called 'Cook's Look'. By the 1840s, the island was being used by sea cucumber (trepang, or bêche-de-mer ) fishermen who found that the waters contained substantial quantities of the creature which was a popular delicacy in Asia. Scottish naturalist John McGillivray visited
4370-489: The Lizard Island group are the Aboriginal Australian clan known as the Dingaal (or Dingiil) people. Archaeological excavations and studies have shown that human occupation of the island dates to 6510–5790 cal BP , which shows that Jiigurru was the earliest offshore island occupied on the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef. Lizard Island was known as Dyiigurra to the Dingaal people, an Aboriginal clan who have occupied
4465-824: The Mermaid, Francis Price Blackwood in HMS Fly , Owen Stanley in the Rattlesnake, and Henry Mangles Denham in the Herald led to considerable navigational improvements, as they outlined the contrasting advantages and perils of the Inner Route (between Australia's east coast and the western edge of the reefs) and the Outer Route, in the open sea. The Great Barrier Reef supports an extraordinary diversity of life, including many vulnerable or endangered species , some of which may be endemic to
4560-563: The Reef Research Centre (RRC). Outbreaks are believed to occur in natural cycles, worsened by poor water quality and overfishing of the starfish's predators. The unsustainable overfishing of keystone species , such as the giant Triton , can disrupt food chains vital to reef life. Fishing also impacts the reef through increased water pollution from boats, by-catch of unwanted species (such as dolphins and turtles) and habitat destruction from trawling , anchors and nets. As of
4655-403: The base, was found in the northern area in 2020. There are no atolls in the system, and reefs attached to the mainland are rare. Fringing reefs are distributed widely, but are most common towards the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef, attached to high islands, for example, the Whitsunday Islands . Lagoonal reefs are found in the southern Great Barrier Reef, and further north, off
4750-402: The biodiversity in the affected areas, altering the species composition . A study by Katharina Fabricius and Glen Death of Australian Institute of Marine Science found that hard corals numbers were almost double on reefs that were far from agricultural areas. Fertilizers also increase the amount of phytoplankton available for the crown-of-thorns starfish larvae to consume. A study showed that
4845-544: The coast near the reef. Nesting has not been reported, and the salt water crocodile population in the GBRWHA is wide-ranging but low density. Around 125 species of shark , stingray , skates or chimaera live on the reef. Close to 5,000 species of mollusc have been recorded on the reef, including the giant clam and various nudibranchs and cone snails . Forty-nine species of pipefish and nine species of seahorse have been recorded. At least seven species of frog inhabit
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#17330859209334940-569: The coast of Princess Charlotte Bay . Crescentic reefs are the most common shape of reef in the middle of the system, for example the reefs surrounding Lizard Island . Crescentic reefs are also found in the far north of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and in the Swain Reefs ( 20 – 22 degrees south ). Planar reefs are found in the northern and southern parts, near Cape York Peninsula , Princess Charlotte Bay, and Cairns. Most of
5035-422: The cover in the southern part had decreased and bleaching events occurred more frequently. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority considers the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef to be climate change, causing ocean warming which increases coral bleaching . Mass coral bleaching events due to marine heatwaves occurred in the summers of 1998, 2002, 2006, 2016, 2017 and 2020, and coral bleaching
5130-586: The crow flies . It includes the smaller Murray Islands . The plate tectonic theory indicates Australia has moved northwards at a rate of 7 cm (2.8 in) per year, starting during the Cenozoic . Eastern Australia experienced a period of tectonic uplift , which moved the drainage divide in Queensland 400 km (250 mi) inland. Also during this time, Queensland experienced volcanic eruptions leading to central and shield volcanoes and basalt flows. Some of these became volcanic islands . After
5225-454: The earliest evidence of use of an island on the northern Great Barrier Reef. The resulting study, published in April 2024 and involving many scientists, working with traditional owners, determined that sherds found on the island were the oldest securely dated ceramics found in Australia. The data showed that local raw materials were used and that the pottery was made on the island, which showed that
5320-569: The early Holocene , resulting in the isolation of Lizard Island, mangrove forest gradually became established in place of the near-coastal palms and grasses. There are a number of distinct plant communities, mainly Themeda australis and Arundinella nepalensis (a low grass), and some small patches of rainforest and semi-deciduous notophyll (dry rainforest). There is some woodland consisting of mainly Acacia crassicarpa and some Eucalyptus tessellaris , along with shrubs such as Thryptomene oligandra and swamplands of pandanus . Along
5415-578: The impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff of humanmade pollutants, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching , dumping of dredging sludge and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish . According to a study published in October 2012 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ,
5510-613: The island and steadily increased in population until 2012. In 2010, Cape York mosaic-tailed rat ( Melomys capensis ) were spotted in South Island, marked as the first native rodent to the island chain. Aside from the national park, Lizard Island also contains a number of other facilities: Situated on Lizard Island's most westerly point, the Lizard Island Research Station (LIRS) was established in 1973 by ichthyologist and marine biologist Frank Talbot , then director of
5605-473: The island by Aboriginal people. It is not known by newer sherds were not found on that site, and further research is necessary. There has been a paucity of research done on the eastern side of Cape York Peninsula. Lizard Island is within the locality of Lizard in the Cook Shire . Lizard Island National Park is administered by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (Parks and Forests). The island
5700-439: The island date to 6510–5790 cal BP , which shows that Jiigurru was the earliest offshore island occupied on the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef . There are numerous shell middens , stone arrangements, and art sites on the island, showing signs of occupation of the island for thousands of years. In the 1990s, two Aboriginal rock art sites were observed in rockshelters formed by large granite boulders, in which red ochre
5795-478: The island for thousands of years. Today this is usually rendered Jiigurru, and the local people are sometimes referred to as Dingiil. David Horton 's 1996 representation of Norman Tindale 's map shows the lands of the Guugu Yimithirr people extending from south of Hope Vale to an area which covers Lizard Island. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority states on their website that the traditional lands of
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#17330859209335890-595: The island in the Julia Percy in 1861, and wrote that there had been bêche-de-mer vessels operating there from Sydney , Singapore, and Hong Kong for 15 years prior. In 1879, Captain Robert Watson with his wife Mary Watson , two servants and baby son, modified an abandoned cottage left on the island by the crew of the Julia Percy . The ruins are still visible. Captain Watson was a sea cucumber fisherman, and his Mary Watson
5985-530: The island's north western side is an ultra luxury resort owned by Hong Kong listed property company Sea Holdings and operated by Voyages Hotels & Resorts until November 2009, later operated by Delaware North . Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres (1,400 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef
6080-540: The island. Lizard Island is home to a few bat species, but the most common is the Black flying-foxes ( Pteropus alecto ). They typically roam around the island and congregate in the mangroves. Black flying-foxes will fly to the mainland when flowering is poor. Eastern Dusky Leaf-nosed Bat ( Hipposideros ater ) have also been spotted on the island. Until 2009, Lizard Island had no native rodents recorded. In October 2009, water rats ( Hydromys chrysogaster ) were spotted on
6175-405: The islands on the reef are found on planar reefs. Wonky holes can have localised impact on the reef, providing upwellings of fresh water, sometimes rich in nutrients contributing to eutrophication . Navigation through and around the reefs is a major challenge. More than 20 ships were recorded lost in the region between 1791 and 1850, Surveys between 1815 and 1860 by Phillip Parker King in
6270-558: The islands. 215 species of birds (including 22 species of seabirds and 32 species of shorebirds) visit the reef or nest or roost on the islands, including the white-bellied sea eagle and roseate tern . Most nesting sites are on islands in the northern and southern regions of the Great Barrier Reef, with 1.4 to 1.7 million birds using the sites to breed. The islands of the Great Barrier Reef also support 2,195 known plant species; three of these are endemic. The northern islands have 300–350 plant species which tend to be woody, whereas
6365-497: The life span and value of this global heritage. The plan contains all the elements for measurement and improvements, including; long-term sustainability plan, water quality improvement plan and the investment plan for the protection and preservation of The Reef until 2050. However, whereas the 2050 plan aims to incorporate protective measures such as improving water quality, reef restoration, killing of predatory starfish, it does not incorporate additional measures to address what may be
6460-458: The material to the environment and to develop a management plan to eliminate this potential hazard; however, GBRMPA does not have legislative control over how the Yabulu tailings dam is managed". The crown-of-thorns starfish preys on coral polyps. Large outbreaks of these starfish can devastate reefs. In 2000, an outbreak contributed to a loss of 66% of live coral cover on sampled reefs in a study by
6555-405: The middle of 2004, approximately one-third of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is protected from species removal of any kind, including fishing, without written permission. Shipping accidents are a pressing concern, as several commercial shipping routes pass through the Great Barrier Reef. Although the route through the Great Barrier Reef is not easy, reef pilots consider it safer than outside
6650-400: The northern parts of the reef as a result of warming ocean temperatures . In October 2016, Outside published an obituary for the reef; the article was criticised for being premature and hindering efforts to bolster the resilience of the reef. In March 2017, the journal Nature published a paper showing that huge sections of an 800-kilometre (500 mi) stretch in the northern part of
6745-435: The other reptiles roaming Lizard Island. The lowlands bar-lipped skink ( Eremiascincus pardalis ) and the sandy rainbow-skink ( Carlia dogare ) are endemic species of Queensland found on this island. The Chevert gecko ( Nactus cheverti ) is the only gecko on the island that's only endemic to Queensland. Pythons and tree snakes are common while the most dangerous snake on the island, the brown-headed snake ( Furina tristis ),
6840-481: The people who lived there were involved in the ancient maritime networks in the vicinity, including the possession of sophisticated canoe travel technology and skills in navigating on the ocean, which enabled them to connect with other peoples across the Coral Sea . The dating showed that it was created between 2950–2545 cal BP and 1970–1815 cal BP, which overlaps with the late Lapita and post-Lapita traditions of southern Papua New Guinea . Co-author Quan Hua of ANSTO
6935-480: The people who lived there were involved in the ancient maritime networks in the vicinity, including the possession of sophisticated skills in building ocean-going vessels as well as navigation. (See below ). The name Lizard Island was given to it by Captain Cook when he passed it on 12 August 1770. He commented, "The only land animals we saw here were lizards, and these seem'd to be pretty plenty, which occasioned my naming
7030-414: The possible effects of El Niño weather phenomenon. The Australian Institute of Marine Science conducts annual surveys of the Great Barrier Reef's status, and the 2022 report showed the greatest recovery in 36 years. It is mainly due to the regrowth of two-thirds of the reef by the fast-growing Acropora coral, which is the dominant coral there. The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by
7125-454: The pottery site, discovering that the site had been settled at least 4,000 years previously, but no pottery was found. The same team started working with the Indigenous owners and excavated a different midden and found a lot of pottery. Digging deeper, cultural material was found nearly 2 m (6 ft 7 in) metres below ground level, which was radiocarbon-dated to around 6,500 years ago;
7220-462: The present Hope Vale settlement, where many Dingaal people continue to reside. In 1939, all of the islands in the group were declared a national park . The Lizard Island Research Station was established by the Australian Museum in 1973, the waters surrounding the island were declared a marine park in 1974, and Lizard Island Resort opened in 1975. In 2014, the resort was damaged by Cyclone Ita , and had to close for repairs. Lizard Island
7315-509: The reef had died in the course of 2016 of high water temperatures, an event that the authors put down to the effects of global climate change. The percentage of baby corals being born on the Great Barrier Reef dropped drastically in 2018 and scientists are describing it as the early stage of a "huge natural selection event unfolding". Many of the mature breeding adults died in the bleaching events of 2016–17, leading to low coral birth rates. The types of corals that reproduced also changed, leading to
7410-466: The reef has lost more than half its coral cover since 1985, a finding reaffirmed by a 2020 study which found over half of the reef's coral cover to have been lost between 1995 and 2017, with the effects of a widespread 2020 bleaching event not yet quantified. The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef
7505-404: The reef in the event of mechanical failure, since a ship can sit safely while being repaired. There have been over 1,600 known shipwrecks in the Great Barrier Reef region. On 3 April 2010, the bulk coal carrier Shen Neng 1 ran aground on Douglas Shoals, spilling up to four tonnes of oil into the water and causing extensive damage to the reef. The government of Queensland has
7600-536: The reef system. Thirty species of cetaceans have been recorded in the Great Barrier Reef, including the dwarf minke whale , Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin , and the humpback whale . Large populations of dugongs live there. More than 1,500 fish species live on the reef, including the clownfish , red bass , red-throat emperor, and several species of snapper and coral trout . Forty-nine species mass spawn , while eighty-four other species spawn elsewhere in their range. Seventeen species of sea snake live on
7695-457: The reef, including thirteen species of genus Halimeda , which deposit calcareous mounds up to 100 metres (110 yd) wide, creating mini-ecosystems on their surface which have been compared to rainforest cover. Climate change , pollution, crown-of-thorns starfish and fishing are the primary threats to the health of this reef system. Other threats include shipping accidents, oil spills , and tropical cyclones. Skeletal Eroding Band ,
7790-495: The reef. The majority of these spawn gametes , breeding in mass spawning events that are triggered by the rising sea temperatures of spring and summer, the lunar cycle, and the diurnal cycle. Reefs in the inner Great Barrier Reef spawn during the week after the full moon in October, while the outer reefs spawn in November and December. Its common soft corals belong to 36 genera. Five hundred species of marine algae or seaweed live on
7885-406: The root cause the problem – climate change, which is caused by greenhouse gas emissions. As such, experts doubted whether it would be enough to save the fragile environment. Another issue is that the time left to the 1.5 °C warming threshold (the temperature limit that coral reefs can still cope with ) is very limited. As part of the Reef 2050 plan, an AUD$ 443 million grant was given to
7980-587: The sea turtle's population and available habitat. Bleaching events in benthic coral communities (deeper than 20 metres or 66 feet) in the Great Barrier reef are not as well documented as those at shallower depths, but recent research has shown that benthic communities are just as negatively impacted in the face of rising ocean temperatures. Five Great Barrier Reef species of large benthic corals were found bleached under elevated temperatures, affirming that benthic corals are vulnerable to thermal stress. A threat for
8075-400: The sediment until its edge was too far away for suspended sediments to inhibit coral growth. In addition, approximately 400,000 years ago there was a particularly warm Interglacial period with higher sea levels and a 4 °C (7 °F) water temperature change. The land that formed the substrate of the current Great Barrier Reef was a coastal plain formed from the eroded sediments of
8170-470: The southern islands have 200 which tend to be herbaceous; the Whitsunday region is the most diverse, supporting 1,141 species. The plants are propagated by birds. There are at least 330 species of ascidians on the reef system with the diameter of 1–10 cm (0.4–4 in). Between 300 and 500 species of bryozoans live on the reef. Four hundred coral species, both hard corals and soft corals inhabit
8265-405: The story. This devastated Aboriginal communities and their traditional economies in the region, which had already been affected by expanding agriculture and the discovery of gold, leading to the establishment of Cooktown in 1873. In 1886 the first Aboriginal mission was established at Elim Aboriginal Mission by German Lutherans . The mission, along with Cape Bedford Mission , was the foundation of
8360-538: The submerged hills, to form the present cays and reefs. Sea level here has not risen significantly in the last 6,000 years. The CRC Reef Research Centre estimates the age of the present, living reef structure at 6,000 to 8,000 years old. The shallow water reefs that can be seen in air-photographs and satellite images cover an area of 20,679 km , most (about 80%) of which has grown on top of limestone platforms that are relics of past (Pleistocene) phases of reef growth. The remains of an ancient barrier reef similar to
8455-456: The wider environment due to erosion of farm soil, which has a detrimental effect on the coral. Mining company Queensland Nickel discharged nitrate-laden water into the Great Barrier Reef in 2009 and 2011 – on the later occasion releasing 516 tonnes (508 long tons; 569 short tons) of waste water. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) stated "We have strongly encouraged the company to investigate options that do not entail releasing
8550-454: The world. As it rose, the corals could then grow higher on the newly submerged maritime margins of the hills of the coastal plain. By around 13,000 years ago the sea level was only 60 metres (200 ft) lower than the present day, and corals began to surround the hills of the coastal plain, which were, by then, continental islands . As the sea level rose further still, most of the continental islands were submerged. The corals could then overgrow
8645-445: Was Matthew Flinders who named the Great Barrier Reef, after his more detailed mapping of it in 1802. Flinders used various terms to describe the reefs comprising what we now call the Great Barrier Reef including "great reef", for one such reef, "barrier reef", for any reef preventing a sailing vessel in, or waves from, the open sea, from reaching the coast, and "Barrier Reefs", for the collection of such reefs. The Great Barrier Reef
8740-410: Was further excavated by a team including Specht in 2009, who created a 100 cm (39 in) X 50 cm (20 in) x 150 cm (59 in) trench, and identified six stratigraphic layers . It was observed through radiocarbon dating that the basal layer (6) produced a range of 3358-2929 cal BP on charcoal found at the 120–130 cm (47–51 in) depth. In October 2009 Lentfer, Specht, and
8835-544: Was on holiday on the island, on Mangrove Beach. This was the first pottery found, and was reported in a 2010 study by Felgate; however, it could not be reliably dated at that time. Later, Sean Ulm, distinguished professor at James Cook University , and Ian J. McNiven, professor at Monash University , both of whom were operating under the auspices of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), co-led
8930-510: Was only 21 when she arrived at Lizard Island. During one of the captain's absences in September 1880, Mary, her son Ferrier, and two Chinese servants, Ah Sam and Ah Leung, were left on the island. A group of Guugu Yimmidir or Dingaal people travelled on a regular seasonal trip by canoe, or went to investigate smoke at a sacred site on the island The Watsons' home was close to the only source of fresh water, and Mary may have unknowingly trespassed on
9025-407: Was used. Site 17 is an archaeological site located on a hill above Freshwater Beach (also known as One Tree Coconut Beach) of Lizard Island, which was found to contain granite-derived, quartz sand temper. The midden is quite large, covering a total area of 7,000 m (75,000 sq ft). Site 17 was first observed by Jim Specht in 1978-9, then excavated by Robynne Mills in 1992. The site
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