Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation -June 2025 Update -

Applications for Lizard Island Coral Reef Study Tour 2025 close on 15 July 2025. Two trips:.- Study Tour for Teachers: 20-27 September 2025.- Study Tour for Students: 28 September to 5 October 2025. For more information go to

Water plays many important roles in habitat. It transports nutrients and sediments, can aid in the recruitment of new organisms, and can even influence how much energy organisms require to live within it.

Taxonomy is the science of naming species and understanding evolutionary relationships. Taxonomists revise the names of species as new information changes our understanding of a species. Learn more -

Reef corals at Lizard Island have been mapped since the early 2000s using traditional techniques and were at a historically low abundance and diversity following a sequence of disturbances in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

The reefs around Lizard were decimated between 2014 and 2017 – quite literally, less than one tenth of corals remained. This was caused by 2 category 4 cyclones, bleaching due to a marine heatwave and water temperature in 2017.

The Lizard Island Coral Reef Study Tour is an educational initiative of the LIRRF. Secondary students and teachers are offered a week-long immersive educational experience at LIRS, led by marine science professionals. #lizardisland #coralreef #LIRS.

After two years’ delay forced by COVID-19, they were able to make the first of two annual field trips to Lizard Island in 2022. Here is their report from that trip. Learn more -

The Station is well equipped to support field research, with boats, diving gear, laboratories, microscopes, a salt-water aquarium and accommodation. Your donations help maintain the facilities. Donate Now -

Since the program’s inception in 1984, the LIRRF has supported 122 Fellowships totalling about $1.5 million. We thank our donors for supporting these important Fellowships and the careers of the researchers.

The discovery that using vinegar (one of 3 chemicals approved by the Great Barrier Reef) delivered with a fine point needle to inject COTS has been hugely successful in increasing the efficiency of divers in controlling COTS numbers.

Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) are natural members of coral reef communities and their numbers erupt periodically into outbreaks. COTS consume coral much faster than it can grow so coral cover is substantially reduced.

“The GBR is constantly evolving in a world of disturbance, which means it is in a constant state of recovery. This gives us some hope for the future that some corals will be able to survive in a warmer environment.”.

This 5 minutes video gives a wonderful snapshot of how the Station was founded and what makes it unique. #lizardisland #LIRS #LIRRF #50years.

Sea spiders (Pycnogonida) are the closest relative of all arachnids without being an arachnid. Sea spiders and arachnids form a group known as the Class Chelicerata. There are 1,300 species of sea spiders.

The evaluation report, covering the period 2006-2020, highlights how the Fellowship Program contributes to building and maintaining a field research capacity within the marine research community both nationally and internationally.

Frank Talbot was the founder of Lizard Island Research Station in 1973. The first visits by scientists was in 1975. Vale Professor Frank Talbot AM (1930-2024). Photo: Copyright: Australian Museum.

In the past five years, from 2020 to 2024, there has been bleaching at Lizard Island every year.

To control or regulate COTS outbreaks, we need to understand every stage of their life-cycle. Early intervention during the initiation of new population irruptions of #COTS represents our best opportunity to effectively manage this threat.

Coral reefs are under threat due to a variety of factors such as climate change, disease, and declining water quality. #greatbarrierreef #lizardisland.