Norfolk Island's unique coral reefs, teeming with unrecorded species, face a deadly combination of threats. Disease has ravaged their delicate ecosystem, while an impending El Niño event looms large, and a government-approved dredging project edges closer to reality. This precarious trio of challenges poses a significant threat not only to the island's natural heritage but also to its tourism industry.
According to Professor Bill Leggat, a University of Newcastle expert monitoring the reefs for five years, disease has taken hold with alarming speed. Since March, diseased corals have tripled in number, marking one of the longest-running coral disease events on Australian reefs. The 'white syndrome' disease causes corals to succumb, leaving behind eerie white skeletons.
Professor Tracy Ainsworth from the University of New South Wales warns that an El Niño event will further exacerbate conditions for the already beleaguered corals. Rising summer water temperatures significantly heighten the risk of coral bleaching – a process where corals expel their vital symbiotic algae, often leading to death if conditions do not improve.
The situation is made even more critical by a federal government plan to dredge a shipping channel near Kingston Pier. Environmental approvals were granted in April 2023 for this project, which aims to improve access for essential supplies and tourists. Dredging will introduce additional sediment and disturbance directly adjacent to the struggling coral reefs, creating what scientists describe as a 'perfect storm' for these delicate ecosystems.
Dr Tom Bridge's research suggests that approximately 40% of the corals found on Norfolk Island and nearby Lord Howe Island are likely endemic – meaning they exist nowhere else in the world. Their isolation makes them highly vulnerable to extinction, particularly if lost before being documented in scientific literature. The reefs stretch for about 2km around Emily, Slaughter, and Cemetery bays and play a vital role in attracting tens of thousands of tourists annually.