A new field guide has captured marine species shifts on the southern Great Barrier Reef – providing critical insights into the impacts of warming oceans and environmental change.
The guide was developed over six years of research and ecological monitoring on and around Lady Elliot Island, as part of the UniSC-led ‘Leaf to Reef’ research initiative .
Featuring 800 species across birds, sharks, rays, fishes, mammals and reptiles, it documents new records for Australian waters and species new to science.
Co-author, UniSC marine scientist Dr Christine Dudgeon, said the documentation of range extensions across many fish species provided a benchmark for tracking future ecological change on the Great Barrier Reef.
“It is likely the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide for the southern Great Barrier Reef, particularly for fishes,” she said.
A Field Guide to the Vertebrates of Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef was supported by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Reef Islands Initiative and Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort.
Great Barrier Reef Foundation Managing Director Anna Marsden said islands like Lady Elliot – the southern-most island in the Great Barrier Reef – were becoming increasingly important refuges for wildlife as the climate changed.
“This guide reveals just how much there is still to discover, from species newly recorded on the island to those entirely new to science,” she said.
“It’s a powerful reminder that healthy islands are fundamental to the resilience of coral reefs.”
Lady Elliot Island custodian Amy Gash said the guide was designed to help users identify wildlife and captured a living snapshot of the island’s unique and ever-changing biodiversity.
“It’s also a testament to the incredible dedication of the Leaf to Reef research team and the citizen scientists who have contributed to these findings over six years.”
UniSC’s Leaf to Reef research project is part of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Reef Islands Initiative, which brings together partners to protect and restore critical reef island ecosystems.
