First records of coral spawning on Norfolk Island

[Extract] Knowing when corals reproduce can help inform management and boost tourism. Norfolk Island (29.03°S; 167.95°E) is one of the most isolated locations in the Indo-Pacific (http://islands.unep.ch/) and therefore coral populations are likely to be highly dependent on self-recruitment. Consequently, it is important to know if and when the corals reproduce. Despite Norfolk Island being only a 2-hour flight from Brisbane, Australia, very little is known of the coral reefs. In the only assessment to date, the coral fauna was interpreted as consisting of a suite of wide-spread species plus species more typical of sub-tropical assemblages, such as Lord Howe Island and the Solitary Island (http://www.coralsoftheworld.org/ page/home). Coral cover on exposed reef crests and in the lagoon is generally dominated by species of the genus Acropora (Fig. 1A). Here, we present the first records of coral spawning on Norfolk Island