The Lizard Island Research Station, located on the northern portion of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, is one of the most important coral reef scientific and educational facilities in the world. Each year, over 150 scientists and members of educational groups visit the station to learn more about coral reefs. About 60 research projects are conducted annually by scientists from all over the world. A major focus of research at the Station is on fish and hard corals. Many projects conducted on these groups have major implications for management of the reef.

The Research Station, which has been operated by the Australian Museum since 1974, provides facilities that enable scientists to make significant contributions to our knowledge of the Reef: over 400 scientific papers have been published on work carried out at Lizard Island. The Lizard Island Research Station also provides unique educational opportunities. Visits by Australian educational groups are encouraged and subsidised, giving young people the opportunity to learn about this magnificent environment.

184k GIF Photographs show a researcher at the Lizard Island Research Station constructing a temporary cage under water for use in a fish behaviour study.

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The Station's mission is to increase understanding and knowledge of the Great Barrier Reef by fostering high quality scientific reasearch. Providing superior research facilities is central to the achievement of the mission. Apollo has been instrumental in helping the Station achieve its mission through its generous donation of diving and snorkelling equipment in 1991 and subsequent free maintenance of this equipment in the intervening years. Apollo's donation consisted of twenty five sets of masks, snorkels, fins, and boots; six complete sets of scuba diving equipment including a range of accessories; and two scooters.

The equipment donated by Apollo has been of tremendous benefit to the Station. The diving equipment has been in heavy use buy Station staff and researchers while the snorkelling equipment is primarily used by educational groups. The underwater scooters have been particularly useful to rearchers for doing reconnaisance surveys of large areas and for quickly transporting divers from one study site to another. Many research scientists claim they can accomplish twice as much work on a dive when using a scooter since their swimming time is minimized. An important benefit of the donation to the Station was Apollo's offer to service the equipment at no cost. After four years of heavy use of the Apollo equipment it is still in very good condition and serviceable for many more years to come. The Lizard Island Research Station is grateful for Apollo's generous donation and for it's assistance in helping us learn more about the world's largest coral reef.

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