Observation is fundamental to science. One of the best ways to know something about the underwater world, including Great Barrier Reef ecosystems, is to strap an air tank to your back and actually step into the world of the Coral Sea. If you take a camera, you may have a permanent record of what you observe. If you take a ruler, you might also have a measure.
Planning is currently underway for the 2025 Megafauna Expedition.
Jenn Mayes with Jenn Marohasy on the MV Sea Esta at Myrmidon Reef as part of the 2024 inaugural Megafauna Expedition.
In celebration of the very largest of the marine organisms at the Great Barrier Reef, the inaugural 2024 Megafauna expedition set off from Townsville’s Breakwater Marina on Monday 2nd September 2024. Despite challenging weather conditions it was a great success, with the initial four categories expanded to six, to included not only photographs of the largest clam, largest coral colony, largest fish that is not a ray or shark, largest ray or shark, but also the largest reptiles including snakes and turtles. Winners were announced and prize monies awarded.
Clockwise from left Dave, Fred, Fiona, Robert, Nadine, Seb, Simon, Laura, Dave, Saxon, Paul, Jennifer, Stuart, Ewa, Jenn, Kate and Kass.
For more information try #sizematters #megafaunaexpedition and key blog posts include:
Part 1, Return to Myrmidon, link here.
Simon Fenwick in the Garden of Porites, Myrmidon Reef, September 6, 2024
Part 2, Largest coral colony.
How do we know that in the back lagoon at Myrmidon Reef there are some massive bolder corals – immovable, representing layer upon layer of calcium carbonate laid down year after year, back more than 300 years. And so healthy; in various shades of green and blue and, also golden. Their health and size are …
Part 3. Largest of the saved clams, more information at this link.
And as regards turtles and fish at the Yongala wreck, there is part 5, link here.
I am yet to dive the North Wall at Myrmidon. As part of the inaugural Megafauna Expedition, onboard the MV Sea Esta, I was deck hand on Friday, 6th September 2024. I was holding Laura Boderke’s underwater camera, as she waited. Leaning backwards from a rail on the stern of the boat, waiting for First …
You can read about ‘Diving the North Wall’ in Part 4.
