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News from the field

Stories and updates from our teams out & about. Check out some of these regional stories on our website!

South East Queensland

La Balsa Park, Underwater clean-up

With the water the clearest we have almost ever seen at La Balsa, the Reef Check Australia team was excited to jump in and check out the site, and remove as much debris as possible as a part of the extended efforts of the Clean Up for the Hatchlings event. Plenty of critters inhabit the area, and although it has changed over time with the amount of sand increased in parts, the area is still frequented by juvenile turtles, plenty of small fish (it is a nursery after all) and this year, lots of flatworms.

As the team entered the water, a small snapper was spotted caught on a line, which was tangled around the algae covered rocks. The line was quickly cut, and the snapper swam off to land nearby and follow the divers along the transect area.  A reminder that when fishing, to try and remove as much of the line as possible.

Approximately 6kg of fishing debris, plastic, lures, cans and bottles were removed from the site, at around 4-5m depth, just days after the snorkel team removed over 10kg from the shallower areas.

Thankyou to Scuba World for supplying the tanks at short notice. When the weather and conditions are this great, we have to take advantage of them!

Reef Check Acknowledge the Kabi Kabi people of the Sunshine Coast, Traditional Custodians of the land and sea country on which these activities took place and we pay our respects to their elders past, present and future.

This project is supported by the sunshine Coast Council’s Environmental Levy Partnerships Grant.

Bulcock Beach - Underwater Clean up

Summer conditions are are full swing at the moment, with beautiful sunny days interspersed with wind and rain, meaning when conditions are as amazing as they were last month, the team takes action!

A small dedicated team conducted an underwater cleanup at Bulcock Beach last month. An interesting site for many reasons, The Boardwalk at Bulcock Beach was surveyed for the first time in 2018 after an underwater clean up at the location recorded a variety of fish species, invertebrate species and benthic diversity; showcasing the site as a nursery for many species. Bulcock Beach is a popular coastal recreation area located to the south of Caloundra, and a popular recreational fishing site. The Reef Check Australia reef health monitoring site sits along a rock wall slope in approximately 4-5m depth. It is usually characterised by rock, razer clams, ascidians and sand. The site is also a nursery for a variety of fish species in the area.

However this location sits inside the Caloundra bar, initially the only opening from Pumicestone passage to the open ocean. A few months ago a breakthrough occurred on Bribie island, creating a new opening, and completely changing the areas access. We knew it would be an interesting spot to go back to visit after all these changes, so the team was excited to go and check it out.

The site has changed substantially, with everything being covered in a thick layer of silt. A few ascidians can be found scattered amongst bivalve covered rock, and plenty of fish species were located including several stonefish, a lionfish and a tiny scorpionfish. Plenty of debris was also recorded, however due to the increase in siltation resulting in decreased visibility only a small amount was removed. A total of 6kg consisting of glass bottles, soft plastic, a fishing rod and plenty of fishing lures and fishing line was removed. This site has long been identified as a marine debris hotspot, and as conditions improve, we aim to revisit the site.

Remember, every little bit counts.  If you see rubbish on the beach; pick it up.  Together, we can and will make an ocean of difference.

Reef Check Acknowledge the Kabi Kabi people of the Sunshine Coast, Traditional Custodians of the land and sea country on which these activities took place and we pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.

This project has received funding support from the Queensland Government’s Community Sustainability Action grant program.

Mud Island, Surveys

Moreton Bay put on a show for our surveyors, showing just how gorgeous the on-water conditions can be! Despite heavy rains over the preceding few weeks, the day was beautiful and calm on the surface.

Below the water, conditions were a little green, but clear enough to allow the Reef Check Australia team to safely monitor key sites for reef health, this time we headed to Mud Island; Rubble Patch and Coral Galore to document any changes since our last survey in Winter; 6 months ago.

Reef Check Australia has been monitoring Southeast Queensland reefs since 2007, and Mud Island since 2017, as part of a partnership with Port of Brisbane to monitor the effects of activities in the Bay. These locations are monitored twice a year (summer and winter) to detect any seasonal changes that might be occurring.

At Coral Galore a moderate amount of silt covered the site, limiting visibility in some areas. An array of bivalves including some of the biggest razor clams we have ever seen, and cockle shells were found, along with several Drupella snails (a coral eating snail). Of interest, none of the Drupella snails were found on coral.

A species of butterflyfish never recorded at this site (by us) was also found (an Eastern Talma; Chelmonops truncatus) amongst a variety of other butterfly fish (such as the beaked butterflyfish; Chelmon rostratrus).

Nudibranchs and flatworms were found amongst the hard and soft coral. The site had a high amount of Nutrient Indicator Algae (NIA); mostly Lobophora, and seasonal macroalgae; Sargassum and Padina.

The site is still full of life (always a great sign!) despite the recent rains.

At Rubble Patch silt also covered this site, although slightly less than Coral Galore. The silt and large amounts of macro algae (predominately Sargassum) led to limited visibility in some areas on the survey. Several Drupella snails (a coral eating snail), also not sitting on any live coral were recorded. Caleurpa patches (a green algae) were recorded along with a tiny flatworm and even tinier nudibranch.

We look forward to heading out again in a few months to continue monitoring any changes that might occur as a part of this long term monitoring program.

Thankyou to Go Dive Brisbane for getting us to our reef health monitoring site. We appreciate that many of the sites we visit are not regularly on the tourist circuit, although we believe they should be!

Reef Check Acknowledge the Quandamooka people of Bangamba (Mud island), Traditional Custodians of the land and sea country on which these activities took place and we pay our respects to their elders past, present and future.

This project is supported by the Port of Brisbane as a part of their environmental monitoring program.

Soft coral at Coral Galore Drupella Snail

Main Beach, Stradbroke Island, Clean Up Australia Day

The beginning of March brings about Clean Up Australia Day! For south-east Queensland, volunteers headed over to Minjerribah west of Brisbane to tackle the marine debris hidden along the long eastern beach. The coast spreads 38km long, and hosts a diverse geomorphological landscape. From fresh "baby dunes" to blow-outs connected into swamps, the dynamic ecosystem stands as a special gem even in the world class beaches of Queensland.

Unfortunately, the proximity of Logan River and the rate of urbanisation in the region means this sandy island is extreme prone to marine debris standings from every corner. We decided to target the southern tip of the island, which is home to a minefield of small new sand dunes within a sandy Cape.

A total of 196 pieces was collected along approximately 2km of beach by Reef Check Australia, totalling 10.85kg. Rubbish was picked up along Naree budjong Djara National Park, which spans a large portion of the island and is managed by the Quandamooka people in partnership with Queensland Wildlife & Parks Service.

A mixture of fresh and weathered plastic was found on site, meaning debris has stranded here from local sources as well as pieces that have travelled far in the ocean. A combination of oceanic currents and wind driving pelagic marine debris out of the deep sea are the reason for this combination of sources of plastic.

The beach holds significant cultural history to the traditional owners in this region, with the Quandamooka people using the beach to travel, hunt & live. Ensuring the beach remains plastic free is one way you can ensure everyone enjoys the great outdoors for time to come.

Remember, every little bit counts.  If you see rubbish on the beach; pick it up.  Together, we can and will make an ocean of difference.

Reef Check acknowledges the Quandamooka people of Minjerribah, the Traditional Custodians of the land, sea and country on which these activities took place, and we pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.

This project has received funding support from the Queensland Government’s Community Sustainability Action grant program.

Great Barrier Reef

Brain Food

Reviews and details on books, documentaries, and podcasts that we have come across, & wanted to share.

Current Coral Affairs

Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean

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Nestled deep amongst Sydney's soaring blue and grey glass skyscrapers next to the roaring Western Distributor, hundreds of shark eggs are being laid.

Read in: 9 News

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Nice work, humans!

Read Now in IFL Science

How sharks equipped with cameras solved an aquatic mystery
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Read in National Geographic:

Photo by Michael Worden on Unsplash

Get with the Program

Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.