The Great Barrier Reef’s Mysterious Green Donuts: Exploring the seafloor of the ‘Halimeda’ Bioherms.
Speaker: Dr. Luke Nothdurft
Date: Wednesday 31st May, 2023
Time: 17:30 – 18:30
Location: QUT Garden’s Point, P-421 (Kindler Theatre)
Zoom Meeting ID: 819 668 3317
Agenda:
Come and join us for an exciting and informative public talk on one of the most intriguing environmental wonders on planet Earth – The Great Barrier Reef!
The Great Barrier Reef’s Mysterious Green Donuts: Exploring the seafloor of the Halimeda Bioherms
The seafloor of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is home to an extraordinary natural wonder – giant green “donuts”. These ring-shaped seafloor structures, which measure hundreds of meters in diameter, are actually the accumulations of countless generations of a shrub-like calcifying green algae (genus Halimeda) and the unique communities they support. Despite their significance, we know little about the processes that govern the distribution and development of these bioherms, their true biodiversity, and their role in carbon and biogeochemical nutrient cycling. In addition, as climate change continues to impact the Great Barrier Reef, understanding the fate of these bioherms is critical to protecting this fragile ecosystem.
In August and September 2022, we were part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists that set out on a research voyage on Australia’s Research Vessel Investigator to explore these enigmatic structures by mapping and sampling them in breathtaking detail. The HALO project (Halimeda Bioherm Origins, Function, and Fate) in collaboration with the Marine National Facility aimed to uncover how these bioherms formed over the past millennia and their significance in biogeochemical nutrient cycling and as modern habitats.
In this seminar, we will explore the fascinating discoveries made by the HALO project team. We will discuss the complex morphologies of these globally significant bioherms and how they serve as key habitats for benthic species between the coral reefs and the Australian coast important role they play in one of the world’s most critical biodiversity hotspots
Details:
| Location: | QUT GP, P-421 |
| Start Date: | 31/05/2023 [add to calendar] |
| Start Time: | 17:30 |
| End Time: | 18:30 |
| Enquiries: | Jayden Fryer (Project Officer): fryerj@qut.edu.au |
| Register: |