Would your child ever forgive you if all the clown fish died? There were no more playful red crabs? And the migrating turtles that lay their eggs on the same beach as they were born on, ceased to exist? Did you know that parrot fish aren't just a kaleidoscope of colour; they actually use their beak to recycle dead coral into thousands of tonnes of sand.
When you see the fire-works on the ocean surface light up with its own glittery phosphorescence & the fluorescent dancing nudibranchs, there is nothing quite as magical!
Every living creature on the Great Barrier reef has a purpose. Who would have thought that a tiny shrimp would clean the teeth of a Moray Eel? The amazing array of breathtaking coral species produces food and oxygen from the sunlight for the fish to survive on. Together this ecosystem miraculously continues to function and when there is an oversupply on one thing, such as female parrot fish, nature balances it out (in this case the dominate female metamorphosizes into the solo male of their school) for survival.
There is no show on earth as magnificent as the coral spawning which happens once a year & no other natural structure, so beautiful, seen from outer space then our Great Barrier Reef! Despite all of these age-old inbuilt survival mechanisms, our reef is actually now dying, bleaching and species are becoming diseased.
It's time the top of the pecking order, we, as humans, stood together and started work on repopulating reef gardens, regenerating nurseries of turtles & shells and doing our intricate part in protecting this critical amazing wonder of the world, on our doorstep!
The best way is through passion. Passion is not only born through education but nurtured through touching pools, aquariums and other rescue operations in Far North Queensland. This is what we are about- saving the reef for our kids and their kids to come! Going on island school excursions to really understand how clever an octopus is and how strong those giant clams can be! So much wonder and yet so very vulnerable. A bit like our children. So much to protect them from
We grew up in North Queensland on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. We grew up on fresh fish dinners, snorkeling on weekends, collecting seashells and driftwood treasures, chasing ghost crabs, and always looking forward to that next trip out in the boat with Dad.
We love the reef so dearly, that we created "More of The Great Barrier Reef" to inspire, educate and share our passion with others. It is not just another story of the ocean, it is a book full of our memories etched in our minds from our life experiences, on some of our most interesting marine life. We want to share this with you.
What does your child know about the creatures on the reef? Does the Crown of Thorns Starfish eat the reef? And does the Humphead Moari Wrass eat the crown of thorns? Is the Wrass protected? Did you know we have 6 out of the seven marine turtle species in the world living on the Great Barrier Reef? Have you seen a Spider Shell with eyes? That's the journey this book will take your children on.
If we can't sustain the reef's current status, we will be left with devastation, and our future generations will not be able to witness the wonder that is our Great Barrier Reef. Read this book to your child and start a conversation about conservation.
Our book will take you there and back and your adventure will teach you that this reef is part of our ecosystem to enjoy, explore, protect and fight for. Just like our perfectly created kids who we are reading this book to! Exactly like the kids we are reading this book to!