Conservation Research
The Station was established in 1973 and has developed from a series of tents near the beach to its present form: three laboratory buildings, a flow-through seawater aquarium system, high quality boating and diving facilities and four self-contained visitor houses. This development has been brought about by the commitment of the Australian Museum to its goal of maintaining a world-class research facility on the Great Barrier Reef.
It differs from other research stations on the Great Barrier Reef in that it has no direct financial support from government. It is funded by fees paid by visiting scientists, private donations to the Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation, the Australian Museum Trust, and profits from the sale of merchandise and guided tours.
About 60 different research projects are carried out each year by professional scientists and postgraduate research students from Australia and overseas. Most visiting researchers study the biology and ecology of reef organisms, although some geologists and terrestrial biologists also use the Station. This work has resulted in over 600 scientific publications to date. The knowledge is available to reef managers worldwide who use it to develop plans for conservation of coral reefs.
A major research theme at the Station is the ecology of larvel reef fishes. Much of the groundbreaking work in this field has been conducted at Lizard Island and it has important application to managing valuable reef fisheries. Other significant fields of research being carried out include:
- the physiology and ecology of herbivorous fishes;
- long-term dynamics of coral communities;
- development of drugs from toxic reef animals;
- effectiveness of marine protected areas in conserving exploited fish stocks;
- vision and communication in reef animals.
The Research Station also plays a role in educating people about coral reefs. It hosts groups of school and university students led by instructors from their own institutions. Through a combination of lectures and supervised field trips, these students learn about the reef eco-system in the best possible way.
About 2000 tourists also visit the Station each year, including guests of Lizard Island Lodge as well as people from cruise ships, yachts and the campground.
If you wish to visit the Research Station, tours are conducted regularly by appointment. Special private tours can be arranged with the Lizard Island Research Station at extra cost.