LISTEN SHOWS MUSIC CONCERTS CONTESTS SUPPORT LOCAL ON DEMAND SEARCH Great Barrier Reef explodes with cacophony of colour during massive spawn Staff The Associated Press November 25, 2021 1:16 pm WATCH ABOVE: There was an explosion of colour and life at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on Tuesday night after marine scientists witnessed the corals fertilizing billions of offspring by casting sperm and eggs into the Pacific Ocean. The spawning event is expected to last two to three days. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is spawning in an explosion of color as the World Heritage-listed natural wonder recovers from life-threatening coral bleaching episodes. Scientists on Tuesday night recorded the corals fertilizing billions of offspring by casting sperm and eggs into the Pacific Ocean off the Queensland state coastal city of Cairns. The spawning event lasts for two or three days. The count down is on! In a dazzling display, just after a full moon, the @gbrmarinepark comes alive with the spectacular annual synchronised coral spawning. Get involved in citizen science by sharing your #coralspawning2021 sightings: https://t.co/stpeKc8H31. #LovetheReef pic.twitter.com/6aUprIJNcT — Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (@gbrmarinepark) November 19, 2021 The network of 2,500 reefs covering 348,000 square kilometers (134,000 square miles) suffered significantly from coral bleaching caused by unusually warm ocean temperatures in 2016, 2017 and last year. The bleaching damaged two-thirds of the coral. Gareth Phillips, a marine scientist with Reef Teach, a tourism and educational business, is studying the spawning as part of a project to monitor the reef’s health. Corals fertilize billions of offspring by casting sperm and eggs into the Pacific Ocean off the Queensland state coastal city of Cairns, Australia on Nov. 23. Gabriel Guzman / The Associated Press “It is gratifying to see the reef give birth,” Phillips said in a statement on Wednesday. “It’s a strong demonstration that its ecological functions are intact and working after being in a recovery phase for more than 18 months.” “The reef has gone through its own troubles like we all have, but it can still respond — and that gives us hope. I think we must all focus on the victories as we emerge from the pandemic,” Phillips added. © 2021 The Canadian Press You May Also Like Top Stories Bryan Adams Reveals He ‘Tested Positive’ Twice ‘In A Month For COVID’ November 25, 2021 6:43 pm Prince William's remarks about African population condemned by critics November 25, 2021 4:50 pm Great Barrier Reef explodes with cacophony of colour during massive spawn November 25, 2021 1:16 pm Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson gifts his own custom truck to navy veteran November 25, 2021 12:33 pm Royal Family really not happy with new documentary's 'unfounded claims' November 24, 2021 3:32 pm More LISTEN LIVE Playlist THE KILLERS CAUTION 10:23PM BILLY TALENT RIVER BELOW 10:20PM GARBAGE ONLY HAPPY WHEN IT RAINS 10:16PM JULY TALK I AM WATER 10:12PM QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE NO ONE KNOWS 10:08PM View Full Playlist → Latest Bryan Adams Reveals He ‘Tested Positive’ Twice ‘In A Month For COVID’ November 25, 2021 6:43 pm Prince William's remarks about African population condemned by critics November 25, 2021 4:50 pm Great Barrier Reef explodes with cacophony of colour during massive spawn November 25, 2021 1:16 pm You May Also Like Rules & Regs Privacy Policy Terms of Use Advertising Standard Terms Advertise Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. Ad Choices Now Playing CAUTION The Killers Corus Entertainment Inc. and its partners use cookies and similar technology on our websites and applications. This allows us to gather information about the visitors to these platforms for the purposes of improving the performance of the platforms, research, marketing, content curation and serving advertisements that may be more tailored to each visitor's personal interests. Please see our Privacy Policy for a description of what data is being collected, the purposes of collection, the potential processing or storage of this data by third parties, and general risks and concerns that you should be aware of in making an informed decision. You may choose below to accept all cookies or only certain cookies in our Cookie Consent Tool. Accept