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Lizard Island Research Station

Bookings are now closed

Note: ICRS 2012 is Monday 9 July to Friday 13 July 2012 in Cairns

Trip Location

The Lizard Island Research Station (LIRS) is a world-leading supplier of on-reef facilities for coral reef research and education. It is owned and operated by the Australian Museum.

Lizard Island is situated in the northern portion of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, 270 km north of Cairns, Queensland (14°40'S 145°28'E). It is a high granite island of about 7 square kilometres that is inhabited only by LIRS and a small resort. The Lizard Island Group comprises the main island and three smaller islands surrounded by fringing reef and enclosing a beautiful lagoon. It is in a mid-shelf location, 30 kilometres from the Australian mainland and 19 kilometres from the outer barrier reefs that line the edge of the continental shelf. Most reef and island types characteristic of the Great Barrier Reef are accessible from LIRS. The Lizard Island Group is highly protected - it is a national park on land and its waters are mostly within the Scientific Research Zone of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Number of People

Twenty people per trip including a maximum of ten scuba divers.

Trips 1 and 2 are Coral Identification Workshops

The two trips before the conference will be run as coral identification workshops by the Coral Identification Capacity Building Program (www.coralhub.info). The workshop is based around the Coral Finder Toolkit, a suite of proven, practical resources for coral identification. The workshop will be led by Russell Kelley (author of the Indo Pacific Coral Finder) and will involve audio-visual lessons followed by hands-on training, tutorials and field instruction. The Coral Finder uses a visual approach to coral identification that makes it possible for beginners to advance rapidly with little prior knowledge. Participants will learn how to use the Coral Finder to identify corals to genus regardless of growth form. Special emphasis will be placed on techniques for field identification, self-learning and problem solving. Case studies of how to proceed to species level identification will be demonstrated.  

For more background see www.coralhub.info/cicbp/coral-finder-workshop/

Trips 3 and 4 are exploratory visits

The two trips after the conference will explore the Lizard Island Group and visit the nearby outer reef. They will be led by the station’s directors, Lyle Vail and Anne Hoggett.

Cost to Participate in Australian Dollars

Full payment to be taken at time of booking.

Cost Inclusions for all trips

• Charter flights Cairns/ Lizard Island/ Cairns
• 3 or 4 share accommodation
• All meals, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks
  - breakfast and lunch are self-prepared and dinner is prepared by a cook
  - participants must help with the preparation and cleaning up of all meals
• Use of mask, snorkel, fins, lycra suit and short 5 mm wetsuit
• Snorkelling as detailed in the program outline, usually involving boat transport
• Guided walk to the island’s summit
• Internet access for 3 hours per person

For Trips 1 and 2, cost also includes

• Daily field and classroom instruction in coral identification
• Coral Finder Toolkit (valued at $137.50) which includes: 
• Indo Pacific Coral Finder (new and updated 2nd Edition with over 200 new images, improved learning logic and Coral Hub integration)
• The Coral Finder Accessory Kit (magnifying glass, underwater pencils, attachment / buoyancy shackle, rubber bands etc. for field use)
• A training DVD disc with 2 hours of training / revision / self testing movies
• Sundry workshop materials and stationery

For Trips 3 and 4, cost also includes

• An evening presentation about research at LIRS and local reef issues
• Day trip for snorkelling to two sites on the outer reef, 19 kilometres from Lizard Island. This may include the world-famous Cod Hole if tide and wind conditions allow.

Optional Additional Costs for all trips

• Scuba diving: $140 for first dive, $15 for each subsequent dive. Three dives are possible on Trips 1 and 2. Five dives are possible on Trips 3 and 4, including two dives at the outer reef. The cost includes regulator, gauges, BCD, tank and weight belt.
• Alcoholic drinks must be ordered in advance through LIRS and paid for by credit card
• Limited double or twin accommodation is available for an extra $100 per person
• Phone, additional internet.

Diving Preparation

• LIRS operates under regulations that meet Queensland law for occupational diving. Diving on this trip is not considered to be occupational because research is not being conducted. However, for consistency of operations, diving will be done under existing regulations with several specific changes related to qualifications, experience and supervision.
• All divers must have a rescue diver certificate or equivalent as minimum diving qualification, a current occupational dive medical to Australian Standard 2299, a log book showing at least 15 hours experience excluding training dives and including at least 2 dives in the past 12 months.
• AS2299 dive medicals are readily available in Cairns at a reasonable cost.
• All prospective divers must contact LIRS (lizard@austmus.gov.au) for a Diver Registration Form and additional materials. The form must be completed and submitted to LIRS with all supporting documents before 30 April 2012. The only exception is the AS2299 dive medical which may be obtained in Cairns and presented on arrival at LIRS. Documents may be scanned and emailed or copied and posted. Originals must be presented on arrival at LIRS.
• Divers will be accepted in order of submission of complying paperwork up to a maximum of 10 divers per trip.
• We strongly encourage you to enrol in the Divers Alert Network (DAN) Insurance program.

Climate and Water Temperature

Lizard Island’s climate in July is dry tropical winter with daily air temperature ranging from 22° to 26° Celsius (72 to 79° Fahrenheit) and low likelihood of rain. Southeast trade winds at 15 to 25 knots are a consistent feature. The water temperature will be 22-24° Celsius (72 – 76° Fahrenheit).

Research Activities

People who want to collect specimens or systematically record data should book independent visits directly with the Lizard Island Research Station as these activities are not scheduled into the ICRS 2012 Field Trip Program.

Field Trip Organiser's Contact Details

Dr Anne Hoggett
Director, Lizard Island Research Station
lizard@austmus.gov.au
Telephone +61 7 4060 3977

Program Outline for the Coral Identification Workshop Trips 1 and 2

Program Outline for Exploratory Trips 3 and 4