Excuse Me? Did You Just Say Pooter?

By Rebecca Snow

Hello again family and friends. It's Rebecca once again to tell you about some more of our adventures. Lamington Plateau has been treating us wonderfully so far and we've had miraculously sunny skies all week. Wednesday morning we woke up to do presentations of our forest surveys. We compared the rainforest and the Eucalypt forest both quantitatively and qualitatively and discovered some fascinating comparisons. For instance, we learned that the difference between the environments necessary for the two different types of forest to grow have a couple of very distinct features. Here at Lamington, we sit on the remnants of a stratovolcano. By definition, these volcanoes alternate eruptions of basalt and rhyolite. Basalt is softer, erodes faster, and is more nutrient rich, while rhyolite lasts longer and contains very little nutrient. Because of these properties and the properties of the plants in each type of forest, rainforest is only found on the basalt soils, and Eucalypts can be found on the rhyolite or on basalt where rainforest doesn't out-compete it. Also, the rainforests are found at higher altitudes here because that is where the majority of the rain falls. This leads to two very different kinds of forests. In the Eucalypt forest, because it is drier and the soil is nutrient poor, the trees which can grow in that environment are much more limited, leading to a forest with one or two dominant species. This contrasts starkly with the rainforest, which has such a diversity of species that only an expert can identify them, and none of them are dominant. The canopy in the rainforest is much thicker than in the Eucalypt forest, as well. This is because light is a limiting factor in the rainforest but not in the Eucalypt forest. Therefore, the rainforest trees have to spread out their leaves to catch as much sunlight as possible, while the Eucalypt leaves dangle downward, trying to deflect sunlight so as not to overheat. We learned about all these contrasts and more during our presentations.

After lunch the four small groups headed out to collect data for their final science projects. As we learned in the presentations the next day, the projects were all very different. One group went out looking at epiphytes, the plants that grow on the sides of other plants, and investigating their size and where in the forest they were located. Another group looked at birds, and specifically at whether they prefer to feed in open areas or in the rainforest canopy. The next group looked at fungus, lichen, algae and moss (which they affectionately termed “FLAM”) and whether certain species grow on different sides of rocks in the rainforest, while the final group looked at plant growth under large and small trees to see if the large trees draw nutrients from the soil and stop other plants from growing directly around them (which they don't; turns out bigger trees actually facilitate growth beneath them). All these projects were getting at resource partitioning, which limits competition and increases likelihood at survival. The entire afternoon was spent collecting and collating our data for these presentations.

After dinner we went spotlighting, which is, as the name implies, when you go for a walk in the dark with a spotlight, looking for animals. We headed out along the road, down a boardwalk through the rainforest, and up to the tree top walk through the canopy. We learned the proper techniques for animal spotting: hold the spotlight up next to your eyes and look for the red eye reflection of a mammal. It's easy to be fooled by lichen and fungus on tree top branches, which often can look like the fur of an animal in the dark, so the reflections are extra important. Along the way we saw a ton of nocturnal mammals, including three kinds of possum: the ring-tailed possum, the brush-tailed possum, and the very rare mountain brush-tailed possum. Seeing this third variety of possum was particularly special because of its rarity, and because we saw quite a few of them. Also, there was a brush-tailed possum mother with its nearly grown child, walking along a branch. It was very interesting to see the maternal behavior of the marsupial. We also saw a sugar glider. Philip, always the animal whisperer, even got to see a sugar glider glide, which none of the rest of us got to see. It was a very special evening.

The next morning we woke up and went out with our newest tutor, Susan, to study invertebrates. She showed us a myriad of techniques to collect insects and other invertebrates from the bush. First was the spray technique, which entails placing a tarp under a tree, spraying the trunk with insect spray, and collecting all the dead bugs. It sounds archaic but it really worked. Drew sprayed a strangler fig that dropped several really interesting beetles and even a juvenile cockroach. We then collected leaf litter, put it in a pan, and searched through it for insects. The best part about this technique (and several of the others) was the collection method we used once we located an insect. We used a device called – and no, this is not a joke or an innuendo – a pooter. The pooter has 2 tubes attached to a glass vial. You place a tube directly over the insect you want to collect, and with the other tube, which has gauze on the end, you suck up the specimen with your mouth. It's a pretty good way of getting at a lot of the smaller insects you find in leaf litter. Everything you collect (in the pooter or from any other method) goes into ethanol to be preserved until it can be examined in the lab. A few other techniques were beating (you literally beat branches and collect what falls from them), sweeping (you sweep over branches to catch any insects on them which can fly), and the yellow pan method (when left out overnight, the pan will catch flying insects which are attracted to flowers, particularly if the flowers they feed on are yellow). After setting our overnight traps, including pitfall traps, which are vials of ethanol put in pits to let the insects fall right in, and collecting from the more immediate methods, we headed back to camp.

After lunch, our project presentations, and dinner, we headed out for another magical night walk. This one, however, was not to spot mammals (although we did see a ring-tailed possum on the way to the gully) but to go see glow worms. The glow worms are actually not worms at all but the larvae of a fly. They are predatious, and catch their prey by attracting them with their glowing bodies. They excrete sticky threads that the prey get stuck on when drawn to the light. They then turn their body lights off and eat the prey, before turning their lights on again to wait for more prey to fall into their trap. The glow worms are unique to this part of the world and generally live in gullies such as the one we hiked to because it is constantly moist there, which they need to stay alive. Scientific facts aside, seeing the glow worms is a magical experience. We hiked down to the gully, sat down facing the opposite wall, turned off our flashlights, and hundreds of fairy lights were revealed to us. The lights were strewn all across the wall. It looked like a starry sky right in front of our eyes. After having our fill we took our flashlights to get a close up view, then hiked home, tired but satisfied, to get a good night's sleep.

And on that lovely note, that's all for me. I leave you in the capable hands of my fellow students to tell you all about our final days in Lamington Plateau and in Australia. Don't worry, we'll all be home in less than a week.

--Rebecca

All photos taken by Kathryn

A Strangler Fig and the tall rainforest canopy

Epiphytes on a rainforest tree

The eucalypt forest, as seen from a distance

Rainforest Bound

By Sara Rangel

We left Brisbane for Lamington Plateau National Park on Monday, April 11^th. The bus ride was only about two hours long, and it was through beautiful scenery. We drove our way high up a mountain until it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere, but, in fact, we arrived at a camping ground and resort once we reached the top. Lamington Plateau National Park is a subtropical rainforest, and as soon as we arrived we understood the ‘rain’ part to that equation. Immediately as we began to set up out surprisingly intricate tents it started pouring rain, and didn’t stop for the rest of the day. We ploughed through it though, and ended up accomplishing a lot within the first day we were there. We took a walk through the rainforest and up suspension bridges until we were at the top of the canopy of the rainforest. It was a beautiful view! During this walk we learned some preliminary information about rainforests from our lecturers, David Yates and Sarah Bell. We learned about epiphytes,, which are plants that grow on trees in the rainforest. One of the most interesting plants we learned of is the strangler fig tree. This tree starts to grow at the top of a host tree when its seeds are placed there by birds, and slowly it extends its roots down to the ground. Once it is established it actually ‘strangles’ its host tree to death. Once the host tree is out of the picture, the strangler fig tree is hollow on the inside. We looked at an example of this tree with the hollow inside, and it was amazing! This first rainforest walk was a great way to introduce us to our surroundings.

Later on our first day, we broke into two different groups (A & B) so that our activities for the rest of the week were done in smaller numbers. Group A went to the rainforest to set animal traps for the night. We set three different kinds of traps: wire, Elliot, and possum traps. Early the next morning Group A went out to look at the traps and identify the animals that were caught. There were many subtropical antechinuses, which are little marsupial mice. They were surprisingly cute! Other than that we caught a lot of bush rats, which were interesting, but also known for their pungent smell.

Both group A and B started field research studies on Tuesday. Group A studied the structure of the rainforest while group B studied the structure of the Eucalypt forest. The purpose of these studies was to compare the two forest types to see the differences in biodiversity. Also on Tuesday, both groups started to plan a second research project. This project is aimed at looking at rainforest plant and animal competition. Each group is doing something completely different and it should be interesting looking at all of the results. Some people are looking at fungi and lichen, others are looking at bird behavior, and still others are looking at epiphytes in the rainforest. All of these projects should turn out great results!

By the way, ever since the first day in Lamington it has been sunny and beautiful; we got lucky with the weather yet again. It is wonderful being out of the city and in such a remote and stunning area of Australia!

---

In all the Nooks and Crannies

By Allison Perry

Sand.  Sand is coarse, malleable, sticky, wet and quite abundant.  On Heron Island, sand is everywhere.  I scratch my head, there is sand.  I lay down in bed, there is sand.   Despite its annoying tendencies, sand is such a large part of everything that is Heron.  It tells a story of the island; where it has been, where it is going.  From simply feeling the sand between your toes you can tell which side of the island you are on and which way the wind blows.   Heron Island would not exist if not for sand.  I would not have had one of the most amazing weeks of my life if not for sand.  So sand, even though you will still be with me long after our return to the mainland, I appreciate you.  Grudgingly.

Heron Island is a coral cay.  This means that it is made up of millions of grains of ground up and eroded coral.  While living, coral creates the backbone of reefs and allows for all of the biodiversity to be sustained. When it dies, it becomes sand-like rubble, the major component of islands on the reef.  However, this cay construction means Heron is an island always on the move.  Grains of sand are different sizes depending on whether they reside on the windward or leeward sides of the islands.  This is the result of varying wind and wave pressure that affects areas on the island differently.  Throughout the week we all discovered what it felt like to be a piece of coral: we were constantly being buffeted by strong winds and an even stronger current.

It’s funny how quickly time passes here.  It probably has something to do with the saying that “time flies when you’re having fun”; so I guess, when it comes down to it, I would rather have time fly than not be having any fun.  On Heron Island, another week passed before our eyes.  We learned, ate great food, performed biology field studies, snorkeled, ate more food, watched turtle hatchlings erupt from their nests, and then had some dessert.  Even school here did not feel so school-like: when learning largely consists of snorkeling and taking reef walks, it is nearly impossible not to be engaged.

As the weather gods would have it, our last couple days at Heron were our nicest.  However, this beauty was slightly marred by the fact that the exam for the marine biology portion of our natural history course was set for Saturday morning.  This caused Friday morning to be spent in a state of studiousness, with (of course) a break for morning tea.  However, our work was all made worth it during the afternoon. 

Snorkeling has been something we’ve all had to become accustomed to during our week here. Even though I had begun this week fairly confident of my snorkeling abilities, I can now say that I am an extremely proficient snorkeler.  Friday afternoon we were able to go out on our second boat snorkel trip, and let me tell you that you can in fact tell when people are smiling underwater.  In short, it was amazing.  With the sun shining we were able to see further than we ever had before, and what was there took my breath away.  Or maybe that was just from the strength of the swells...  The boat allowed us to be on the outside of the reef flat, where life is more abundant and colorful.  Everything seemed bigger!  Five foot long fish, massive coral growths and schools consisting of thousands, made up a lot of what was living out there. 

But of course, a snorkel trip would not be the same without seeing a shark, right?  Never fear because I saw three.  White and black tipped reef sharks are intimidating from afar and exhilarating close up.  On one of my shark spotting experiences, I was, of course, doing exactly what we were told not to do.  I was a little further away from the group and definitely not with my snorkel buddy when I decided to duck-dive down to see what was below me.  As I was diving down, I saw a white tipped reef shark.  I quickly scurried back to the surface, signaled that there was a shark below but to my dismay he had already wandered off.  Nevertheless, this got the blood pumping and I was grinning from ear to ear.  I had seen a shark!  When back on the surface, the group compared dangerous animal sightings, a grand total coming to four sharks, a massive sting ray and, although it may not be particularly dangerous, a Green Turtle.  Energized and thrilled by an amazing snorkel we were then ready to get back to the books.

Well, almost.  Before I could get back into the studying mindset, I had to go to the resort and see what was happening in the island’s other time zone, a mere five minute walk away.  While there I had the “obligatory” fruity cocktail, sat by the pool and chatted with some other tourists.  At which point, the sun began to set.  Sunsets on this miniscule island are beautiful, and this one was no exception. 

The ultimate form of multitasking: Dick doing a little
 studying while taking in another beautiful sunset.

In the middle of dinner, a Heron Island researcher told us that he was going to release some laboratory-born turtle hatchlings into the ocean.  Naturally, we forgot about our food and rushed outside where we were allowed to hold and take pictures with the hatchlings.  Almost everyone got a shot with a turtle, and when it was time, we walked to the ocean and cheered them on as they took their first few strokes in the water.

Kathryn and John getting up close and personal

 with one of the laboratory green turtle hatchlings.

A hatchling turtle, from a different clutch than

 the laboratory bunch, meeting its first wave.

 At which point, it actually was time to study, pack and go to bed.

As fate would have it, Saturday morning dawned as beautiful as the day before.  After some last-minute reviewing, we sat down to our exam and came out of it relieved to have another test behind us.  With a little beach time, a light lunch, and some essential beach-side group shots, we were reluctantly ready to leave Heron.  We popped some very necessary Dramamine pills and then hopped onto the catamaran that was to take us back to Gladstone and from there, a bus to Brisbane.  Almost twelve hours later, with a quick stop in Gin Gin, Queensland for a bite to eat, we made it back into the city.  Our reunion with Brisbane was bittersweet; although it held promise of laundry facilities and internet access, it meant leaving behind our little piece of paradise.

All of us doing the sign for shark, taught
 to us for snorkeling purposes.

A last glimpse of the Heron Island jetty,

 that’s Australian for dock.

Sunday gave the group a much needed free day and a chance to catch up on the endless emails that had been accumulating.  A few brave souls made a day of it by visiting Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art, but most of us simply luxuriated in the quiet peace of doing nothing.  Showered, rested and with the sand out of almost every nook and cranny, we are now ready to face everything that Lamington Plateau has to offer.

One of the exhibits at the Gallery of Modern Art.

Sleeping Sea Turtles

By Emily Katzman

            Greetings from Heron Island, on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef! I am writing this blog entry from the top bunk of a bed in the Heron Island Research Station, located on a coral cay—a relatively small, unfixed pile of calcareous coral skeletons—60 kilometers off the Queensland coast. The best word I can use to describe Heron Island is ‘paradise.’ The consensus among us is pure happiness: we’re taking in sights that could rival a postcard, eating like royalty, snorkeling daily, and learning about the largest coral reef system in the world. Yet only two weeks remain of the Australia spring 2011 program, and most people are having a difficult time accepting that reality.

            Heron Island is paradise, but it is not immune to bad weather. Queensland is experiencing the rainiest summer in over one hundred years, and we’re feeling the effects out here. It was pouring the entire afternoon yesterday, but we didn’t let the water interfere with our plans (more on that later). I am pleased to report the sky cleared up in the evening, and it was clear enough to view the sunset, and later, the arch of the Milky Way bend across the entire night sky.

            Wednesday was quite a day! We began with a lecture by marine biologist/conservationist Tim Stevens on the ecology and identification of reef fish. There are 92 families of bony fish and 19 families of sharks and rays on the Great Barrier Reef. We learned key characteristics of only a few of the most common families of reef fish, including wrasses, parrotfish, butterfly fish, damselfish, groupers, and gobies. Then we immediately put what we learned in that lecture to practice, in a snorkel on the reef flat. The coral was spectacular. We saw colonies of branching coral that extended far past the eye could see, and brain corals the size of boulders. The current was incredibly powerful though, and grew increasingly more so throughout the course of the snorkel. Attempting to swim against the current in the direction we were supposed to head was futile, and most groups abandoned the cause after about 45 minutes.

An afternoon snorkel provided us with another chance to observe the reef ecosystem we’ve been learning about. This time we took a boat to the leeward side of the island for a drift-style snorkel to a spot on the reef edge called Blue Pools. Drift snorkeling took a lot of the stress and frantic fin flipping out of our snorkeling experience: the boat dropped us off and we simply let the current push us along the reef edge until we reached Blue Pools, a deep but protected inlet along the edge. The boat followed us from a distance and picked us up when the snorkel was over. While all this sounds quite pleasant and serene, I must stress that while we were suiting up and riding over to our snorkel spot, we were caught in a torrential downpour that changed the color of the water surrounding the island from crystal aquamarine to dreary shades of gray. The cold, ominous weather lowered the group morale a bit, but once we were in the water and snorkeling, I (and I’m assuming most people) forgot all about the miserable weather. 

Jumping into the water and taking the first look at my surroundings took my breath away because the depth of the water and my inability to see the bottom shocked me. Once Melanie (my snorkel buddy) and I reached the walls of coral that compose the reef edge, we immediately observed that there were even more animals there than on the reef flat, and some were different from the usual suspects we saw on the flat. We saw a metre-long grouper on the sand, delicate orange anemone fish, various flashing rainbows of parrotfish whizzing past, and dazzlingly yellow butterfly fish pecking delicately at the coral. My personal favorite is a species of damselfish: they swim in very large schools that look like diffuse glittering blue clouds below. They’re only a few centimeters long and an electric sky blue color. These fish are not timid like most of the fish we observed, which gave me the opportunity to get a good look at them. Most people in the group were lucky enough to see a powerful reef shark swimming below. I was keen on the shark, but the highlight of my snorkel was the two loggerhead turtles I observed. Drew and Ryan have both informed our readers about the turtle hatching events we’ve had the privilege of witnessing this week. After seeing the vulnerable, four-centimetre long hatchlings scurry through the gauntlet of gulls and ghost crabs out to sea, seeing an adult turtle was quite gratifying: it was a reminder how beautiful, massive, and powerful those hatchlings will become if the 1/1000 odds of surviving past infancy weigh in their favor. The giants we observed moved so slowly and gracefully in the water, and were prehistoric looking, like dinosaurs. They had the entire group mesmerized, to say the least.

Later that night we had the privilege of hearing a lecture on sea turtles by Tim Harvey, the manager of the Heron Island Research Station and founder of the Sea Turtle Foundation. Before coming to Heron Island, I had no idea I would ever in my life be able to watch sea turtle hatchlings scurry to the sea. But apparently, North Queensland has some of the most robust sea turtle populations in the world; the beaches of Heron Island are the nesting grounds for thousands of sea turtles each year. Heron Island is home to three of the world’s seven sea turtle species: the Green, Loggerhead, and Hawksbill sea turtles.

While the sea turtle population on the island is stable compared to other places in the world, it has declined significantly over the past 90 years. From 1923 until 1932, Heron Island had a turtle soup cannery on it. Then, after the tourist resort was established in 1935, a popular holiday pastime here was turtle riding. I’m not joking: tourists used to wrangle nesting turtles on the beach, flip them over so they were incapacitated, and then come back the next morning to attach bridles around their necks that allowed people to literally surf on the turtles’ backs.

I’m happy to report the tourists on the other side of Heron Island (we’re on the research side!) don’t partake in such activities anymore, though turtles are still faced with numerous threats that extend far beyond the seagulls that pick them off at birth: many are struck by boats or caught as by-catch due to certain practices of the modern fishing industry, including the use of purse seines and trawlers. Others are injured or killed by renegade fishing line or ghost nets (old, unattached nets that float around and indiscriminately trap everything in their path). Rubbish and runoff are harmful to turtles too. Many turtles suffer from a disease called fibropapiloma, which is caused by pollution runoff from hog farms. Other sea turtles have been found with rubbish in their stomachs or caught around their necks. Sea turtles have existed for approximately 120 million years, but because of human impact on the marine environment, they are threatened by extinction.

Like Wednesday, Thursday was an academically and experientially stimulating day on the island. After brekkie Tim gave us a lecture on the life histories of reef fish. This lecture explored the varying reproduction strategies of different fish in the coral reef ecosystem. We learned that sharks and rays are gonochorisic, meaning they do not undergo sex change throughout their lifespan. In contrast, most bony reef fish are hermaphodites. Protogynous fish are born female but may become male when they reach sexual maturity. Protoandrous fish are the opposite, changing from male to female. One fascinating example of a hermaphodite reef fish is the wrasse, from the family Labridae. These fish have a complex social system in which one male lives with a harem of females. If the male dies or is removed from the group, the dominant female will undergo a sex change and replace the lost male. This transformation occurs incredibly rapidly: only a few hours after the male has been removed, the dominant female begins showing male colors. Within a few days she is a fully functional male. 

During our time on Heron Island, students have been responsible for undertaking two field study research projects. Most of Thursday morning was dedicated to going into the field to gather data for our various research questions on reef fish. Then we presented our findings that afternoon. I was in a group with Melanie, Delaney, and Rebecca. We were interested in reef fish feeding frequency and how it relates to different species’ defensive strategies. In order to collect data, we went snorkeling on the reef flat and compared the feeding frequency of butterfly fish to that of damselfish. Our observations did not support our hypothesis, because we found that while the two species feed in quite different ways, they both feed more or less constantly. Our research question was interesting and relevant, but we had a difficult time collecting data. This project gave me renewed appreciation for marine biologists, because collecting data on fickle and/or timid fish while battling a strong current and keeping track of the tide schedule is not easy!

I was interested to see what other groups found in their field studies. Marni, John, Hanah, and Katy observed fish schooling behavior, and whether or not it was correlated to coral type. Their observations did not support their hypothesis; fish do not tend to school more on one coral type than another. Anna-Brooke, Ryan, Allison and Drew studied butterfly fish feeding strategies, and whether or not the fish prefer a certain type of coral. Their field observations supported their hypothesis; butterfly fish prefer branching coral, probably because the coral is small enough for their minute mouths. The research question for Dick, Jared, Kathryn and Sara’s group was similar, only regarding parrotfish. They wanted to know what type of coral parrotfish prefer to eat. They found overwhelmingly that parrotfish prefer branching coral. The parrotfishes’ preference—like that of the butterfly fish—may relate more to mouth shape and structure than anything else. 

After the sunset and dinner came the highly anticipated night snorkel. This may sound like a dark and dangerous activity, but don’t worry readers, we were looked after very carefully. To prepare, we suited up, attached glow sticks to our snorkels, grabbed our underwater flashlights and made our way down to the jetty. From there we were dispatched in the harbour in groups of five or six, and led by an expert. Night snorkeling is completely different from snorkeling during the day (especially when it’s sunny). It’s difficult to explain what I mean, but it just feels different: instead of seeing a busy reef with countless species of fish swimming in all different directions, at night it is still. That does not by any means imply the reef is lifeless at night, but the fish that are typically darting about during the day are asleep. Also, the nocturnal fish are much better at hiding and making their presence unknown. The coral looks different too; it is an eerie, ghostly white at night, because the sunlight—which gives it so much of its color—is absent. The various snorkel groups all saw giant sleeping sea turtles. One person described them as small submarines on the sand bottom. Our presence woke some of the turtles, however. Drew and Dick had a special moment with a turtle that swam with them, and then came right up to them on the surface and looked them both in the eyes. At night one can observe coral polyps feeding (it looks like they’re blooming), plankton floating, and fish sleeping. Looking up at the crisp night sky and seeing the Milky Way, the Southern Cross, and the crescent moon, and then putting my face into the water and observing a huge puffer fish on the Great Barrier Reef, provided me with a reminder that 1) I am in Australia, and 2) I am a very small human being in a very large ocean, world, and universe.

            Having moments like that make me love and value traveling so much. With only 11 days left in Australia, I have been reminiscing about our time spent learning about this spectacular country. We have seen so much beauty—from the orange and red hues of the outback, to the aquamarine shades of the Great Barrier Reef. I can only imagine the hues of green our eyes will take in during our time in the rainforest this coming week!

Reef Madness

By Ryan Kaszynski

April 4th and 5^th

Monday was our first full day on Heron Island. After breakfast Derek gave us a rundown of the myriad number of marine animals that can kill you, ranging from the nervous system debilitating poison of the cone snails to the instant and severe pain of the Box Jellyfish sting. After the lecture the group broke away from our morning teatime to walk the beach with Derek. By way of the Pisonia forest we arrived at shark bay beach, where sharks, rays, and an occasional turtle cruise by in the shallows. Heron Island, Derek told us, is bisected by the tropic of Capricorn, which means on our short walk across the island we had crossed from a Subtropical classification to Tropical classification. The area of land in these two classifications is constantly changing, due to the oscillating landmass of the Coral Cays. The sediment buildup that occurs between the shore and the reef wall eventually forms a new beach, while the other side of the island erodes away. The resort, which shares the island with our research station, had to construct seawalls to slow the pace of erosion to preserve its buildings.

Several species developed unique relationships to overcome the low nutrient soil and high competition of reef life. We learned how the white hooded noddy nests in the branches of the Pisonia tree, whose seed burrs stick into the feathers of the noddy. The seed laden bird flies from island to island and eventually is tangled with too many burrs to fly.  The decaying body of the noddy provides the necessary nutrients for the Pisonia to grow, which in turn makes more nesting space for the noddies. On the reef, we learned about a symbiotic relationship between a gobbie and a shrimp. The shrimp, which has poor vision, digs a burrow while his housemate, the gobbie, keeps watch with keen eyesight. The shrimp keeps one antennae on the gobie at all times so he can hide from preditors.

All these species depend on the energy created by the photosynthetic algae zooxanthellae in coral tissue. When the coral is stressed, it expels the zooxanthellae and turns white. The symbiotic relationship between coral and algae, which is the primary producer of the ecosystem, underpins all animal life on the reef. Coral only grows at a rate of 7 meters vertically every 1000 years, which means that the pace of sea elevation due to global warming will soon outstrip the growth of coral. Sunlight will have difficulty penetrating the surface to reach the zooxanthellae, and the coral will die. Indonesia and Papua New Guinea boast 500 to 600 distinct species of coral, while the Great Barrier Reef only contains 300 distinct species of coral.

Flora and fauna have hurdles beyond the geographic isolation of an island. Derek picked up a monkey-puzzle nut, which thrives in a mangrove environment. “Just because a species can get to the Island,” Derek told us, “doesn’t mean it can survive there.” We witnessed the struggle for survival firsthand when our group came across a baby turtle making its way towards the ocean in the light of day. We all cheered as the baby turtle slipped into the water and swam out to sea. One of the screaming gulls scanning the shallows spotted him, however, and in a moment of horror, plucked his body from the water and carried him off inland. Our piece of mind was rattled again later that day by the sound of baby turtles smashing into the kitchen roof.

After an introspective lunch, we laboriously pulled on our blue, full body, skintight sting proof suits and took to the water to collect data for our projects. Despite the lack of a full range of motion, we went about collecting data on Sea Star population density. In our presentation that evening, we explained how the Blue Sea Star, of the family Linkea, has the unique ability to asexually reproduce by splitting away from an arm. While other starfish, such as the brown sea star (family Naroa), have the ability to regenerate lost arms, a disembodied arm of the Blue Sea Star has the unique ability to generate a new body disk. One presentation examined sea cucumbers, and another examined populations of various classifications of coral, such as branching, digitated, massive, soft, solitary, and plate.

 On Tuesday we said our goodbyes to Derek. Tim Stevens, our new professor, began his afternoon lecture explaining Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone, which encompasses a vast amount of ocean territory ranging from -10 to -50 degrees longitude. Tim told us that the reefs we have today originally came from low-lying hills. As the ocean rose and flooded these areas coral began to form and decay, accumulating as sand after passing through the gut of the parrotfish. This sand elevated the flooded area until it became a beach. Because coral have had to adapt to sun exposure, a common ingredient in UV sun block is derived from coral mucus. However, too much exposure to elevated water temperatures or abnormal amounts of fresh water can lead to coral bleaching. Bleached coral can be examined on a 1-6 scale, which depicts 1 as ghostly white and 6 as dark in color. Coral growth is hindered by farming runoff, which gets washed into the ocean in the wet season and circulates among coral populations via the South Pacific Gyre.

The North pacific Gyre, South Pacific Gyre, North Atlantic Gyre, South Atlantic Gyre, Indian Gyre, and Antarctic current make up the general flow of water in the earth’s oceans.  Southern humpback whales travel on the Antarctic current to birthing grounds in the Great Australian Bight, then south to the feeding grounds off Antarctica. Many sea turtles use these gyres to travel great distances from their birth beach to their feeding area and back. Due to high mortality rates, fishing rigs were required to use what fishermen call the Deck Hand Elimination Device, a metal chute that diverts turtles away from the catch. Because coral reefs are so biologically diverse, the practice of purse netting and other unselective fishing techniques has had disastrous effects on the ecosystem. Between climate change, runoff, and overfishing, humans are overwhelmingly contributing to the decimation of the coral reefs.

If You Don’t Know What It Is, Don’t Touch It

By Drew Hubbard

            It was finally time for us to leave Brisbane and leave our wonderful and giving home stay families, but we still had one more day of research project presentations to do before we left. The anticipation to finally boast about our projects was running high, for we had been working diligently in the library for much of our stay in Brisbane in order to finish them. Eight presentations were done during this day; topics ranged from sustainable landscape management to the idea of portraying Australian national identity when catastrophes such as flooding occur. These were all chosen by each student’s individual interest in an area of study that explores the relationship between humans and the environment.

Emily Katzman researched whale exploitation and how whales were originally exploited for their oil (to burn in lamps and make soap). What was interesting is that she explained whale exploitation still occurs, but has been converted from killing the whales to using whale watching as a form of making a sustainable income off of whales. Several of the students, including myself, explored topics in which industries exploit the land for commercial goods. I did my project on a specific type of landscape management created by Peter Andrews that creates a sustainable and holistic agriculture layout, one that decreases salinity, water problems, and fertility problems in the Australian landscape. Anna-Brooke Gutzler talked about mining; it surprised me when she explained that Australia is one of two countries that can continually increase its carbon emissions under the provisions of the Kyoto treaty. Rebecca Snow explored the timber industry in Tasmania, which is currently very controversial because a new paper mill was recently approved there. Surprisingly, this mill will actually use more trees that are supposed to be protected while the company wait for non-native plantation trees to grow. They’re Antarctic remnant species and hardwoods, which is why they’re so special. There were many presentations, but for the sake of length I can only briefly describe the remaining topics: John Sweeney and Ryan explored the floods from different perspectives, while Marni Bates researched gold tourism in Ballarat, Victoria. Finally, Delaney did her project on how a certain Aboriginal group kept their ties to the land through their art.

After the presentations and the stressful week came to an end, it was clear that many of us were very excited for the upcoming week off. As we got ready to leave to each of our destinations, we said our goodbyes to our home stay families. As for John and my home stay family, it was difficult to say goodbye. They were such a giving and caring family, and Kathryn, Richard, “Dotty”, “Ikey”, and “Tom Tom” will be missed greatly. Since I’m very young at heart, staying with three children was a blast full of swimming, water gun fights, and even ballet lessons from “Dotty”. Let me say right now, she was a tough teacher and I quickly learned to “tuck my butt in,” “tuck my stomach in” and “keep my head up.” I now know one thing about ballet: it is extremely hard and very different from football, to say the least. Luckily, John gets to spend several more days with them after the program has concluded. If you’re reading this Deery family, know that you will be missed and thank you for everything and all the love.

As for the week off, I’m sure everyone had as much fun as I did relaxing and taking advantage of the beach and its refreshing warm water. The group I was in (John, Sara, Delaney, Emily, Hannah, Melanie) went to Byron Bay, New South Wales, and stayed for six days at what looked like an extremely interesting and peaceful hostel called the Arts Factory. It most certainly exceeded our expectations because it was like a special little hippie paradise. This hostel rests on five acres of land and many of the actual rooms are funky abodes such as teepees and even an old “groovy bus” converted into a room. Bryon Bay is an extremely popular tourist area for this hippie vibe, so we met primarily people from all over the world except Bryon Bay. Needless to say, the people were great and the town was delightfully small and inviting. The ocean was very warm no matter what time of the day, and the waves are almost too big to body surf. That does not mean I didn’t continually try (and succeed every once in awhile), despite the many times I was smashed by waves and tossed around like a ragdoll. No broken bones and no stings, so we as a group did pretty well! Basically, the days were full of beach, writing papers and just relaxing and lying around in hammocks all day. It was exactly what we all were looking for and needed after several weeks of tests and presentations in Brisbane. As for the other groups, I do not know exactly what they did. Some people went to Noosa, which is located three hours north of Brisbane. It sounds like they did the same thing we did, just relaxing and taking a much-earned break.

It was a long journey all the way from Byron Bay to Gladstone, where students were to meet up and continue on to Heron Island together. In short, it took our group from six in the morning until midnight, when we arrived in Gladstone. It was quite the journey and by the end we all were tired, but we were welcomed by a small and quiet Gladstone. We did not get to know this town very well; we stayed only a night there. But, we were all excited to meet at the Gladstone Marina for the boat ride to Heron Island. What started off as excitement to see each other quickly turned into a struggle because the boat ride was…rough! I believe I speak for all in saying that there was no amount of travel sickness pills I could have taken to calm my stomach down from the giant waves the boat was hurling us through. A few students unfortunately puked, but many of us just clung to our seats with white knuckles and hoped it would be over soon. I know I wanted to jump up and celebrate when they said there were only 30 minutes left. My mindset completely changed when we made our way onto the dock and saw the beautiful coral reef surrounding an absolutely gorgeous island. As I’m sure most people did, I quickly forgot about that terrible boat ride and was just mesmerized by my surroundings. It was certainly the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life, and I wouldn’t believe someone if they told me a couple years ago that I would be seeing this with my own eyes.

We were then taken to the kitchen where we were fed basically like royalty by the ever fantastic cook Maggie. After this, we were given a brief lecture explaining how the research facility worked and what to do in emergencies. We were also told that the other side was a resort and to not venture over there too much, but I think we couldn’t be any louder and more disturbing to guests than the 100s of different bird calls sounding all day…and night! One of these birds even sounds like a crying baby, so it does sound quite strange when you’re listening for it. We then had our first lecture, which explained all of the glorious things found in the reef that can kill you or send you into such excruciating pain that you can drown. But no worries mate, we were quickly told these animals are only dangerous when you’re doing something dumb. These creatures include sea snakes, the Blue Ringed Octopus, the Stone Fish, a Jelly Fish and the more than occasional coral cut that can get infected. The Stone Fish caught my attention because it contains 13 spines that have poison sacs on them; these spines can penetrate basically through whatever is on your feet. Yes, many of these are extremely dangerous but that’s only if you are not doing what you are supposed to do. Basically if you don’t know what it is don’t touch it, and wait until our biology lecturer Derek Ball gives us permission to touch, taste or smell something.

The next lecture explained the basics about what makes up Heron Reef and the other creatures that use it as a habitat. I was surprised to hear that coral reefs are very specific and unique depending on where they are located; Heron Island is a special and particular type of coral reef found nowhere else in the world. Interestingly, coral reef is primarily made up of coralline algae, which are responsible for the majority of the production of limestone as cement to hold everything together. This is a symbiotic relationship in which the coral gives the algae a place to live while the algae supply the coral with sugar as well as cementing things together. The majority of coral reefs are actually composed of many different coral polyps, so they are actually a single colonial organism. It was so surprising to be taught about the vast biodiversity found within the coral reef, and the bizarre animals that inhabit it. Starfish for example feed by puking their whole stomach out; this stomach then surrounds the coral and “eats” the algae and then gets suck back into the sea star. The important thing to know about this lecture is the balance and role that everything plays within the ecosystem. Once one thing is affected, everything else is affected as well, because everything is in a dynamic relationship. This makes it very complex as far as the actual management of this ecosystem, which it is why it is so important to make sure that we are not affecting the environment significantly.

Dinner was absolutely wonderful, and I must say that I feel very spoiled to be feed so well after my week off. This is because my diet in Byron Bay consisted mainly of PB&J’s for breakfast and lunch! After dinner, several people within the group went out to see baby turtles try and start their rough journey from their nest to the ocean. Several people actually saw these little turtles emerge from their nest and march down the beach toward the water, but they had to be careful with their lights since they attract the poor little guys. If you are not paying attention, they will follow you and your flashlight all the way back to camp. They are not the smartest, but they are cute as hell! The reason they follow the light is because they’ve adapted to follow the moonlight out to sea. Because most of the group had been travelling all day, many of us went to bed rather early.

The second day of Heron Island was even more beautiful than the first, and we were in for some great treats! We all ate a fabulous breakfast and slowly woke up after several cups of coffee. Once we had our caffeine spike, it was time for another interesting lecture on the colonization of islands by plants and animals. It blew my mind to realize that 37% of threatened and endangered species rely on island habitats, which means those habitats must be managed very carefully in order to preserve them. It may come as a surprise to some, but the sand on Heron Island is actually composed of skeletal remains of dead organisms. Yes, this means it is not the finest sand in the world but it’s still utterly beautiful. This island is actually a coral cay, and was formed when wind blew the sand up into a concentrated area. Vegetation gradually established itself via water, wind, or was carried by humans or other organisms. The sand will gradually become a more fertile soil as decaying organic matter breaks down. Sadly, stupid tourists feed birds and this has created a major Silver Gull problem. This causes more predation on poor baby turtles because they are picked off one by one by these nasty birds. As you can tell, I don’t like them very much; besides, they are loud and annoying.

After the lecture, Derek then showed us around the island and pointed out several interesting biological activities that were going on as we walked by them. We learned about the Noddie bird that lives and nests in the Pisonia tree. The Noddie and Pisonia have a symbiotic relationship, in which the tree uses the bird as both to transport its seed and also benefit from fertilization. These seeds are very spiny and stick to the bird. Sometimes so many stick to the bird will actually become incapable of flying and starve on the ground, giving both a spot for the seed as well as nutrition for it to grow. Another interesting bird, the Shearwater, actually digs a rather deep hole into the ground and only lays one chick. These holes are easily collapsible, however and you must dig the chick out if you ever do collapse it because it will die if you don’t. On the way back we got the privilege of seeing a baby turtle race toward the ocean. These little guys are basically riding dirty because once they leave the nest, everything is out to get them. As we all cheered for this turtle, we saw it struggle to get over large rocks and it finally made it to the water. Our yelling quickly went from cheering to screams of horror as a silver gull (or murder, as I like to call them), snatched this little turtle and flew away with it. I would have intervened if I could, but since it’s a preservation area we have to let nature takes its course.

We then had the luxury of snorkeling in the harbor, where many of us saw exotic organisms. It was a learning experience for me, being my first time with fins, a snorkel, and exotic waters. I quickly learned how to get around in the water and not drown, and I personally saw a shark, lion fish and many other exotic fish. Others said they saw a very large manta ray, but sadly I didn’t get to see it. This was such an exhilarating experience, and no doubt none of us will forget how much fun it was to actually snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef! After this, we put our booties on and got to walk out through the coral reef flat. We saw firsthand how much biodiversity actually exists within the reef. It’s hard to explain everything we saw, but there was a wide range of different corals, sea cucumbers and starfish. These differences accounted for their abilities to defend themselves from predators and also defend themselves from waves. It was actually hard to keep balance walking through the narrow sand paths in between the corals. I found myself several times almost falling face first into corals, which I’m guessing would be rather painful. We did this walk in order to look for certain things we could explore for our science projects. It was quite an experience and aside from my worries of getting stung, I was so happy and grateful to have experienced it.

How could this seemingly perfect day end? Well, after dinner we all left as a group to search for baby turtles making their way from their nests to the ocean. It seemed like a rather slow day for turtle traffic at first, but as we were walking back I noticed a single turtle. This little guy was booking it toward the ocean, so I turned to show Andy, Philip and Nat. We were delighted to see a plethora of up to 40 baby turtles running toward our flashlights. I was so excited to see them and made sure to call out to the rest of the group to come and see. As everyone ran up to see, we all stopped and the little turtles crawled over our feet and followed our flashlights right into the ocean. Because baby turtles have a 1 in 1000 chance of surviving, seeing this happen certainly touched a full range of emotions. I personally like to think that every last one of those turtles made it out just fine! I believe I speak for everyone when I say this was definitely not a lazy Sunday late afternoon. This was an experience of a lifetime! Enjoy the pictures because they are pretty awesome.

This giant teepee was our funky abode in Byron Bay
 which saved us from the rain…sometimes.

Just kicking it in front of the Great Barrier Reef,
not a big deal really.

This is our badass leader Derek Ball who is basically
 teaching all there is to know about the coral reef. He is my hero!

This was the crew that went to Noosa, and they are
 riding the wind in the National Park.

This little guy has a 1 in 1000 chance to survive to
 adulthood, so that makes him all the cuter!

These suits are even more comfortable and ninja-like than
 they look! This pose was prior to many of us awkwardly stretching
 and doing karate as soon as the suits were on.

Anna-Brooke popping up for a peak during our snorkel session.
 By the way, the water is absolutely fantastic and warm.

5:30 sunrise over the most eastern point of Australia. I couldn’t
 have been more lucky to get this picture!

Last Lectures, Library Love, Endless Exams, and Profound Peer Presentations

By Anna-Brooke Gutzler

Friday morning, we all arrived at the GED office for our last session of lectures. During our first lecture, Mike Hefferan described to us the challenges facing the future of the Australian environment. Due to industrial processes and urban development that are driven by the increasing population of the country as well as growing wealth and consumption patterns, there is greater input of organic and inorganic compounds into the environment. This increase results in alterations of natural cycles and can cause a wide range of negative effects like biodiversity loss and climate change. Hefferan encouraged us to think critically about issues such as resource management of coal and water in Australia by using education, ethical business practices, and political pressure to reimagine the built environment to reduce further environmental detriment.

In the afternoon lecture, Australian Rainforests, Margie Mayfield discussed the unique characteristics of Australia's rainforests. While Queensland, Australia possesses the oldest rainforests in the world, 70 million years to be exact, these rainforests do not possess any primates. Bummer, huh? Well not really considering the rainforests in Australia are also home to sugar gliders, tree kangaroos, cassowaries, and micro and mega bats. Although rainforest ecosystems comprise less than one percent of land mass in OZ, microclimates along the Lamington Plateau, perched on the lip of an ancient volcano, produce a variety of rainforests from subtropical to temperate. These forests however, with their wealth of biodiversity, are under threat. Deforestation and invasive species are the main drivers of rainforest destruction in Australia.

Throughout our stay in Brisbane, some of us have been lucky enough to meet the wonderful families hosting many of our peers. This weekend, I had the privilege of further making the acquaintance of the Jells. Host family to Allison, Peter and Annette Jell (and their dog Molly) were kind enough to invite Allison, Kathryn and myself to a small town on the coast called Pottsville. A beach weekend, right before a final?, you may wonder in disbelief. No dramas though. In nearly typical fashion, our beach days were rained out, allowing plenty of time to hit the books. We were even able to study over meals as Annette and Peter shared with us their knowledge of the Australian way of life. Discussions of politics, demographics, and general Aussie quirkiness ensued.

Back in Brisbane though, our time had run out. For studying at least. Tuesday morning in the GED office, notebooks were open and dates were repetitiously mumbled up until the final minutes before filing into the classroom. Suffice it to say, after a full day of test taking, a collective sigh of relief was had by all. In addition to our sigh, many of us shared a celebratory schooner (or maybe it was a pint) at the Fox pub down the street.

Many of us rallied at the library the next day, some of us from open to close, to work diligently on our research papers and the parallel presentations slated for Thursday and Friday. It was a long day, but from the looks of it, that day was worth it. Thursday saw the first eight research presentations.  We were all excited and enthusiastic to present our topics as well as learn about the research our peers had been preparing and conducting since January. Our assignment was to explore the many ways that relationships with the environment can be expressed in Australia. The topics were diverse, ranging from policy in the Murray-Darling River Basin to the life and times of Australian artist Margret Preston. For instance, environmental studies major Hanah explored the relationship between Australians and the environment since European settlement through architecture. She detailed the construction of Indigenous Australian dwelling and their use of native materials to contrast the colonial British homes and buildings which were so maladjusted to the hot, dry climate of Australia. Around the time of Federation in 1901, architecture developed into a unique style incorporating large ventilating windows, terra cotta roof tiles, and large gardens. The opulence of this period, however, was reduced during the war years as building materials and skills were diverted toward the war effort, resulting in conservative architecture. Today, styles have evolved, yet focus on methods of conserving energy and water, as well as preparing for adverse weather conditions. An interesting example is the Queenslander home, which is built on stilts--providing protection from flooding--and incorporates a verandah, which allows for a liminal indoor/outdoor living space with a wrap around design to accomplish all-day shade.

BioChem major Katy highlighted the reason why we should always listen to mom when she tells us to wear sunscreen, as she conducted her research on UV induced skin cancer in Australia. Apparently, Australia has one of the highest incidences of skin cancer in the world. Since the 1960s the health concerns of skin cancer in Australia have resulted in public awareness campaigns like the 1981 “Slip Slop Slap” campaign that is still prominent today. Despite these campaigns, the rates of skin cancer are increasing today. This may be for a range or reasons such as a large Caucasian population, the social popularity of tanning, or the weak ozone layer above Australia. The exceptions to this trend, however, are the younger generations on whom the school sun education programs were and continue to focus. Nevertheless, skin cancer remains a major concern among Australians and the government is a major player in the fight against UV induced melanoma.

As you can see, this past week really touched a range of emotions. Relief is one emotion that comes to mind as we wrap up lectures, finish exams, present our research topics, and finish up our papers. Excitement is another, though, as we anticipate the coming week of independent travel! It will be sad to leave Brisbane and our wonderful host families but a few days on the beach is remedy for any condition. Noosa Beach, here I come!