Great Barrier Reef

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 907, 26 February 1930, Page 8

Great Barrier Reef

MARVEL OF MARINE GROWTH EXTENDING 1,200 miles along the coast of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef of Australia is one of the marine wonders of the world. Built up by the untiring energy of myriads of little coral insects, the Reef is really a series of submarine mountain ranges, with only an occasional break deep enough for an ocean-going vessel to negotiate and through which the tides rush back and forward like a millrace. Against the outer slopes pound and boom the breakers of the mighty Pacific driven against them by the fury of the south-easterly “Trades.”

Built by the coral insects who draw their building materials from the sea, which is saturated perpetually with carbonate of lime, the great Reef has taken ages to rise. Protecting on the inner side a channel, in places up to 100 miles in width, but never more than some 30 fathoms deep, on its outer side the Barrier descends almost sheer down to hundreds of fathoms. Fantastic and highly-coloured marine growth and life abound in this marvel of the storm-beaten tropics that stands against the force of a wind that seldom abates and never varies in its direction for nine months of the year. An expedition, which was organised by a committee of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, to extend scientific knowledge of the Great Barrier Reef, especially in its biological and geographical aspects, finished its work on July 28, 1929, after one year and 12 days on Low Island. A copy of a paper read before the Royal Geographical Society by Mr. J. H. Steers, a member of the expedition, has been sent to Mr. F. R. Field, of Auckland. The expedition touched on all phases of oceanology, from the physical and chemical conditions in the sea, to zoology and botany, as well as geographical reconnaissance and survey. The first half of the year was spent in an intensive study of the conditions on and around Low Island; of the native habits and distribution of the animals and plants on the reef, and on the sea bottom round about; of the chemical and physical characteristics of the sea water and the nature of its microscopic floating plant and animal population—the plankton. The discovery of the plankton as one of the vital links in the “foodchain” of the sea, and of the equal

significance of the dissolved nutrient salts—phosphates and nitrates in particular—without which the vegetable plankton caunot feed and multiply, has been one of the triumphs of modern oceanography. Though there are great seasonal differences in temperate seas in the plankton population, in the tropic waters within the Barrier no such changes are known. Seasons are nonexistent there. Instead, there is a constant, though never abundant, supply of food for such animals —notably corals —as live on planktons. Some striking photographic studies of coral physiology, including reproduction and growth, were obtained by the expedition. All this purely scientific work prepared the way for an exhaustive study of the conditions of life in tropical waters, one of the objects of which will be the economic development of marine products. Careful study was also made of the big trochus shell, the source of pearl buttons, and similar work was done on the black-lip pearl oyster. A neweconomic possibility was brought to light when a sponge of good commercial quality was found in plenty on the reef, and found also to be easily capable of growth from cuttings. Long cruises were made up and down the Reef. A large general geographical survey, covering about 1,000 miles, was carried out under the direction of Mr. J. A. Steers. In addition to surveying the coasts and reefs, he studied particularly the characteristic wooded islands, of coral formation and origin, of which Low Island is a typical example. Unfortunately, little could be done in one year. However, the Queensland Government, as a result of the expedition, has decided to continue the work with a staff of qualified biologists. Who knows what the Great Barrier Reef will yet yield to the world? *