GREAT BARRIER REEF

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 7 January 1928, Page 7

GREAT BARRIER REEF

SOIENTIFIO INVESTIGATION. A YEAR’S EFFORTS PLANNED. SYDNEY, Dec. 20. Among the passengers who arrived by the R.M.S. Moldavia was Sir Edgeworth David, the famous Australian geologist, who lias been abroad for two Sir Edgeworth David said that much enthusiasm had been displayed in England regarding the British Scientific Expedition which will arrive in Australia in March next to investigate the peculiar characteristics of the GreatBarrier Reef. The expedition would consist of seven members, and on account of the wide field the inquiries would cover, the results _ would be looked forward to with interest all over th© world. The expedition would spend at least one year investigating the reef. An island close to Cairns had been definitely selected as the scene of its operations. The cost of the expedition would be in the vicinity of £7600. . „ „ , . When Professor David left England over £2OOO had been already subscribed. It was hoped that, in view of the economic importance of the expedition, the Empire Marketing Board would see its way clear to contribute something, and that the Council of Industry and Scientific Research would also help. Australia had already expended about £SOOO, chiefly in an investigation of the coast line of the reef, and also in putting down a diamond drill bore with a view to estimating the past history of the reef and throwing light on problems of its growth. Among the matters the expedition would investigate would be the chemical compositions of the water, the, compositions of the nitrate phosphate, on which depended the nourishment of the plant life, and inorganic minerals in, solution, and the small inland plants. On the large organisms would be studied not only the growth of the coral, hut also the pearl shell oyster, which was quite an important economic asset. The habits of the turtle would also be investigated, and this was important from an economic aspect, too, as it was hoped that there would be quite a big industry in the flesh of the turtle. Already a company was making turtle soup for export, Another matter to which attention would be given would be that, of sponges. It was not known yet whether or not these would be marketable, hut the expedition would inquire fully into the various phases of the subject", including that of transferring more variable types- of sponge to the reef. From the purely scientific; point of view, the studying of the various organisms. whether plant or animal, would he of the utmost importance. For example, there would be an investigation of the rate of growth of various forms living on the reef and the necessity of altering the soundings of the ships' channels. When more was known of these soundings, navigation would he encouraged.