New Species Discovered On Aussie Reefs

Did you read the article on The Straits Times yesterday 20 Sep 08? Marine scientists said that they have discovered hundreds of new animal species on Ausse reefs (Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef). This is a wonderful achievement and I was thrilled with the pictures taken. When I was at Ninglaoo Reef in June 2008, this discovery was not known yet. Anway, I hope that when I next visit Ningaloo Reef, I have the opportunity to view some of the new species :)

I like this twisted nudibranch, (Chromodoris Elizabethina), on the reef face off Heron Island most. It is very bright and colourful.

About half of the 300 soft corals found are thought to be new discoveries, although they will only be given names and classified formally once the scientists have compared them against existing species. Unlike their hard-bodied cousins, soft corals do not build reefs but are nevertheless considered vital for the marine environment. These colourful animals can dominate some regions of the sea, covering up to 25 per cent of the ocean floor.

The latest discovery is a result of a four-year project centred on the extensive coral reefs of western and north-western Australia and is part of a larger effort to take a census of all marine life in the world, due to be finished in 2010. When complete, the census will be used as a "baseline" to try to quantify the rate at which species are becoming extinct in the marine environment. Coral reefs are considered to be the rainforests of the sea because of their rich biodiversity. It is estimated that something between one million and nine million species of marine creatures live in and around coral reefs, but scientists have little idea of the precise numbers.

Here is a dendronepthya soft coral

ans a colonial salp jellyfish

and a ctenophore or comb jellyfish

You can see more pictures on http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2008/sep/18/wildlife.australia?picture=337754721

Ningaloo Reef June 08 - (Part 1- Snorkel with Whale Sharks)

My experience of a lifetime was to snorkel with whale sharks at the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. This is the only place that whale sharks congregate regularly at a certain time of the year, which is April-July.

Despite it looking massive, this whale shark is actually pretty small for one. It is only about 4.5m long!

We were extremely fortunate to see a female whale shark! The probability of them appearing is 1 in 10! Furthermore, it was actually opening its mouth wide and frantically feeding. The guide on the boat said that he had never seen this happening since 4 years ago, as whale sharks usually just glide along and eat the plankton along the way.

You can tell a female whale shark from a male one by looking at its tail. A female's tail is "torn" at the end.

The photos were taken by my dad! Enjoy!

Ninglaloo Reef June 08 (Part 2 - Snorkel at Mandu South)

Ningaloo Reef is a fringing coral reef located off the west coast of Australia, approximately 1200 km north of Perth. The reef is 280 km long and is Australia's largest fringing coral reef and the only large reef positioned very close to a landmass.

It is known for its seasonal feeding concentrations of the whale shark, and the conservation debate surrounding its potential tourism development. In 1987 the reef and surrounding waters where designated as the Ningaloo Marine Park.

We stayed at an eco-camp during our trip to the Ningaloo Reef. It is located at Mandu South within the Cape Range National Park. The camp has a great snorkeling site just infront of it and that is very convenient for us! We could practically snorkel anytime :)

...the eco camp site

...view from our tent

...me coming out from the sea after snorkelling

We saw many corals during the trip, especially staghorn and tabletop corals. Aren't they pretty?



We also saw lots of fishes, turtles and even small sharks!!!