Ecological snapshot August 2026
Published on 23 September 2026
Ecological findings from a study conducted in August 2026 show increasing marine activity at Wonder Reef.
Wonder Reef Highlights
- 490 fish counted
- 2 New species recorded
- Vertical transect added valuable insights
- Shannon Diversity Index H = 2.041
- 115 Species officially recorded at Wonder Reef
Fish Community
All functional groups identified within the Wonder Reef fish assemblage were represented during the second ecological inspection, demonstrating a broad range of feeding strategies and ecological roles across the site. Planktivores remained the dominant group, with 409 individuals recorded.
Flute
Herbivores and omnivores only occurred on flute habitat during this survey.
Pyramid
Piscivores were more abundant around these structures.
Benthic Community
Benthic communities remained distinct between the flute and pyramid structures.
Threatened, Protected and Ecologically Significant Species
Wonder Reef continued to be used by a range of ecologically significant and threatened species, providing opportunities for shelter, foraging and cleaning across its different structures.
Threatened
Whitespotted eagle ray (Aetobatus ocellatus)
Leopard shark (Stegostoma tigrinum)
Mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus)
Protected
Queensland grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus)
Ecologically Significant
Giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis)
Chevron barracuda (Sphyraena putnamae)