A week on the Northern Ribbon Reefs

Cruising up to Lizard Island last week we were able to stop at the specific places we've been following for the last few months (and years for that matter) after 2 cyclones and the major coral bleaching event of earlier this year.  Without question the further north you go it appears to have suffered the most - especially where the cyclones were destructive on the exposed coral faces of the western reef edges.  While most of the reef tops have been bleached in the top metre or so, it further down it was a much patchier situation with some areas looking remarkably healthy with a rich group of herbivores (especially juveniles).  Places that had fine filamentous algae covering dead coral a month ago are now increasingly being covered over by "reef cement" - coralline algae.  This will be the clean base for newly settled benthic animals to begin life on the reef - corals, tube worms and clams for example.