Live coral spawning on the Great Barrier Reef

[the sound of Tao]

Tonight there was a live program on our television on the current coral spawning.

This weekend live coral spawning is happening in Australia. A local marine ecologist and a leader in understanding coral ecology is attempting IVF for coral reproduction.

Coral bleaching and the death of our reefs is one of the greatest challenges in history to marine ecology. Spawning started here tonight and it’s made live television for the first time ever.

At last celebrating ecology and life displaces less important television. There is a deep sense of genuine awe at our seeing live the reef spawn and coral renew itself. We have our first people also included telling us the original story of marine creation here.

It is phenomenal to see ecology being venerated. We are a very new culture I believe. 2020 has been the great realignment and when we see the most essential parts of our ecology at risk of disappearance the very real value of life itself becomes more clear. After a tough year now seeing life fighting to renew itself is just inspirational.

OMG the vision is amazing, it’s being triggered by the moon... the sea is full of new life.

We’ve had three major bleachings of the reef even in just the last 5 years (which has never happened before) and over 50 per cent of the reef has died since 1990. This is the breeding ground of our marine environment and the failure of fish stocks is imminent. We have a 1.2 degree c mean ocean surface temperature rise since pre-industrial records and the bleaching and failure of reefs at just 1 c degree rise was part of the United Nations intergovernmental panel on climate change projections from the 2007 IPCC report. Extreme wildfire risk was also part of projections on a 1 degree c rise as well.

 

[plasmod3]

I had a large monti spawn in my tank a fewyears ago and you are riht the stimulated moonlight cycle from my geisemann light stimulated the spawn. amazing to watch but lol it did crash the filter and protein skimmer so bad lol - nature's amazing. It's sad what is happening to our reefs mate. I was at tutle island a few years back and even off the mainland with supposedly colder waters...bleaching was seen as well. sad

 

[the sound of Tao]

It was amazing to see them try and harvest some of the coral spawning with the intention of using that to spot repair areas of coral bleaching.

The marine scientists also are trying to hybridise the coral spawn which could possibly make it more resilient and also they are sampling corals formed in mangrove regions which are a bit more tolerant of heat and acidity levels. Giant task and beyond epic undertakings.

The big picture implications of marine heat stress, ocean acidification and deoxygenation are completely sad. Big fish and shell fish will continue to struggle. An ocean where jelly fish and microbial sea life become then the dominant sea life is perhaps beyond sad even. Maybe we’ll be able to find words for these kind of monumental losses.

 

[plasmod3]

Humans are amazing in their ability to create but also their ability to destroy. Don't forget the ocean has always been regarded as the trashyard behind our house, it's so easy to forget the ecosystem there with what we do .

I truly hope past covid, politicians see the issue as it is and have a backbone to do whats necessary for the climate. For Australia, given our economic reliance on farming and mining - not the easiest thing to turn our backs on i guess.