Coral puts on show at Heron Island

One of the truly amazing wonders of the Great Barrier Reef was on show at Heron Island last week – the annual coral spawning.

Largely dependent on having the right conditions at the right time for the spawning to occur, staff at The University of Queensland’s Heron Island Research Station were treated to a colourful and mesmerising display.

“It was one of the most amazing things I have seen,” said Collette Bagnato, Station Assistant (Scientific Services).

“This is one of the most important times on the reef and usually happens five to eight nights after the full moon in November but weather and temperature can delay this.

“The incredible thing is all the other animals spawn at the same time as the coral so there are millions of worms and fish feeding everywhere.

“You have to push them out of the way to actually see the coral.

“It gets so thick some time with the fish, worms and the coral spawn that I once nearly head butted the Island’s resident loggerhead turtle Ben because I couldn’t see him.”

UQ’s Heron Island Research Station has been established for more than fifty years and is Australia's largest, best equipped and most productive university-owned marine research station and is an international facility for coral reef research and student training in marine sciences.