Lizard Island is home to the Lizard Island Research Station on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
The research station is operated by the Australian Museum and supports scientific work in a relatively isolated reef setting. Researchers study coral reefs, reef fish, invertebrates, ecology and the effects of environmental change. Its location gives scientists access to fringing reefs, sandy cays, mangroves and seagrass habitats within a compact island region.
Lizard Island is a continental island in the northern Great Barrier Reef. It is also known by the Indigenous name Jiigurru and is culturally important to the Dingaal people. The island’s surrounding waters and habitats make it valuable not only for research but also for conservation and education.
The name can cause confusion because Lizard Island is both an island and the name commonly used for the research station. The station is not on Heron Island, which is another important reef research and tourism location in the southern Great Barrier Reef. Lizard Island’s research facilities were established in 1973.