The 32 metre superyacht Flying Fish spent three months cruising across the Great Barrier Reef while playing host to a huge team of scientists, who were on the hunt for breeds of 'super corals' that can withstand the higher ocean temperatures and avoid bleaching.
The expedition, lead by non-profit group Great Barrier Reef Legacy, discovered new coral species in the far northern section, but the super coral species have been found growing across the entirety of the reef. Ten different teams from all over Australia were part of the expedition and now the data they collected will be studied in greater depth back on land.
Additionally, members of the team on board successfully placed trackers on green turtles to see if their behaviour is altered by climate change, while others focussed on collecting live coral samples with eggs on them. These were sent elsewhere on the reef in time for the next spawning event so that they could crossbreed with species in the southern sections.
While there are a lot of findings to be positive about, the expedition team did find more sites that have been heavily impacted by the bleaching events of 2016 and 2017.