Underwater Reserach Group of NSW: From 2000 to the present
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Transcript of Underwater Reserach Group of NSW: From 2000 to the present
Underwater Research GroupResearch 2000 - present
John TurnbullResearch Officer
Over 600 Bulletins1962-present
Beasts of burden…
How many horses are in
Sydney Harbour?
Seahorse Surveys, Balmoral2001-3
• Balmoral nets• Polymer tagging– Visual implant fluorescent
elastomer• Sexing and sizing• Mostly White’s; some
Big-bellied• 1308 sightings over 32 dives– Ave 40 per survey– Max 119, min 5
What are the six main threats to our marine environment?
Caulerpa Taxifolia Surveys2003 - 2008
• Initially 21 dives in North Harbour; 100+ manhours
• C. taxifolia found in multiple locations and treated by Fisheries
• Ongoing monitoring, 15+ dives• A: Other threats– Habitat loss– Water quality– Pollution– Overfishing– Climate change
Clean Up Australia 1995 - present
• Manly• Balmoral• Clifton Gardens
Row Labels Appa
rel
Boati
ng
Clot
hing
Dom
estic
Fish
ing
Food
and
drin
k
Food
or d
rink
Gen
eral
Indu
stria
l
Oth
er
Pack
agin
g
Tran
spor
t
(bla
nk)
Gra
nd T
otal
Balmoral Nets 7 2 1 23 1 10 7 1 52Centennial Wreck Sydney Harbour 1 8 1 1 1 12Clifton Gardens 4 1 19 2 26Dobroyd Bommie, Sydney Harbour 4 1 1 1 2 9Little Manly Cove 7 2 2 10 21 15 10 6 1 74Obelisk Bay, Sydney Harbour 20 2 3 12 1 1 39Sow and Pigs Reef Sydney Harbour 3 1 1 1 6Watson Bay, Sydney Harbour 19 5 1 3 1 29(blank)Grand Total 7 16 2 4 44 42 35 30 22 14 20 4 7 247
Marine Debris Surveys2012/13
• 8 sites• 247 items
What was underwater Sydney
like before European settlement?
Pardon?
South West Arm (SWARM) 2005/6 Search for underwater aboriginal sites
• Search for submerged terrestrial aboriginal sites
• Ten potentialsites located
• Ongoing research
SWARM
Crayweed Regeneration2011
• Pilot study– Long Bay– Little Bay
• Monitoring• Continuing today– Active re-planting in
Long Bay, Bare Island and Cape Banks
What fish species live in Sydney
today?
Harbour Keepers / Coast Keepers 2006 -2010
• 28 sites• Fish species, abundance• URG “boat”
Fish ID Surveys2012/13
• 14 sites• 1600+ Fish
Sum of Tally Column Labels
Row Labels All S
yngn
athi
ds
Aust
ralia
n Sa
wta
il
Blac
ksad
dle
Goa
tfis
h
Com
b W
rass
e
Com
mon
Cle
aner
fish
Cres
ted
Horn
shar
k
Cres
ted
Mor
won
g
Crim
sonb
and
Wra
sse
East
ern
Blue
Dev
il Fi
sh
East
ern
Blue
Gro
per
East
ern
Fidd
ler R
ay
Gird
led
Scal
yfin
Gre
y M
orw
ong
Gun
ther
's B
utter
flyfis
h
Herr
ing
Cale
Indo
-Pac
ific S
erge
ant
Klei
n's B
utter
flyfis
h
Lude
rick
Mul
low
ay
Pink
lined
Wra
sse
Port
Jack
son
Shar
k
Red
Mor
won
g
Rock
Cal
e
Snap
per
Sout
hern
Mao
ri W
rass
e
Spott
ed W
obbe
gong
Tarw
hine
Thre
ebar
Por
cupi
nefis
h
Whi
te-e
ar S
caly
fin
Yello
wfin
Leat
herja
cket
Yello
wta
il Ki
ngfis
h
Yello
wta
il Sc
ad
(bla
nk)
Gra
nd T
otal
Balmoral Nets 9 2 10 2 3 1 27Bluefish Point 5 1 2 4 1 1 4 1 10 1 16 46Cannae Point, North Harbour, Sydney 10 7 3 1 1 7 2 20 7 1 4 11 100 174ex HMAS Adelaide 1 2 130 3 1 80 20 1 3 3 60 303Fairfax Lookout - North Head 1 4 1 5 2 10 12 2 15 52Fairy Bower, Manly 120 1 3 1 2 1 13 1 2 5 2 8 1 150 310Little Waterfall East 10 5 12 1 42 70Red Indian Fish, North Head, Sydney 7 2 2 2 30 4 2 32 81Swansea Bridge 2 2 10 1 3 10 1 32 30 3 13 107The Centurion 6 5 1 1 5 100 118The Colours 6 3 1 2 5 1 7 3 28The Gap 1 20 11 5 1 2 1 4 1 8 1 3 26 20 104The Gap Cave Site 1 2 3 1 11 1 1 7 5 1 33The Ladder (Inner) 6 5 50 5 110 176(blank)Grand Total 1 2 145 13 23 2 10 61 2 26 4 53 9 2 8 3 1 34 130 1 11 75 5 140 67 10 63 4 163 18 63 480 1629
What about scientific-grade data
on fish and invertebrates?
Reef Life Surveys2013/14
• 35 surveys 2013/14• Best site– Shelly, 32 fish species
• Worst site– Old Man’s Hat, 6 fish species
• 5 certified RLSers– 3 more in training
… Results
Z Z Z Z Z Z Z ZZZZZ