As the World Heritage-listed natural wonder recovers from life-threatening coral bleaching incidents, the Great Barrier Reef is exploding with color.
Scientists observed corals fertilizing billions of babies by casting sperm and eggs into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Cairns, Queensland, on Tuesday night The spawning period is two or three days long.
The coral bleaching caused by extremely warm water temperatures in 2016, 2017, and last year affected the network of 2,500 reefs encompassing 348,000 square kilometers (134,000 square miles). Two-thirds of the coral died as a result of the bleaching.
The spawning is being studied by Gareth Phillips, a marine biologist with Reef Teach, a tourism and educational company, as part of a project to assess the reef’s health.
“Seeing the reef give birth is rewarding,” Phillips said in a statement on Wednesday. “After being in a recovery phase for more than 18 months, it’s solid proof that its ecological services are intact and working.”
“The reef, like us, has had its share of problems, but it can still respond – and that offers us hope.” “As we emerge from the pandemic, I believe we must all focus on the victories,” Phillips continued.
