Bathymetric distribution and behaviour of two Sympatric species of Oligometra (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef

1990 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 551 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Vail
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Shallow Water ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Bathymetric Distribution ◽  
Fringing Reefs ◽  
Lizard Island

Two sympatric crinoid species of the genus Oligometra are abundant on fringing reefs surrounding Lizard Island. Both species were present over all depths investigated. O. serripinna was most abundant in shallow water (6-19 m), and O. carpenteri in deeper water (22-25 m). Variation in behaviour between these two species includes differences in feeding periods and orientation of arms during daylight hours.

Serious mortality in populations of giant clams on reefs surrounding Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef

1989 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 205 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Alder ◽  
R Braley
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Total Mortality ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Unicellular Organism ◽  
Giant Clams ◽  
Fringing Reefs ◽  
Lizard Island ◽  
Average Size ◽  
Tridacna Gigas ◽  
Gonad Condition

A survey of giant clams (family Tridacnidae) at Lizard Island fringing reefs on the Great Barrier Reef in July 1985 indicated that over the previous 6 weeks the combined total mortality for Tridacna gigas and T. derasa was 28% at Watson's Bay (WB) and 20% at the channel between Palfrey Island and South Island (P-S). Sporadic mortalities continued at intervals through to December 1985 when combined total mortalities at WB and P-S had reached 38% and 32%, respectively. By January 1987, mortality for these two species was 54% at WB and 51% at P-S. Deaths were not restricted to a particular size class and the average size of clams that died did not change with time during the study. Mortality rates for clams which had been previously biopsied for gonad condition and/or those induced to spawn with serotonin injection were not significantly different from controls. Distribution of dead clams was random to slightly clumped with respect to alive and dead clams within WB, and random within P-S. Results of heavy-metal analyses of tissues from moribund clams were similar to previous results for normal clams. The histopathology of tissues from six of eight moribund clams revealed an unidentified unicellular organism which was not found in Tridacna spp. from previous or subsequent samples from Lizard Island reefs or from other reef areas.

scholarly journals A unique taphonomic profile for Lower Carboniferous crinoids of western Canada and possible Recent analogs

1992 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 288-288
Author(s):  
Richard E. Terry ◽  
David L. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Shallow Water ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
High Abundance ◽  
Predatory Fish ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Visceral Mass ◽  
Lower Carboniferous ◽  
Lizard Island

During diving studies of comatulid crinoids at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, detatched but intact crinoid arms and arm groups were sometimes encountered on the substratum. These arms are thought to originate through autotomy or breakage during attacks of predatory fish that remove the calyx and visceral mass but leave the arms intact. Detached arms remain in a vital condition for several days but soon lose pinnules and fragment as decay ensues.Occurrence of intact, isolated arms and arm groups in the Banff Formation of western Alberta requires a catastrophic disturbance (not necessarily predation) followed closely, if not coincidently, with burial. The loose arms are preserved mostly as short, straight, distal arm segments (1–2 cm long) or sometimes as long, curved arm segments (2–4.5 cm). The arm groups range from complete arm rays to partial arm rays. If originally present, pinnules are still articulated to the arms and cover plates are preserved on most pinnules. Biserial arms with pinnules, uniserial arms and uniserial arms with pinnules occur in a 2:1 ratio to crinoids having that type of arm structure whereas cuneiform arms with pinnules have a 3:1 ratio of preserved loose arms and arm groups to calyces. Loose, single arms and arm groups account for 33% and 11%, respectively, of the identifiable crinoid remains for the western, deep-water Banff Formation crinoid fauna. Overall, this fauna shows an equitable range from complete articulated crinoid crowns with attached stems to loose isolated plates. The preservation of this fauna has both a time-averaged, accumulation component as well as an instantaneous storm deposited component as represented by both completely articulated crinoids and the high abundance (44%) of loose arms and arm groups. The comparatively anomalous abundance of loose arms and arm groups probably originated through breakage or autotomy coincident with the burial event.In comparison, the Gilmore City crinoid fauna of Iowa represents an obrution deposit with over 75% of the crinoid specimens preserved as complete articulated crowns with attached stems whereas the eastern Banff Formation crinoid fauna is preserved as a shallow-water, time-averaged accumulation of mainly isolated crinoid calyx plates (54%) and partial calyces (20%). However, both of these faunas have few preserved loose arms or arm groups (<4% for either fauna).

scholarly journals Blue Carbon stocks of Great Barrier Reef deep-water seagrasses

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 20180529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul H. York ◽  
Peter I. Macreadie ◽  
Michael A. Rasheed
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Shallow Water ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Blue Carbon ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Lizard Island ◽  
Sink Capacity ◽  
Shallow Water Species ◽  
Water Species

Shallow-water seagrasses capture and store globally significant quantities of organic carbon (OC), often referred to as ‘Blue Carbon’; however, data are lacking on the importance of deep-water (greater than 15 m) seagrasses as Blue Carbon sinks. We compared OC stocks from deep-, mid- and shallow-water seagrasses at Lizard Island within the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon. We found deep-water seagrass ( Halophila species) contained similar levels of OC to shallow-water species (e.g. Halodule uninervis ) (0.64 ± 0.08% and 0.9 ± 0.1 mg C cm −3 , 0.87 ± 0.19% and 1.3 ± 0.3 mg C cm −3 , respectively), despite being much sparser and smaller in stature. Deep-water seagrass sediments contained significantly higher levels (approx. ninefold) of OC than surrounding bare areas. Inorganic carbon (CaCO 3 ) levels were relatively high in deep-water seagrass sediments (8.2 ± 0.4%) and, if precipitated from epiphytes within the meadow, could offset the potential CO 2 -sink capacity of these meadows. The δ 13 C signatures of sediment samples varied among depths and habitats (−10.9 and −17.0), reflecting contributions from autochthonous and allochthonous sources. If the OC stocks reported in this study are similar to deep-water Halophila meadows elsewhere within the GBR lagoon (total area 31 000 km 2 ), then OC bound within this system is roughly estimated at 27.4 million tonnes.

Composition and distribution of larval fish assemblages in the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, near Lizard Island, Australia

1987 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 211 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Leis ◽  
B Goldman
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Shallow Water ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Larval Fish ◽  
Windward Side ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Reef Lagoon ◽  
Lizard Island ◽  
Downwind Side

Larval fishes of 96 families were represented in plankton samples taken in four seasons in 1979-80 and three seasons in 1981-82 from 11 sites in the Lizard Island region of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. Relatively few families dominated the catch: Apogonidae, Gobiidae and Pomacentridae constituted 53-76% of all larvae, depending on site. Several taxa including Labridae, Scaridae, Scorpaenidae, Serranidae and Synodontidae that were rare in previous larval fish studies were relatively abundant in open waters of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. Lagoonal and downwind sites in shallow water around Lizard Island had low proportions of old larvae, but the windward site had relatively high values for several families. Sites in the deeper, more open waters of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon generally had higher proportions of old larvae of most taxa in 1981-82 than did the Lizard Island sites in 1979-80. Although there were seasonal differences in larval fish assemblages, within any season there were only two or three assemblages in the study area. An assemblage dominated by pomacentrids, mullids, tripterygiids, apogonids and blenniids occupied a relatively small area of shallow water near Lizard Island reefs: in Lizard Lagoon, always on the windward side, and often on the downwind side. Another assemblage dominated by apogonids, gobiids, pomacentrids, labrids and engraulids occupied a very large area between Lizard Island and the outer barrier reefs, and occasionally on the downwind side of Lizard Island. Occasionally, a third distinct assemblage, dominated by scorpaenids, gobiids, callionymids, apogonids and engraulids, occurred on the downwind side of Lizard Island. Variability in assemblages at the downwind site was probably due to currents less favourable for retention of larvae than those at the other Lizard Island sites.

scholarly journals Wandinidae

Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2260 (1) ◽  
pp. 927-930
Author(s):  
J. K. LOWRY ◽  
H. E. STODDART
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Living Coral ◽  
Tree Island ◽  
Lizard Island

One species of wandinid amphipod is reported from the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. Wandin griffini Lowry & Stoddart is known from Lizard Island, One Tree Island and reefs on the Outer Barrier, living among rubble usually at the base of living coral. The species is rare in this habitat.

A new species of Stephanostomum Looss, 1899 (Digenea, Acanthocolpidae) with a bizarre oral sucker: S. adlardi sp. nov. from the common coral trout Plectropomus leopardus (Lacepède, 1802) (Perciformes, Serranidae) from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef

2007 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodney Bray ◽  
Thomas Cribb ◽  
Andrea Waeschenbach ◽  
D. Littlewood
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Oral Sucker ◽  
Ribosomal Rna ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Coral Trout ◽  
Lizard Island ◽  
The Common ◽  
Plectropomus Leopardus ◽  
A New Species

AbstractA new species of Acanthocolpidae, Stephanostomum adlardi is described from the serranid Plectropomus leopardus from Lizard Island in the northern Great Barrier Reef. It differs from all previously described acanthocolpids in the structure of the oral sucker which is extended into dorsal and ventral lobes each bearing a row of spines. A phylogenetic tree estimated from combined nuclear small and partial large ribosomal RNA gene sequences shows that, despite the unusual oral sucker structure, the species is a true member of the genus Stephanostomum. The molecular results also suggest that Monostephanostomum nolani is derived from within Stephanostomum.

Population estimates and size structure of Plectropomus leopardus (Pisces : Serranidae) in relation to no-fishing zones: mark-release-resighting and underwater visual census

2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 221 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Zeller ◽  
G. R. Russ
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Visual Census ◽  
Underwater Visual Census ◽  
Coral Trout ◽  
Population Size Estimates ◽  
Lizard Island ◽  
Plectropomus Leopardus

A mark–release–resighting (MRR) technique was used to estimate population size of the coral trout, Plectropomus leopardus, on coral reefs fringing Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Fish were captured by hook-and-line fishing, and marked with individual freeze-brand numbers in August 1995. An underwater visual census (UVC) technique was used during September and October 1995 both for resighting of marked fish and to make an independent estimate of fish density and thus population size. The study area was 750 966 m2 . The UVC sampled 154 000 m2 (20.5%) of this area. Six different methods of analysis of MRR gave similar population size estimates (e.g. Petersen 12 873; 95% CI 9989–15 754) extrapolated to the 4.5 million-m2 reef area from datum to 20-m depth around Lizard Island. UVC gave a population size estimate (24 182; 95% CI 21 860–26 504) twice that of MRR. The lower estimate derived from MRR may be the result of tag-induced mortality, or of the relative difficulty in discriminating between marked and unmarked trout by UVC. This is only the second estimate of population size of coral trout on an area of the Great Barrier Reef.

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