CRC Reef newsletters 1995-2000

May 2000 Newsletter

$17 million for AIMS
The Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, Senator Nick Minchin, has approved $17 million to be spent on the ...
Germans wild about wilderness
German tourists surveyed in their own country want ecotourism experiences, and rank Australia second in the top five ...
Environmental Economics: Providing tools for GBRMPA decision-making
The management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is no snorkel through the corals. Grappling with the combined goals ...
Fish habitat code benefits canegrowers and fisheries
A new permit system has been introduced to enable cane farmers to carry out regular farm drain maintenance in tidal areas ...
New insights into managing heavy metals in the environment
A joint research project involving AIMS and JCU in Townsville has been investigating ways to better manage the risks associated ...
Pocket sized information for Cape travellers
Travellers and tourists traversing Cape York Peninsular now have the latest recreational fishing and quarantine information in ...
New Gonad technical manual
Defining the Reproductive Biology of a Large Serranid, by Melita Samoilys and Anthony Roelofs, is now available from the Centre ...
How important is turbidity to estuarine fish?
New research suggests that the influence of turbidity (murky water) in determining patterns of distribution and abundance of tropical ...
New CEO starts
Simon Woodley who has been CEO of the CRC since July 1998 has handed over the reins to the new CEO, Dr Russell Reichelt. Simon has ...
Sustainable fishing for school students
A new educational program developed for schools by the Queensland Commercial Fishermen's Organisation has recently been trialed ...
Muddies take to crocodile food
A Townsville research innovation has helped Australia's first farmed mud crabs to be harvested in North Queensland in commercial ...
Long term freshwater fisheries monitoring
A comprehensive freshwater fish survey has been completed in selected North Queensland rivers, as part of a long term monitoring program ...

January 2000 Newsletter

Reef managers choose expert system for Marine Park
An information system and computer program that gives Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority staff extra support for policy decisions ...
Social impacts of policy changes on commercial fishing
Queensland's $400 million commercial fishing industry will soon be able to measure the effects of changing government fisheries policies ...
Excellent season for Minke Whale Project
Following a very successful 1999 minke whale season in which a record number of sightings occurred, researchers involved in the Minke Whale ...
DPI fisheries long term monitoring program kicks off
A new Department of Primary Industries' long term Fisheries Resources Monitoring Program recently started in North Queensland with the ...
Seagrasses being studied in Cleveland Bay
Townsville seagrass beds are being studied in Cleveland Bay in an effort to determine possible impacts from the Strand Beach redevelopment ...
Using satellites to map sea temperature
Dramatic changes in sea surface temperature (SST) and subsequent coral bleaching may become more predictable with the use of data from ...

August 1999 Newsletter

New wave of crown-of-thorns starfish?
Large numbers of juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish have been observed during recent surveys of reefs offshore from Cairns and Port Douglas ...
Temperature monitoring program builds early warning system
CRC researcher Ray Berkelmans recently reported that the Great Barrier Reef long-term sea temperature monitoring program had logged more than three million records to its database ...
Cooperative tourism research unit opens in Cairns
A new unit aiming to provide strategic research information and decision support to the regional tourism industry ...
Geologists discuss Reef sediments
Sediment dynamics and management of the Great Barrier Reef region were popular topics at a recent research workshop ...
Resort effluent irrigation reduces nutrient run-off
Understanding and monitoring groundwater nutrients entering Reef waters are important issues ...
Reef CRC wins Banksia environmental prize
Participating organisations in the CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd have been recognised for their contribution in providing knowledge ...
Not just a seagrass unit
The research work of DPI's Marine Plant Ecology Group has been internationally recognised over the past 15 years ...
Student travel grants
Each year the CRC offers a small number of travel grants to help PhD students present at conferences ...
JCU lecturer accepts prestigious international award
James Cook University lecturer and CRC researcher Professor Garry Russ has been awarded one of the world's largest and most prestigious awards ...
Scientists look to a brighter future for Great Barrier Reef
The future of the Great Barrier Reef may not be as gloomy as a recent Greenpeace report claims ...
NOAA satellites to monitor reefs
USA's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is taking a leading role in using satellites to monitor the health of coral reefs ...

May 1999 Newsletter

Government funds new CRC
Director of CRC Reef, Mr Simon Woodley, has welcomed recent Federal Government approval for the new Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area ...
Study finds mid-shelf and outer reefs not affected by north-moving sediment
Fears that sediment from rivers is harming corals on middle and outer reefs may be unwarranted according to geologists at James Cook University ...
Fish of the Yongala shipwreck surveyed
A new CRC technical report is helping to conserve an abundance of fish at one of Australia's most famous shipwrecks ...
Local survey identifies perceived threats to Reef
An extensive telephone survey has revealed how residents feel about the Reef's future ...
Sustainably managing Queensland's dwarf minke whale tourism industry
A revised set of guidelines for north Queensland's new dwarf minke whale watching industry is proposed by CRC researchers ...
JCU tourism research links established
Tourism students at James Cook University's Cairns campus are collaborating with industry leaders ...
Monitoring partnership keeps an Eye on the Reef
The second phase of an initiative to monitor coral reefs has begun ...
Research awards to local companies
Four Townsville companies have been recognised for their support to marine research projects associated with the CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd ...
DPI rears first mangrove jack at Townsville
Good news for keen recreational fishers - the Department of Primary Industries has succeeding in rearing mangrove jack for the first time ...
Reef science display travels to Canberra
CRC geology postgraduate student Alan Orpin reports on a Great Barrier Reef display at the Australian Science Festival ...
Field guide for soft corals and sea fans of the Indo-Pacific
Dr Katharina Fabricius, CRC researcher at AIMS, has been awarded $20,000 from the Australian Biological Resource Foundation ...
Reef CRC wins Banksia environmental prize
The Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area has been recognised for its contribution in developing positive solutions to tropical marine issues ...

February 1999 Newsletter

New methods give early warning of renewed starfish outbreak
Scientists for the CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority have developed and trialed an early warning technique ...
Regular removal of COTS is best control option
A crown-of-thorns research project measuring the effectiveness of control programs using divers to eradicate starfish from infested reefs has found ...
Oceans to be allocated $50 million
The long-awaited Oceans Policy has been announced by the Federal Environment Minister Robert Hill with the allocation of $50 million over three years ...
Townsville survey finds support for fishing regulations
A recreational fishing survey in the Townsville region has revealed positive support by fishers for current bag limits, size restrictions and seasonal closures ...
Personal priorities preferred in policies: survey
In a public opinion survey of GBRMPA's decision making process, CRC research fellow Dr Leanne Fernandes is finding that ...
Whitsunday's bareboaters need more information: survey
A study into the effectiveness of interpretive information available to bareboat charterers in the Whitsunday's region ...
'Olympic' newborn fish go the distance
A study measuring the swimming abilities of larval reef fish ...
Juvenile fish don't hide in muddy waters
Turbid coastal estuaries may not protect juvenile fish and prawns from predators ...
Stream rehabilitation improves water quality
A study into the influence of vegetated river banks and the condition of coastal channel systems to water quality entering the Reef region ...
CRC student augmentative grants (honours) for 1999
The following university students have won small grants to undertake their honours level studies ...
Research awards to local companies
Four Townsville companies have been recognised for their support to marine research projects associated with the CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd ...
Welcome to new postgraduate student coordinator
Vicki Hall has recently joined the CRC as Postgraduate Student Coordinator ...
Economic study of Reef line fishery
An expanding live fish industry may lead to increased fishing effort ...

December 1998 Newsletter

World experts warn of continued coral bleaching
A meeting by world experts on coral bleaching held during the International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium in Townsville released the following statement ...
Reef monitoring report launched
A status report (number 3) of long term monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef between 1992-1998 has been launched at the Australian Institute of Marine Science ...
Centre's fifth year review positive
The first five years of the CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd have been reviewed ...
OUCH volunteers win national environmental award
The Whitsundays'-based Order of Underwater Coral Heroes (OUCH) recently won $15,000 in one of the richest environmental award schemes in Australia, the Reader's Digest Environmental Awards 1998 ...
Centre bids for renewal
Over the past twelve months our Board has undertaken a strategic review in preparation for our renewal application ...
Whitsundays visitor survey results
CRC tourism researchers have been in the Whitsundays recently to present results of survey work carried out earlier this year ...
Woongarra monitoring & education project
The Woongarra Marine Park was initially established in 1989 to protect the turtle rookeries around Mon Repos ...
Join the Australian Coral Reef Society
The Australian Coral Reef Society is a scientific society that promotes research and management of Australia's coral reefs ...

October 1998 Newsletter

Guide for volunteer divers to monitor coral reefs
A research project Technical Report that will help marine tourism operators and volunteer groups develop coral reef monitor programs is now available from the CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd ...
What do we do with the ballast, sailor?
A CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd ballast water treatment analysis, funded by the Ports Corporation of Queensland, has measured the chemical and physical characteristics of ballast water as a baseline ...
CRC travel award to USA conference
CRC doctoral candidate Jake Kritzer's childhood dream was to stand before a home crowd in the Hartford Civic Center, Connecticut, USA, clad in a Hartford Whalers ice hockey club uniform ...
Augmentative Reef research grants for 1999
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority invites applications for augmentative support during 1999 for the research projects of students working towards a Doctorate or Masters degree ...
Seagrass Watch begins in Whitsundays
A major community based research program on seagrasses begins in the Whitsundays region this October ...
International coral reef conference for Townsville
Nearly 400 coral reef experts will from many parts of the world will visit Townsville later this year to attend the International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium (ITMEMS) ...
Dugong brochure launched
What has caused the decline of dugongs in the southern regions of the Reef? There is no easy scientific answer ...
Centre 5th Year Review completed
A review of the Centre's research, education and extension performance, together with its overall management and operations, has been undertaken ...

August 1998 Newsletter

Asian tourism market analysed
CRC tourism researchers Tanya Greenwood, David Green and Dr Edward Kim recently attended the 8th Pacific Congress on Marine Science and Technology (PACON 1998) in Seoul, Korea ...
Understanding Asian visitors to the GBR
For industry and government to better manage visitors to the Great Barrier Reef - to ensure their activities have no negative environmental impacts and provide a positive experience ...
Relief from UK and US
Britons and Americans cashing in on cheap airfares and a diminished Australian dollar have partly isolated the $17 billion tourism export sector from the worst Asian woes ...
Professor Helene Marsh wins international award
CRC Reef Program Leader Professor Helene Marsh, received one of only 10 Pew Charitable Trusts Fellowships ...
Jubilee Award for Professor Howard Choat
CRC Program Leader Howard Choat has also been recognised with a Jubilee Award by the Australian Marine Sciences Association ...
Mangrove nursery a first for DPI Fisheries
DPI Fisheries' first experimental mangrove nursery is up and running in Cairns as a study site ...
US experience next step in PhD
PhD student Jo Cavanagh is US-bound after winning a bid to undertake advanced training in environmental chemistry and risk assessment ...
Land use impacts on water quality in the Johnstone River catchment
Are industries such as agriculture increasing the quantities of sediment and nutrients discharged from Queensland coastal rivers into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon? ...

June 1998 Newsletter

The Centre welcomes new Director
The CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd would like to welcome Mr Simon Woodley who is filling the position of Director over the next 12 months ...
What do people want marine park managers to be aiming for?
That managing the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is complex is probably no news to most of you ...
Grunter Trailed for Aquaculture Potential
Joint DPI and industry research into the aquaculture potential of grunter indicates that its prospects lie more with fish restocking than as a new farmed species ...
Telephone Survey Seeks Public Perceptions
Researchers in the JCU Tourism program are currently in the final stages of analysing results from a telephone survey conducted along the East Coast of Australia ...
Scientists and conservationists look to a shared, positive future
Scientists, conservationists, managers and reef users all care for the future of the natural environment ...
DPI seagrass team on overseas tour
The DPI's internationally recognised Seagrass Ecology Group was off overseas in April on an information gathering and tutoring mission ...
Several New Research Grants Awarded
Successful applicants for the latest round of CRC Reef Augmentative Research Grants for 4th Year Honours students were announced recently ...
International Working Group on Ballast Water and Sediments
I recently attended the International Working Group on Ballast Water and Sediments in The Hague, Netherlands ...

April 1998 Newsletter

Farewell to CRC Director, Chris Crossland
Director of the CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd, Chris Crossland will soon be leaving the Centre to take up a new position overseas...
AIMS and GBRMPA scientists keep watch on bleaching
Scientists from AIMS and GBRMPA have found significant bleaching of corals on inshore reefs off Townsville and Innisfail in the central Great Barrier Reef...
Sargassum seaweed helps prevent coral bleaching
Can seaweeds actually help corals to survive extreme summer weather conditions?...
If you were in charge of GBRMPA...
Queenslanders have been talking about what they want from reef management in a research project aimed to enhance links between people on the ground and decision-makers at GBRMPA...
Climate rings in the changes
One of the best places to look for a record of the world's weather is coral, something Australia has in great abundance...
Line fishing experiment deferred
The first phase of the CRC's Effects of Line Fishing Experiment is complete...
Sea temperature monitoring project expands
The Centre's sea temperature monitoring program along the Great Barrier Reef has recently been expanded to include eight ports along the coast...
Study recommends changes to Magnetic Island reef walking trail
A study of reef walkers using a self-guided trail on Magnetic Island has recommended several changes in the trail's design and management to the Department of Environment in Townsville...
Does habitat determine species rarity?
Do rare species of reef fish need specific coral habitats in order to survive?...
Trace metals in Townsville seagrasses found to vary
Seagrasses vary in their ability to absorb and store traces of heavy metal according to a recent CRC-sponsored study at James Cook University...
CRC travel award to USA conference
CRC postgraduate student Michaela Dommissee reports on a recent US scientific conference...
Reef Watch: weekly GBR research updates on TV
Following the successful broadcast of Reef Brief, a series of commercial radio announcements on the Great Barrier Reef played throughout 1996...

February 1998 Newsletter

Barrier Reef cyclone atlas launched
An atlas of tropical cyclones mapped along Queensland since 1980 has been launched in Townsville by the CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd and AIMS...
Flood run-off monitored closely by GBRMPA
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is keeping a close watch on the effects of record North Queensland floods on the Great Barrier Reef...
Wave modelling study to simulate cyclones on Reef
A project aimed to help coastal engineers design safer off-shore structures will ensure a sustainable Reef tourism industry, reports CRC researcher Jason McConochie...
1998: International Year of the Ocean
In recognition of the importance of the ocean, the marine environment and its life-giving resources, the United Nations has declared 1998 as the International Year of the Ocean (YOTO)...
Award to Centre Director
Chris Crossland, Director of the CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd, has recently won the "Unsung Hero of Australian Science" Award by the Australian Association of Science Communicators (ASC)...
Tourism study data presented
CRC tourism researchers recently presented their market analysis of overseas groups to a Reef Tourism 2005 Workshop in Cairns, reports Amanda Clark...
Keeping the customer satisfied
Visitors to the Great Barrier Reef are primarily influenced by the quality of corals and fish they see, and the professionalism of staff in charge of their day's activities...
Capture stresses examined in coral trout
A recent CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd study at James Cook University has paved the way for future research into physiological conditions of coral trout destined for the live export markets...

December 1997 Newsletter

Worldwide coral reefs monitoring program announced
Information on the health of coral reefs and their social, cultural and economic values is critical to their conservation and sustainable use...
Low Isles seagrass meadows: 70 years after British Reef expedition
No coral island in the world has been so intensively studied over so long a time as Low Isles...
Green Island seagrasses - "sewage free" for five years
It has long been believed that expansions of Green Island seagrass meadows over the last 25 years were the result of biological and anthropogenic disturbances on the reef...
Seagrass surveys move south
In 1994, the Seagrass Ecology Group reported extensive seagrass meadows present in deep-waters (>15m) in the far northern section of the Great Barrier Reef, between Cape Weymouth and Cape Tribulation...
Long-term deterioration of fringing reefs of the southern Great Barrier Reef?
During surveys of near-shore fringing reefs in the southern Great Barrier Reef, a team of AIMS scientists have discovered that previously healthy, coral-dominated reefs have become overgrown by macro-algae, reports CRC researcher Dr Lyndon Devantier...
New research to protect and develop Australia's marine environment
The Minister for Industry, Science and Tourism, John Moore, has welcomed the launch of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) 1997/2000 Triennium Research Plan which outlines new research projects to address marine issues of national importance...
People power studied along the Reef
Local residents up and down the Queensland coast are getting their chance to have a say about marine management in a project aimed to improve the links between people on the ground and decision-makers at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority...
CRC Postgraduate travel awards
Three CRC Reef postgraduate students have each been awarded $1000 towards attending overseas conferences next year...