Ana Roden
Our two weeks on Lizard Island flew by in days filled with feet bare in the sand, the winter Australian sun on our faces, and our minds poised in anticipation of what we would be taught next by the world beneath the waves. We began our time on Lizard Island with Dr. Morgan Pratchett of James Cook University, who spoke to us about the past, present, and future of coral reef ecosystems in the Great Barrier Reef. Like the Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples whose land and way of life was taken by Western foreigners, coral reefs across the globe are harmed by colonization and human activity in the modern world. However, relative to the Caribbean, in this part of the world the reefs are not being lost to pollution, eutrophication, disease, and ecological phase shifts. As human-burning of fossil fuels works to warm and acidify our oceans and increase the prevalence and intensity of cyclones, the GBR continues to experience death and recovery in remarkable, but sobering, displays of hardship and resilience. Morgan described this phenomenon as a “Boom-and-Bust” pattern of Acropora corals, a fast-growing genus that Morgan bluntly categorized as “weeds” of the reef due to their fast growth but low resilience in the face of intense disturbance, such as mass-bleaching events or cyclones. As we explored coral taxa with Morgan in Clam Gardens, Mermaid’s Lagoon, and Turtle Beach, it became clear that the fate of the GBR remains uncertain. Reefs do not experience succession in the same way that terrestrial or even marine plants do; there is no true pioneering species that can quickly recover and build the ecological foundation for more resilient species. While climate change is a global environmental justice problem, the importance of maintaining biodiversity on the reef (i.e. through intentional and responsible restoration efforts), limiting local co-stressors (through governance and local community engagement), and collaborating with traditional Aboriginal knowledge cannot be understated and are goals within the reach of scientists and citizens alike. In the days following the conclusion of the course, I cannot help but reflect on the inherent interconnectedness of colonization, degradation, Aboriginal rights, climate change, and coral reef loss in Australia. These things are bound together, not separate issues, but inherently interconnected strings of history, consequence, loss, resilience, and strength.
After our time with Morgan, we received lectures from Drs Rob Whitehead, Jenny Malon, Brad Eyre, and Tyler Cyronak. All biogeochemists, but each with their unique perspective and message to us students. Jenny spoke to us about her career path and her outreach work in the Caribbean, encouraging us to reflect on our positionality in the world as researchers who travel to other parts of the world to conduct our science. Rob, Brad, and Tyler gave us a crash course in carbonate chemistry and biogeochemical cycling in the tropical marine environment and allowed us to try out a small experiment using benthic incubation chambers. After these introductions, we were left with 7 days to design and conduct a small research project in pairs. Kenzie and I worked together to sample two different mangrove-reef systems and collect carbonate chemistry data from the water column and porewater samples. In practice, this was an excellent exercise to go through as an early PhD student. It was really my first time going through all the steps of the scientific research process on my own, and I learned a lot from it!
When we weren’t in the classroom or the field, our time on Lizard Island was filled with sunset beers, homemade cooking, Pirates of the Caribbean movie nights, Marlin Bar excursions, and general hanging out (with a sprinkle of tomfoolery), sharing our knowledge, stories, and excitement to be where we were together. Before we knew it, the time had come to leave Lizard Island as we came, on a small 8-person charter plane over the reefs, holding our breaths tightly as the plane shuddered through the clouds. We stopped in Cairns briefly to change planes, and then we were off again. Our next and final stop was Townsville, where we would visit the Australian Institute of Marine Science (sooo cool), the Billabong Sanctuary (koalas!!! kangaroos!! cassowaries!!), and James Cook University. At JCU, we attended a social science workshop with Dr. Jaqueline Lau. Jaqueline prompted us to have an enriching conversation about the different ways that science/researchers can interact with the community: outside of, in service of, and in coordination with community. Social science (and collaboration with social scientists) can be a powerful tool to build relationships with the communities within which you are conducting environmental research. The last day in Townsville was allocated to data analysis and presentation work. Kenzie and I headed to the Townsville City Library to code our data in R, go through photos, and put together our slides. The course concluded with final presentations in the Rambutan Hotel lounge. Everyone knocked it out of the park!
I am so grateful to Tyler and everyone else who made the experience what it was. It was truly an enriching and thought-provoking opportunity, and as a bonus I came away with some new skills in carbonate chemistry (sweet!!).