October 27, 2020 By Nick Kilvert ABC Science
Researchers have found a new reef that is as tall as a skyscraper in the waters off Cape York in North Queensland. The ‘detached’ reef is — the first to be discovered in more than 120 years — is around 1.5 kilometres long, and rises from over 500 metres deep up to 40 metres below the surface.
July 1, 2020 By Megan Gannon Smithsonian Magazine
Australia has a deep human history stretching back 65,000 years, but many of its oldest archaeological sites are now underwater. In an encouraging sign that Aboriginal artifacts and landscapes may actually be preserved offshore, archaeologists have discovered a 7,000-year-old site submerged along Australia’s continental shelf, the first of its kind. Their discovery is outlined today in the journal PLoS One.
June 26, 2020 By William J. Broad The New York Times
What lies off Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, in the Coral Sea? The region was mostly unexplored and uncharted until a recent expedition searched its dark waters, uncovering an abundance of life, weird geologic features and spectacular deep corals. The deepest forays reached down more than a mile.
June 25, 2020 By Liz Langley National Geographic
In Shark Bay, Australia, bottlenose dolphins that aren’t related have been observed teaching each other a new way to use a tool, a behavior that until now scientists have found only in humans and other great apes.
May 27, 2020 By Australian Institute of Marine Science SciTechDaily
Big and strong cyclones can harm coral reefs as far as 1000 kilometers away from their paths, new research shows. A study led by Dr. Marji Puotinen from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) sounds a warning about the way strong cyclone winds build extreme seas that affect coral reefs in Australia and around the world.