Great Barrier Reef - Agincourt Reefs

Another spectacular diving and snorkelling site is Agincourt Reefs, a collection of smaller reefs filled with colourful corals. Although they might appear like underwater rock gardens, these corals are actually living organisms. They are groups of tiny animals called polyps, the diligent workers that build our reefs. They have a sac-like body, a base that holds them in place, and a mouth at the top ringed with tentacles. On the edge of the tentacles are stinging cells that help capture their food in the form of zooplankton.

Inside a coral's tentacles are microscopic algae called zooxanthellae that absorb sunlight and convert it to food and energy, just like plants do. In return, the coral provides the zooxanthellae with a safe place to live. For this relationship to work, coral must live in shallow, warm waters giving the algae access to light to produce the food. The corals have transparent polyps, but the pigment that determines their bright colours is produced by zooxanthellae.

The Great Barrier Reef is home to more than 600 species of coral, a combination of both hard and soft. The hard corals are the reef-builders. They secrete calcium carbonate beneath their bodies that convert into rigid, rock-like structures. As the calcium carbonate builds up, the reef grows. One hard coral genus responsible for building many large reef structures is the Acropora. Recognisable species within the genus include plate coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Other recognisable species are brain corals, mushroom corals and tube corals. Their common names are often representative of their shape, making them easier to identify.

The soft corals, however, cannot produce calcium carbonate, so they cannot contribute to the building process. Resembling trees and plants, soft corals tend to sway with the ocean currents. Beauties in this collection include the candelabra coral, fan coral, toadstool coral, sea whip, and soft tree coral.

Every year, when the moonlight, saltiness of the water, and tide are just right, trillions of fertilised eggs are released into the ocean. After dividing into larvae, they float around for days or weeks before attaching themselves to a hard surface. As they grow into polyps, they reproduce and multiply until a coral colony forms.

Come dive with me, and let's see how many types of corals we can discover.



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