Esteban, M., 1980. Significance of the Upper Miocene Coral Reefs
of the Western Mediterranean. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 29, 169–188.
Frakes, L. A., Francis, J. E., and Syktus, J. I., (1992) Climate Modes
of the Phanerozoic. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Glynn, P. W., Veron, J. E. N., and Wellington, G. M., 1996.
Clipperton Atoll (eastern Pacific): oceanography, geomorphology, reef-building coral ecology and biogeography. Coral Reefs,
15, 71–99.
Harriott, V. J., and Banks, S. A., 2002. Latitudinal variation in
coral communities in eastern Australia: a qualitative biophysical
model of factors regulating coral reefs. Coral Reefs, 21, 83–94.
Hayward, B. W., 1977. Lower Miocene Corals from the Waitakere
Ranges, North Auckland. New Zealand Journal of the Royal
Society of New Zealand, 7, 99–111.
Jokiel, P. L., and Martinelli, F. J., 1992. The vortex model of coral
reef biogeography. Journal of Biogeography, 19, 449–458.
Kiessling, W., and Flügel, E., 2002. Phanerozoic reef patterns.
Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists. Special
Publication. Special Publications, Vol. 72, pp. 77–92.
Kimura, M., 1991. Quaternary land bridges of the Ryukyu arc
detected on seismic reflecting profiles. Spec, 35, 109–117
Vol. U. Tohoku (in Japanese).
Richmond, R. H., 1987. Energetics, competency, and long-distance
dispersal of planula larvae of the coral Pocillopora damicornis.
Marine Biology, 93, 527–533.
Veron, J. E. N. et al., 2009. Delineating the Coral Triangle. Galaxea.
Veron, J. E. N., 1995. Corals in Space and Time. New York: Cornell
University Press.
Veron, J. E. N., 2000. Corals of the World. Australian Institute of
Marine Science Vol. 3.
Veron, J. E. N., and Minchin, P. R., 1992. Correlations between sea
surface temperature, circulation patterns and the distribution of
hermatypic corals of Japan. Continental Shelf Research, 12,
835–857.
Cross-references
Corals: Environmental Controls on Growth
Scleractinia, Evolution and Taxonomy
East Indies Triangle of Biodiversity
Lagoon Circulation
Tethys Ocean
Reef Interconnectivity/Larval Dispersal
GREAT BARRIER REEF COMMITTEE
David Hopley
James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland,
Australia
In 1922, the Queensland branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australia set up the Great Barrier Reef Committee following an address to the Society by the Professor
of Geology and Mineralogy at the University of Queensland, Henry Richards. The address, entitled “Problems of
the Great Barrier Reef” highlighted the need for scientific
investigation of the Reef and followed a visit by Richards
to America to attend the Pan-Pacific Scientific Conference
where, among others, he met W.M. Davis (Hill, 1985a, b;
Jones, 1974; Bowen and Bowen, 2002).
Membership of the Committee was through invited
nominations from the Government and Academic institutions in Australia and elsewhere. However, disagreements
with the parent body, the Royal Geographical Society led
to a separation of the Committee in 1924 although it
incongruously maintained the title of Committee. Initial
funding came from the Queensland Government and Universities of Sydney and Queensland and further valuable
support came from the provision of places on survey vessels of the fledgling Australian Navy and the Commonwealth steamer that serviced the many lighthouses on the
reefs and islands.
Early research was much influenced by Richards’ geological background with, for example, Sydney University
graduates undertaking work into coastal landforms and
sea level, published in the independent Transactions of
the Great Barrier Reef Committee. However, Richards
had larger targets in mind including investigations into
the foundations of the Reef to see if Darwinian type
subsidence was applicable. In 1926, a hole was drilled to
180 m on Michaelmas Cay, and in 1937 further drilling
on Heron Island to 240 m was undertaken. Results were
inconclusive as to the proving or otherwise of the
nineteenth century hypotheses of Darwin, Dana, and
others but did provide useful information, which was
being quoted even 50 years later (e.g., Lloyd, 1973).
Another early aim of the Committee was to set up
a research station on one of the reef islands but as this
was not immediately possible, an alternative strategy
was adopted and that was to promote an expedition based
on a reef island for at least one full cycle of seasons. Discussions were held with various scientific bodies, especially in England and support came especially from the
British Association for the Advancement of Science. The
cay on Low Isles, north of Cairns, was the chosen site
where 23 scientists were based under the leadership of
(Sir) Maurice Yonge in 1928–1929. A variety of studies,
including zoological, botanical, sedimentological etc.,
were undertaken and the large number of reports were
published by the British Museum of Natural History. They
have remained the basis for coral reef research ever since.
In addition to the main expedition, the Royal Geographical Society supported a smaller study of mainly
islands of the southern half of the Great Barrier Reef
(GBR). This was led by Professor J.A. Steers of
Cambridge University and accompanied by Michael
Spender and was followed by a second 4-month expedition mainly to previously unvisited islands of the Reef in
1936. Their results were published in the Geographical
Journal and Reports of the Great Barrier Reef Committee
(Steers, 1929, 1937, 1938; Spender, 1930). This work
did much to highlight the value of reef islands as
a source of geomorphological information on coral reefs
and established Cambridge University’s Geography
Department as a source of reef researchers.
Establishment of a permanent research station on the
GBR was not possible until after World War II. Initially
a relatively small facility, it was set up in 1951 on Heron
GREAT BARRIER REEF COMMITTEE
503
of the Western Mediterranean. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 29, 169–188.
Frakes, L. A., Francis, J. E., and Syktus, J. I., (1992) Climate Modes
of the Phanerozoic. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Glynn, P. W., Veron, J. E. N., and Wellington, G. M., 1996.
Clipperton Atoll (eastern Pacific): oceanography, geomorphology, reef-building coral ecology and biogeography. Coral Reefs,
15, 71–99.
Harriott, V. J., and Banks, S. A., 2002. Latitudinal variation in
coral communities in eastern Australia: a qualitative biophysical
model of factors regulating coral reefs. Coral Reefs, 21, 83–94.
Hayward, B. W., 1977. Lower Miocene Corals from the Waitakere
Ranges, North Auckland. New Zealand Journal of the Royal
Society of New Zealand, 7, 99–111.
Jokiel, P. L., and Martinelli, F. J., 1992. The vortex model of coral
reef biogeography. Journal of Biogeography, 19, 449–458.
Kiessling, W., and Flügel, E., 2002. Phanerozoic reef patterns.
Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists. Special
Publication. Special Publications, Vol. 72, pp. 77–92.
Kimura, M., 1991. Quaternary land bridges of the Ryukyu arc
detected on seismic reflecting profiles. Spec, 35, 109–117
Vol. U. Tohoku (in Japanese).
Richmond, R. H., 1987. Energetics, competency, and long-distance
dispersal of planula larvae of the coral Pocillopora damicornis.
Marine Biology, 93, 527–533.
Veron, J. E. N. et al., 2009. Delineating the Coral Triangle. Galaxea.
Veron, J. E. N., 1995. Corals in Space and Time. New York: Cornell
University Press.
Veron, J. E. N., 2000. Corals of the World. Australian Institute of
Marine Science Vol. 3.
Veron, J. E. N., and Minchin, P. R., 1992. Correlations between sea
surface temperature, circulation patterns and the distribution of
hermatypic corals of Japan. Continental Shelf Research, 12,
835–857.
Cross-references
Corals: Environmental Controls on Growth
Scleractinia, Evolution and Taxonomy
East Indies Triangle of Biodiversity
Lagoon Circulation
Tethys Ocean
Reef Interconnectivity/Larval Dispersal
GREAT BARRIER REEF COMMITTEE
David Hopley
James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland,
Australia
In 1922, the Queensland branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australia set up the Great Barrier Reef Committee following an address to the Society by the Professor
of Geology and Mineralogy at the University of Queensland, Henry Richards. The address, entitled “Problems of
the Great Barrier Reef” highlighted the need for scientific
investigation of the Reef and followed a visit by Richards
to America to attend the Pan-Pacific Scientific Conference
where, among others, he met W.M. Davis (Hill, 1985a, b;
Jones, 1974; Bowen and Bowen, 2002).
Membership of the Committee was through invited
nominations from the Government and Academic institutions in Australia and elsewhere. However, disagreements
with the parent body, the Royal Geographical Society led
to a separation of the Committee in 1924 although it
incongruously maintained the title of Committee. Initial
funding came from the Queensland Government and Universities of Sydney and Queensland and further valuable
support came from the provision of places on survey vessels of the fledgling Australian Navy and the Commonwealth steamer that serviced the many lighthouses on the
reefs and islands.
Early research was much influenced by Richards’ geological background with, for example, Sydney University
graduates undertaking work into coastal landforms and
sea level, published in the independent Transactions of
the Great Barrier Reef Committee. However, Richards
had larger targets in mind including investigations into
the foundations of the Reef to see if Darwinian type
subsidence was applicable. In 1926, a hole was drilled to
180 m on Michaelmas Cay, and in 1937 further drilling
on Heron Island to 240 m was undertaken. Results were
inconclusive as to the proving or otherwise of the
nineteenth century hypotheses of Darwin, Dana, and
others but did provide useful information, which was
being quoted even 50 years later (e.g., Lloyd, 1973).
Another early aim of the Committee was to set up
a research station on one of the reef islands but as this
was not immediately possible, an alternative strategy
was adopted and that was to promote an expedition based
on a reef island for at least one full cycle of seasons. Discussions were held with various scientific bodies, especially in England and support came especially from the
British Association for the Advancement of Science. The
cay on Low Isles, north of Cairns, was the chosen site
where 23 scientists were based under the leadership of
(Sir) Maurice Yonge in 1928–1929. A variety of studies,
including zoological, botanical, sedimentological etc.,
were undertaken and the large number of reports were
published by the British Museum of Natural History. They
have remained the basis for coral reef research ever since.
In addition to the main expedition, the Royal Geographical Society supported a smaller study of mainly
islands of the southern half of the Great Barrier Reef
(GBR). This was led by Professor J.A. Steers of
Cambridge University and accompanied by Michael
Spender and was followed by a second 4-month expedition mainly to previously unvisited islands of the Reef in
1936. Their results were published in the Geographical
Journal and Reports of the Great Barrier Reef Committee
(Steers, 1929, 1937, 1938; Spender, 1930). This work
did much to highlight the value of reef islands as
a source of geomorphological information on coral reefs
and established Cambridge University’s Geography
Department as a source of reef researchers.
Establishment of a permanent research station on the
GBR was not possible until after World War II. Initially
a relatively small facility, it was set up in 1951 on Heron
GREAT BARRIER REEF COMMITTEE
503