The Great Barrier Reef recently witnessed its annual mass coral spawning, a remarkable event where billions of eggs and sperm are released into the ocean. This natural phenomenon, often referred to as the worlds largest sex act, sees corals off the coast of Queensland creating a soupy storm of fertility to seed the next generation of the reef. Despite its importance to the ecosystem, the event faces threats from climate change. The spawning occurs in several batches, typically a few days after a full moon in November and December. Corals in warmer, shallower waters spawned last month, while many of those further out to sea participated in this weeks event. The corals internal clocks are incredibly precise, with even those in labs spawning at the exact same time as their wild counterparts. Scientists are actively involved in this period, rushing to boost the chances of new corals forming. However, experts remain cautious as warmer ocean waters might not allow the larvae produced from this incredible event to survive through the summer.

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