Great Barrier Reef bursts into life during annual coral spawning

T TV Wednesday 15/November/2017 13:18 PM
By: Times News Service

The annual Great Barrier Reef spawning is captured, showing the moment when future generations of coral reef are created.
The Great Barrier Reef showcased its annual spawning last week, with underwater footage showing the moment future generations of coral reef are created.
Coral spawning takes place when colonies and species of coral simultaneously release trillions of egg and sperm cells for external fertilization. Mass spawning normally occurs only once a year, in the spring and after a full moon, turning vast swathes of the ocean red with a slick of the cells.
The Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stretches 2,300 km (1,430 miles) along Australia's northeast coast and is the world's largest living ecosystem. It consists of almost 3,000 individual reefs, including Moore Reef where Australian videographer Stuart Ireland recorded the spawning over two nights.
The event typically lasts several nights and this year it is widely expected to be a split-spawn, with another event expected in early December.