liu global,Lady Elliot Island
by Aaleah Oliver
Looking at the broken off bits of coral, as the ocean washed over it in the evening-sun, it wasn’t hard to imagine the life that it once led in the ocean: two lives in symbiosis, one that lends the coral its artistic structure the other gives it its vibrant color. This relationship repeats itself thousands of times over to create an entire coral reef — a community of life that protects and promotes the survival of hundreds of species of sea plants and animals. On the shore of the island, some coral still had their bright red/orange hues, while others, were bone white.
To protect our feet from the hard coral, we wore reef shoes to roam the island. It was run by birds. During the breeding season, over 100,000 seabirds nest on the Island. At all times of the day and night, discordant choirs of 50 species of seabirds sqwacked and cooed, accompanied by the lulling crash of waves breaking just before the reef, and the crunch of coral adjusting beneath our feet.
Lady Elliot Island is a coral cay located at the southernmost tip of the Great Barrier Reef. LIU Global’s APAC program visited Lady Elliot Island from March 20 through the 24th to study methods of sustainable tourism situated in the Great Barrier Reef, one of the most at-risk environments in the world. All of the Great Barrier reef, which spans 2,300 kilometers, is a highly protected “green zone.” In a green zone, activities like the removal of coral, fishing, and harvesting are prohibited, while recreational activities like boating and diving are restricted to certain areas in order to protect the life on the island.
On the Island, APAC students and staff stayed at the Lady Elliot Island Eco-Resort; a resort based off of an eco-tourism model that strives to educate guests on how to “enjoy the Island’s fragile ecosystem with minimal impact.” By inviting guests on educational activities such as the “Climate Change Trail” and “Island Sustainability Tour” the Eco-Resort hopes to encourage guests to join in their fight for conservation and sustainable management of the environment and natural resources with particular focus on the Great Barrier Reef. As part of the Marine Conservation Class, students engaged with the island’s sustainability experts learned the history of the island and the resort and explored the island’s diverse marine life.
I’m not enrolled in the Marine Conservation course, so to get a sense of how class discussions and readings helped to frame the Lady Elliot Island experience I talked to some of my classmates that are. Below, some of my classmates reflect on the experiences that stood out to them most, and the connections they saw between the trip and their class lectures:
“I really appreciated having the ability to learn, in the classroom, about the species who call the Great Barrier Reef home and then to see them first hand. There is nothing like spending time following a sea turtle as it chooses its next snack or watching Parrot fish create the sand that we lay on. I believe that this trip was crucial to our studies as the Great Barrier Reef is home to 10% of the world’s fish population. I always thought that the choices I made 10,000 miles away at home, in the states, didn’t have the ability to affect the Reef, but every little action can and will have impact the Reef and its inhabitants. Think twice before you grab a straw or “forget to recycle.”
— Samantha Becker Class of 2020
“During the semester in our Marine conservation Class we got to learn the importance of Coral Reefs to the marine ecosystem. In Elliot island, we took note of the different structures of Coral and the delicate balance between the various types of organisms supporting and maintaining each other. One of my favorite parts of the trip was during our tour, our guide told us about the Coral Reef wars that happen throughout an extended period of time. They fight for space, territory and for resources. When watching clips of the process on YouTube, it turns out to be a pretty trippy thing to see while speeding up. Check it out when you have the time.”
— Osman Hernandez Class of 2020
“I think the most memorable part of the trip for me was the time we had a free snorkel schedule and could snorkel anywhere on the island. A few of us students decided to go snorkel in an area called “The Gardens” and it was absolutely breathtaking. It was like a whole different world with huge turtles and fish. It was one of the best highlights of the entire semester.”
— Daniella Pagano Class of 2020
As a student who is not enrolled in the Marine Conservation Class, the experiential component in living on an island run by sea birds, and snorkeling in the reef gave me the opportunity to reflect on the general theme of Ecology. As Daniella and Sam also reflected in their experiences, there is a whole world beneath the surface of the ocean, and the millions of us who live on land, miles away from the ocean are both physically and mentally removed from the impact that our individual and collective actions have on the ocean world. Ecological thinking has to do with understanding that we are all connected, whether that means by the world that we live in, our shared appreciation of the ocean or our desire for our friends, family and all those that come after us to lead healthy and happy lives. Part of making that dream come true is doing our part in protecting the wealth of nature that we still have left and worked together to multiply the impact of our positive actions.
