Beneath the surface in Cleveland and Halifax Bays lie diverse and abundant coral reefs.
Whether you’re hopping in a tinny, boarding a ferry, or paddling a kayak, you can reach several coral reefs that are found between Pelorus Island in the north and Magnetic Island in the south. The reefs at Townsville’s doorstep host over one hundred coral species, from fast growing 'branching' corals to dome-like 'massive' corals that are hundreds of years old and several metres wide.
Today, our Partnership released a digital scrollytelling experience that celebrates the enchanting coral reef ecosystem. Every marine species, from plants to animals, plays a role in the health of this bustling kingdom.
‘Corals of the Townsville Region’ is a StoryMap where readers can dive in and explore the wonders and realities of corals on the Great Barrier Reef.
From residents, to rivers, to Reef
"Coral reefs are vital to both the environment and human life," explains our Executive Officer, Kara-Mae Coulter-Atkins. "They support nearly a third of marine species, safeguard coastlines from storms, provide food and livelihoods, and are deeply embedded in cultures worldwide.
"Yet, these ecosystems face numerous threats, many of which are linked to human activities. Since most people don't interact with the Reef on a regular basis, they often don't realise that our actions on land, right in our own backyard, can have a profound impact on local reefs."
Spanning approximately 2,300 kilometers along Queensland’s east coast, 35 major creek and river catchments drain into the Great Barrier Reef region.
“What enters our rivers or washes down the drain often ends up in the sea. Pollutants, like fertilisers and litter, can ultimately make their way to the Reef,” Kara-Mae adds. “This is why managing water in our catchments is so crucial.
“Collectively, across the organisations who form our Partnership, we gather data from the catchment to the Reef. This allows us to build a complete picture of waterway health and the ecosystems that rely on healthy waters in the Townsville Dry Tropics region.”
Behind the creation of a StoryMap
An ArcGIS StoryMap is a web-based application provided by Geographic Information System (GIS) software company Esri. It allows scientists and communicators to combine maps, multimedia content, and text to deliver engaging and educational digital stories.
‘Corals of the Townsville Region’ StoryMap was initiated by our previous intern Darcy Justin. Our Environmental Data Analyst Adam Shand took over the reins to get the StoryMap across the line. He also wielded the powers of the computer coding language ‘R’ to create various maps, including the visually appealing cyclone and crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) maps.
Why use R for mapping?
“R was crucial in building the cyclone and COTS maps, as they required a level of preprocessing to ensure the data was visually appealing and accurate,” Adam says.
“Visualisations like this help our community understand the spatial scale of the Great Barrier Reef and where threats, such as cyclones may have impacted the Reef.”
Our data analyst team also uses the open-source R to generate the extensive Technical Report behind our annual Waterways Report Card, leveraging the language’s powers of statistical analysis.
The new StoryMap is a project sponsored by Partners of the Healthy Waters Partnership and was developed thanks to the special expertise of Adam Shand and Darcy Justin, and an advisory team of Julia Saper, Jacinta Jefferies, Adam Smith, Tyson Schmid, Jodi Salmond, Andy Lewis and representatives from the Port of Townsville.
Revisit ‘Hydrology and Hydrodynamics of Cleveland Bay’ and ‘Guardians of the Bay’ to learn more about the ways of water and seagrass habitat in the Dry Tropics.