Dear Friend The year is flying by and it is school holidays again with many families out and about camping, visiting our beaches and waterways or exploring new areas. We urge everyone to remember that they visit our amazing natural environment due to the aesthetic appeal of these areas, so please cause no harm to the environment, pick up rubbish (even if it is not yours) and dispose of all rubbish in the appropriate facilities. As the saying goes: "Leave only footprints, take only photos (and rubbish)"! This months email includes: Action of the Month: Connected Conservation: Celebrate Earth Day and Contribute to Ocean Knowledge! News from the Field Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program Connected Conservation: Celebrate Earth Day and Contribute to Ocean Knowledge! Photo by Amy Shamblen on Unsplash April whispers promise of renewal, and this year, Reef Check Australia invites you to celebrate Earth Day (April 22nd) with an adventurous twist – "Connected Conservation: Dive into Ocean Knowledge!" It's time to break down the walls between land and sea, understanding how our actions on earth ripple through the ocean's heart. Be a Land to Sea Steward: Earth Day isn't just about planting trees! Join a beach cleanup and witness firsthand how land-based pollution reaches our precious reefs. Organize a community garden near the coast, nurturing both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Choose sustainable seafood that supports healthy fish populations and protects ocean biodiversity. Every action, from your backyard to the beach, becomes a ripple of positive change. Become a Citizen Science Champion: This Earth Day, become a hero for the ocean by joining Reef Check Australia's citizen science programs. Learn simple yet impactful ways to monitor coral reef health, track marine debris, or identify fish species. Your data becomes vital ocean knowledge, informing conservation efforts and shaping a brighter future for our seas. Gather friends and family for a citizen science outing, transforming curiosity into collective action. Share the Ocean's Wisdom: Spread the love for the ocean and the power of connected conservation. Share your citizen science stories on social media using #ConnectedConservation and @reefcheckaustralia We want to know what you have been up to! Attend educational workshops about our interconnected ecosystems, sparking awe and understanding in your community. Read books, watch movies and share what you have learnt with those around you. Let's turn Earth Day into a month-long wave of knowledge, action, and celebration for the ocean that binds us all. This April, let's go beyond Earth Day's traditional boundaries and embrace the ocean as an integral part of our planet's health. By understanding the connections, taking action, and sharing knowledge, we can turn the tide towards a thriving ocean and a sustainable future for all. Join Reef Check Australia, become a Connected Conservation champion, and dive into the ocean of possibilities!   News from the field Stories and updates from our teams out & about.  South East Queensland Hancocks Shoal - Reef Health Survey After months of watching the weather, planning and replanning due to high seas, high winds and average conditions, the Reef Check Australia team finally managed to find a small pocket of reprieve and took the opportunity to visit a site they haven’t managed to get to for a few years; Hancock Shoal. This shallow reef sits at about 9m deep, off the coast of Coolum (out from Stumers Creek) and was monitored in 2009, and had not been visited since due to its location. We were excited to be able to have the opportunity to check out this site and all it had to offer! The surface ocean temperature was warm; warmer than we have previously recorded on the Sunshine Coast. Around the world, the Earth’s oceans are having their warmest start to a year on record as El Niño and climate change combine to produce unrivalled January-February sea surface temperatures. Last year was the warmest year on record for Earth’s global oceans, with sea surface temperatures running at record high levels from mid-March until the end of the year. This unprecedented global ocean heat was caused in part by the warming effects of climate change and El Niño. What does this mean for local reefs? For Hancock Shoal; read on. This site is an interesting site; similar in many ways to much of the patchy reef that makes up the wider Sunshine Coast reef areas. A mix of hard and soft corals, rocky substrate and small gulleys, offering ample habitats for all types of fish and invertebrates. Being so far away from large river mouths also allowed for clearer water, a lovely surprise! It has been a while since we were able to survey this site, however it is nice to know that the coral population has been thriving. Hard and soft coral populations have increased, as well as sponges. A small amount of bleaching was recorded, with just one percent of the overall population being bleached; although individual corals were bleached completely. Drupella snails (a coral eating snail) and Drupella scars were recorded, some fishing line and a few unknown scars. Two anemones were the only other invertebrates recorded on the transect. Butterfly fish, sweetlip, snapper and a moray eel were recorded on the fish survey. Thank you to Blue Tortuga Adventures for getting us to site. These vital reef health surveys are not possible without our amazing volunteers, so thankyou for all that you do! 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 is supported by the Sunshine Coast Councils Environment Levy Partnerships Grant. Wavebreak Island - Reef Health Survey Known locally as Wavebreak Island just across from the Gold Coast Seaway, what a surprising gem of a site! Established in 2019 by Reef Check Australia in collaboration with Gold Coast City Council, this spot boasts a rocky scree starting at 5m and plunging down to 12m. We were expecting another routine survey dive, but oh, the wonders that awaited! We encountered a bustling ecosystem teeming with life. From barracudas to elusive moray eels and even a daring stonefish or two (ouch!), each section of our transect revealed a new surprise. A school of almost 20 butterfly fish came to check our team out and who could forget the majestic lion's mane jellyfish gracefully drifting by? Our encounter with a little rock lobster added a pinch of excitement to the dive but not as much excitement as the encrusting sponge between the rock, rubble sand and algae. A few Drupella snails were recorded, along with plenty of debris, however no other target invertebrates or impacts were recorded. Massive shoutout to our amazing team and a heartfelt thank you to Skipper Harry of Gold Coast Dive Adventures for getting us to site, for looking out for us on the surface and for taking care of the boat 🙌🚤 Reef Check Acknowledge the people of the Yugambeh language region of the Gold 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 City of Gold Coasts Catchment and Citizen Science Grants Program. Gold Coast Seaway - Reef Health Survey Today’s survey expedition took us to our site at Gold Coast Seaway Pipeline established in 2015 by Reef Check Australia after initially conducting a clean-up dive and discovering the diversity of organisms and substrates at this site, and the potential for change over time. Exposed daily to heavy boat traffic and very popular with local snorkellers, fishers and divers alike, this site faces unique challenges from anthropogenic activities. Our team were treated to lovely clear conditions giving them the best chance of documenting reef health and local impacts. This year we observed a similar abundance of target fish species, in particular butterflyfish and snapper compared to previous years and increased snapper.  We also saw three moray eels, and some very large stonefish along the transect. This site has a lot to offer and whilst we didn’t see any banded coral shrimp, lobster or collector urchins near our transect line this year, we did document a few drupella snails; a small coral eating snail; on rocks and other substrate. Shoutout to our rock-solid dive team and legendary surface watch for making today both safe, and a real treat! Thank you to Aqua Adventures for hiring us tanks, and to all our amazing volunteers who volunteered their time to help out. Your assistance is much appreciated as always. Reef Check Acknowledge the people of the Yugambeh language region of the Gold 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 City of Gold Coasts Catchment and Citizen Science Grants Program. Clean Up Australia Day - Stradbroke Island Reef Check Australia volunteers from the SEQ region joined Clean Up Straddie Day (CUSD) as part of Clean Up Australia Day (CUAD) 2024. We joined forces with the Marine Society UQ students and cleaned up South Gorge and Main Beach on Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island. Our team collected over 4 kg of litter and found an overwhelming amount of microplastics around the South Gorge area. It would seem that plastics are being retained on the South Gorge beach which could cause harm to native fauna as well as continue to pollute the ocean. We encourage anyone visiting this area to be mindful of their waste disposal and support efforts to keep our beaches clean. Keep an eye out for future cleanups in the area to work towards a cleaner, healthier, and more pristine environment for us all to enjoy! Thank you to the Stradbroke Brewing Co. for facilitating the CUSD event, and all the other partners who participated in the cleanup. We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians and Elders of the land and their continued cultural and spiritual practices. This project is supported by the Port of Brisbane as a part of their environmental monitoring program.   Great Barrier Reef John Brewer Reef - Reef Health Survey Finally getting a break in the weather our small team jumped onboard Adrenalin Dive and headed out to John Brewer Reef. This reef is approximately 70km offshore and is the location of the Museum of Underwater Art, but our survey sites are located on the reef on the northern side of the structures. The day started out rainy and stayed that way, but at least the seas were calm which made for a comfortable and speedy trip to site. Our team completed Reef Check Australia Reef Health Surveys on two sites. Site 1 is located at around 6m deep and follows the reef wall to the ocean side. Site 1 sits on top of the reef and depending on the tide can be between 0.5m to 3m deep. Whilst there was plenty of very healthy coral and lots of fish were observed, the reef has sustained a fair amount of damage from Cyclone Kirrily. Significant amounts of damage and bleaching were observed but we also recorded a couple of giant clams, observed anemones with fish and a school of squid and a number of nudibranchs (much to the delight of the team). Thanks to Adrenalin Dive and their crew for getting us to site. These surveys were conducted on the traditional lands and sea country of the Manbarra People. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Elders past, present and emerging. Offshore Townsville Surveys are part of Reef Ecologic’s Integrated Coral Reef Citizen Science 2.0 Program, funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation    Books and podcasts Have you read or listened to something lately that you would like to share? Let us know and we can feature it here Marine Plants of Australia by John M Huisman We love this book for helping to identify algae that we encounter within our marine environment. This revised edition released in 2023 includes 640 species of underwater plant life. Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean When is a jellyfish not a jellyfish? When it's a sea cucumber Read now in: Dive Magazine What was Jodi doing in Antarctica? Find out in this interview with ABC News. Places in this amazing program are still available so check out Homeward Bound. Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.  4 Apr | Ambassador Training Starts - We still have spaces available so get in contact ASAP if you would like to join. Want to become a Reef Check Australia ambassador? Head to our website for more information and to register. 10-12 Apr | Ocean Film Festival Brisbane - come say hi to our team at our stall on 10 & 11 April. Tickets at Ocean Film Festival 14 Apr | Land based Clean Up Waites Bay Whitsundays - spots are limited. Contact [email protected] if you are interested in helping out. 20 Apr | Snorkel Clean Up Grays Bay Bowen - spots are limited and date subject to weather/water conditions. Contact [email protected] if you are interested in helping out. 21 Apr | Underwater and Land Based Clean Up Alma Bay - Magnetic Island. spots are limited and date subject to weather/water conditions. Contact  [email protected] if you are interested in helping out. 30 Apr | Coast to Corals talk - stay tuned for more information If you missed any of our Coast to Coral online events, remember you can always catch-up by taking a look at our YouTube Channel here     Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.    Make a Donation   Copyright © 2023 Reef Check Australia, All rights reserved.You have received this newsletter because you have given Reef Check Australia your email address. If you would prefer not to receive any further emails, please click the unsubscribe link in your email.Our mailing address is: Reef Check Australia PO Box 782, Mooloolaba, QLD, 4557Australia

Dear Friend Wow it's autumn already and we are still having mild heatwaves and strange rainfall patterns. Our teams have been out and about doing surveys and clean ups plus we bring you some more of our activities from the end of last year. We would also like to welcome our new trainee surveyors from across Qld who are part way through their training. We look forward to having them on our surveys once they finish. This months email includes: Action of the Month: Autumnal Awakening: Clean Up Your World with Reef Check Australia!  News from the Field Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program Autumnal Awakening: Clean Up Your World with Reef Check Australia! Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash As the warm autumn air paints the landscape in fiery hues, it's time to shed the summer's languor and embrace a season of renewal. This March, Reef Check Australia invites you to embark on an "Autumnal Awakening: Clean Up Your World" mission, a chance to declutter not just your home, but also your mind, your community, and most importantly, our precious ocean. 1.De-stress and Reconnect: Autumn mornings still offer plenty of sunlight, making early morning walks along the coastline, and ocean dips the perfect start to the day. Listen to the waves crash, the pandanus and or gum treees whisper, and take a deep breath with them. March is full of opportunity. Why not connect or reconnect with your RCA team! Join a reef health survey, or a rockpool ramble. Dive into the vibrant coral world, and let the rhythm of the ocean lull your worries away. By calming your mind and nurturing your spirit, you'll radiate positive energy that ripples outward, enriching both yourself and the environment. 2.Spruce Up Your Backyard Paradise: Summer rain and winds have left their remnants for us all to see. Autumn winds offer us the perfect excuse for a garden clean-up. Organize a local creek clean-up, or join in one of ours; Clean Up Australia events are held around the country this March 3rd. Volunteer to take part in our coral restoration project, pick up rubbish on your next walk, or simply pull invasive weeds from your own backyard. Every native shrub planted, every piece of plastic removed, is a victory for the creatures who call our land and sea home. Remember, a clean environment is a healthy and thriving paradise for everyone. 3.Champion a Vibrant Ocean Future: Just like leaves falling to nourish the earth, our voices have the power to nurture a cleaner ocean. Spread awareness about marine pollution, support sustainable seafood initiatives, and urge your local council to champion ocean health policies. Remember, even small actions, like using reusable coffee cups and choosing recycled paper, add up to a powerful tide protecting our beloved ocean. This March, let's embrace the spirit of autumnal change and clean up not just our surroundings, but also our minds and hearts. Together, with Reef Check Australia as your guide, we can create a cleaner, healthier, and more vibrant world for ourselves and for the ocean we love. So, join us, take action, and let's make this autumn a season of positive change, one autumn leaf at a time!   News from the field Stories and updates from our teams out & about.  South East Queensland Clean Up for Hatchlings Snorkel. On a cloudy, rainy Saturday morning, several keen Reef Check Australia ambassadors and volunteers gathered at La Balsa Park, Buddina. This special occasion was to mark the 10th anniversary of an event co-founded by Reef Check Australia, Sunshine Coast Council, and Sea Life Aquarium called Clean Up 4 the Hatchlings (CU4TH). The purpose of this event is to ensure the beaches we share with critically endangered nesting loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) are free of plastic and other anthropogenic items left by humans. Each year the program has slowly grown into a bigger and better event, with this year hosting its underwater cleanup on January the 13th by the Mooloolah River. Several Reef Check Australia team leaders as well as the wonderful team over at 10 little pieces collaboratively led an avid and keen volunteer group of snorkellers on a joyous underwater adventure in an attempt to clean the popular park and river from marine debris deposited by beach and parkgoers as well as marine debris washed in from the ocean. We had to navigate through bouts of rain and wind to rid the popular park and river of marine debris, including tangled fishing lines, plastic bags, bottles, and cans, totalling 149 items weighing 3.5kg. The underwater cleanup proved not only an environmental mission but also an educational one. As we worked, we engaged with local beach and parkgoers, seizing the opportunity to raise awareness about the impact of plastic waste and the importance of environmental stewardship. This dialogue is a crucial element of our mission, highlighting individual responsibility and the collective power we have in safeguarding our marine ecosystems. Wrapping up the day, our volunteers, some of whom alternated between snorkelling and land-based efforts, left with a sense of accomplishment and a deeper understanding of the marine environment. Our actions at La Balsa Park are a part of a larger campaign, with more cleanups across Noosa and Sunshine Coast areas in February as a part of the land based CU4TH event. At Reef Check Australia, we remain dedicated to fostering a community actively engaged in preserving our coastal ecosystems, continually working towards a sustainable and vibrant marine future. 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 Kabi Kabi peoples of the Sunshine Coast, the 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 Sunshine Coast Council’s Environment Levy Partnerships Grant. Little Halls Reef - Noosa Reef Health Survey Spotting a break in the weather, the Reef Check Australia team headed to Noosa last October to check out Little Halls Reef.  Little Halls is a shallow reef (12-15m) popular with local fisherman. It is a small narrow ridge consisting of a coffee rock base with encrusting corals, soft corals, sponges and ascidians making up the majority of the vertical benthos. Site was was set in 2011, with Site 2 set up in 2019 as a part of an extension of reef health monitoring in the region.  Coffee rock is a unique formation that can be found along Queensland's coastline, where coastal processes meet fluctuating sea levels, lies a unique formation called coffee rock. This soft, dark brown rock is essentially hardened sand, bonded by organic matter from decaying plants. Its story starts with humic acids leaching through sandy soils, encountering aluminium-rich groundwater, and solidifying into a distinct layer beneath the surface. Interesting, right! Sponges and Ascidians with a very small portion of hard and soft corals made up the benthos amongst rock, sand and nutrient indicator algae. Three anchors were found at Site 1 with four anchors found at site 2. Drupella snails (34 & 72 respectively) and pencil urchins were the only invertebrates recorded. Drupella are coral eating snails, however at this location, none of the snails were found on live coral. Coral Trout, Snapper, Butterflyfish and Sweetlips were also found at this location. Thank you to Blue Tortuga Adventures for getting us to site and making sure all activities are safe. A massive thank you to all of our surveyors and coordinators behind the scenes that make these surveys happen! These vital reef health surveys are not possible without our amazing volunteers, so thankyou for all that you do! Reef Check Acknowledge the Kabi Kabi people of the Noosa region, 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 is supported by the Noosa Shire Council Jew Shoal Noosa Reef Health Survey The Pinnacles Site 1 was set up as a long term monitoring site in 2009, with Site 2 added in 2013. The site sits at approximately 9-12m with the top of the reef at 4-5m. Jew Shoal is located in Noosa’s Laguna Bay. The site itself is a large area made up of canyons, ridges and bommies, with two main features; the pinnacles. The gutters and rocky substrate is covered in colourful hard and soft corals.  This site was last monitored in 2019. The site is dominated by encrusting hard coral, soft coral, rock, sponge and ascidians. Anemones, long spined sea urchins, pencil urchins and Drupella snails were recorded during the invertebrate surveys. Seventeen pieces of fishing debris was recorded and removed from site 1. A small amount of bleaching was recorded, however only one percent of the population was impacted overall. Butterflyfish, snapper and sweetlip were spotted along the transect. Thank you to Blue Tortuga Adventures for getting us to site. These vital reef health surveys are not possible without our amazing volunteers, so thankyou for all that you do! 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 is supported by Noosa Council. Great Barrier Reef Magnetic Island Geoffrey Bay Reef Health Survey In early November a small team from Townsville headed to Magnetic Island for our annual reef health surveys. In Geoffrey Bay, we have two survey sites along the snorkel trail, these sites are some of our newer ones being established in 2016. Geoffrey Bay is the location where coral spawning was first discovered back in 1981, and our surveys this year followed immediately after the annual spawning event here. Coral cover at this site had been consistently high over the 8-year period it has been surveyed with approximately 65% hard coral cover observed this year, and minimal coral bleaching. Some coral scars (cause unknown) and coral damage (likely caused by human impact as there has been a lot of snorkeller and diver activity at this site over the coral spawning period) were recorded along the transects. The team also had the pleasure of seeing an epaulette shark along the transect, a common reef shark species found around Magnetic Island! A special thanks to our surveyors Joan and Rachelle and surface watch Aabha for making this trip possible, and being available at short notice to make the most of the decent conditions whilst they last! Also thank you to Pleasure Divers for tank hire, allowing us to complete these surveys. This project is made possible through support from Townsville City Council through their Creek to Coral program, the Integrated Coral Reef Citizen Science 2.0 Program funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and Reef Ecologic. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on where these activities take place, the Manbarra and Bwgcolman people of Palm Island, and the Wulgurukaba and Bindal People of the Townsville and Magnetic Island region. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in our community today.    Whitsundays, Hook Island Clean Up Our small team took advantage of some nice weather and conducted an underwater clean up dive in Luncheon Bay at Hook Island in October. The corals were noted to be very healthy and, as on previous occasions, no debris was observed during our one-hour search (which is good news for the reef).  We opted to defer the land based clean up and waited until we had experienced an extended period of strong North and North-easterly winds. This site on Hook Island faces North and was therefore more likely to be impacted by marine debris following these winds. The beach is composed of coral rubble of various sizes and the beach front is currently a very steep grade into the water. Our team scoured the beach and adjoining bushland and were happy to report very low litter loads again. The rough nature of the beach does provide the opportunity for smaller items of debris to travel down between the rubble pieces and out of sight, but our items did include 18 pieces of hard plastic, 2 bottle tops and 2 pieces of polystyrene. Our most interesting finds were a pair of sunglasses (minus the arms) and a section of metal boat propellor. Thanks to John at Whitsunday Paradise Explorer for getting us to site. These surveys were conducted on the traditional lands and sea country of the Ngaro People of the Whitsundays. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Elders past, present and emerging. This project is supported by Tangaroa Blue through ReefClean; a project funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust.  ReefClean is a project to remove and reduce marine debris impacting the Great Barrier Reef. Bowen Grays Bay Reef Health Survey With the GM from SEQ in town, we jumped in at Grays Bay in Bowen to conduct our inaugural Reef Check Australia reef health survey at this site. This site faces north and contains a narrow reef that starts close to the shore line and heads north where it gradually widens and the variety of coral increases.  This site was chosen based on it’s popularity with snorkellers and fishers when strong south easterlies impact Horseshoe Bay and Rose Bay. This site is not subject to currents and as such tends to have a layer of silt and poor visibility most of the time. Luckily as the reef is shallow, we can survey it on snorkel at low tide. Hard coral was the dominant substrate at 33%, followed by silt at 17%. We also recorded 6% bleached coral on the point intersect substrate survey. During our impact survey we recorded bleaching on 10% of the population in the survey area, along with 14 incidents of coral damage. Target invertebrates were not observed but fish were recorded with snapper and butterflyfish the most dominant. We returned in February to complete a CoralWatch and Eye on the Reef Rapid survey and noted that the amount of damaged coral appeared to have increased along with bleaching. However the bleaching only affected a few species of coral and we observed completely bleached corals right next to healthy corals. Also of note, the small coral recruits close to shore appeared to be healthy and did not show signs of bleaching. These surveys were conducted on the traditional lands and sea country of the Ngaro, Gia and Juru People of the Whitsundays. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Elders past, present and emerging. This project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government's Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.   Books and podcasts Have you read or listened to something lately that you would like to share? Let us know and we can feature it here Whale with Steve Backshall Streaming on ABC iview, Steve takes an interesting look at different whale and dolphin species around the globe, how they interact and feed and some of the pressures they face. Watch on ABC iview Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean How anglerfish lure their prey!They use a fishing rod! Read now in: Australian Geographic First ever recorded sighting of baby Great White shark A baby newborn great white shark has been filmed off Southern California. Read more: Dive Magazine   Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.  3 Mar | Clean Up Australia Day Coral Sea Marina Airlie Beach  Join in the clean up at Airlie Beach from 8.30 to 10.30 head over to  Coral Sea Marina for more info . 3 Mar | Clean Up Australia Day Stradbroke Island Cleanups and registration points at Point Lookout, Dunwich and Amity Point Head over to Straddie Brewing Co for more information 4 Apr | Ambassador Training Starts Want to become a Reef Check Australia ambassador? Head to our website for more information and to register. If you missed any of our Coast to Coral online events, remember you can always catch-up by taking a look at our YouTube Channel here     Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.    Make a Donation   Copyright © 2023 Reef Check Australia, All rights reserved.You have received this newsletter because you have given Reef Check Australia your email address. If you would prefer not to receive any further emails, please click the unsubscribe link in your email.Our mailing address is: Reef Check Australia

Dear Friend We're Back!, well we never really went anywhere but we did have a well deserved break and hope you all did too. The festive season was somewhat sketchy for those of us in the north of Queensland with Cyclone Jasper causing havoc around Cairns, Wujal Wujal and beyond. Then at the end of January Cyclone Kirrily decided to pay us a visit. Luckily she did not have the massive impact of Jasper and now SEQ is being swamped by record rainfall! Our thoughts are with everyone that was, and continues to be, affected by these events. Given the break in operations and the inability to get out for field work, this month we bring you some more of the activities we completed in 2023. This months email includes: Action of the Month: Love like the Ocean News from the Field Gift Ideas Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program Love like the ocean! Photo by Khadeeja Yasser on Unsplash February may whisper of romance, but at Reef Check Australia, we believe "love" is a much grander tide, ebbing and flowing through ourselves, our communities, and the ocean we adore. So, this month, we're celebrating Love like the Ocean as our The Action of the Month! But how do we truly translate this feeling of love into action? Dive with us into three ways to show your love in February: 1. Embrace Self-Love's Ripple Effect: The ocean cherishes every drop, and so should you! Prioritize a quiet morning walk on the beach, treat yourself to a mindful meditation with the rhythmic waves as your soundtrack, or cook a nourishing meal. When you nurture yourself, you radiate kindness and inspiration, creating ripples of positivity that reach your community and the environment. 2. Strengthen the Reef of Community: Like coral polyps building a vibrant reef, join hands with your community. Do a beach clean-up (or join in for ours coming up this weekend!), volunteer at a marine conservation project, or host a fundraising event for local ocean advocacy groups. These actions not only benefit the environment but also forge bonds of shared passion and purpose, strengthening the fabric of your community. 3. Be the Tide of Change for the Ocean: Remember every small action adds up to a powerful wave of change. Ditch single-use plastics for reusable alternatives, choose sustainable seafood, and educate others about ocean threats. These everyday choices may seem insignificant, but collectively, they form a mighty current protecting the future of our beloved ocean. Let February be a month where love overflows onto the shores of self, community, and the environment. Remember, every act of kindness, every conscious choice, every moment of connection is a love letter to the ocean. Let's show our love through action, and watch the waves of positive change rise!   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 Peel Island Restoration Project Check Up. Science isn't always pretty; but it is amazing. We continue to watch the weather for even the slightest chance of getting on the water, so when the winds died down and the sun came out, we jumped at the chance to go and check on our Peel Island Reef Restoration project site. With the outstanding assistance from Seaworld, it was a true example of collaboration; and what can be achieved when we all work together. With representatives from The Moreton Bay Foundation, The Goodman Foundation, and Brisbane Airport Corporation, as well as Reef Check Australia volunteers; reef health surveyors, reef ambassadors, beach clean up volunteers, volunteers in training and even a board member all joined forces to check in on the project, clean up the structures, document any changes to the growth of the corals, and remove the fishing debris covering one of the structures. Despite the low visibility, conditions were favourable. Corals are doing well, everyone was able to participate in the activities and everyone had a great day in and on the water, again showcasing what we can achieve when collaborations occur. We are super excited to continue to monitor the progress of this project and invite you to participate in the next day on the water; many hands make light work after all! Massive shoutout to all involved; all the volunteers, the companies that allow their staff to take volunteer days to assist with such vital projects, our funding and support; Brisbane Airport Foundation for seed funding, The Moreton Bay Foundation and The Goodman Foundation for ongoing support and to Seaworld for their vessel support and willingness to assist. What a truly magnificent outcome for the not always glorious, but always amazing science that is Marine Biology.    Citizen Science Conference - Sunshine Coast What a fantastic three days at the Australia Citizen Science Association Conference held at the University of Sunshine Coast on 21-23 November! Reef Ambassador and Reef Health survey diver, Toni, was fortunate to observe inspirational and impactful presentations on reef citizen science - so many wonderful presenters and amazing projects. Toni presented a paper ‘Reefs on Wrecks’ in Southeast Queensland: A collaborative citizen science project to measure climate change impacts. This is a maritime archaeology and Reef Check Australia reef health citizen science project. A big thank you to CitSCiOz23 organisers and attendees for making this conference such an uplifting and exiting event! It was fantastic to meet new contacts and discuss future collaborative projects and opportunities. If you are a Reef Check Australia surveyor and are keen to participate in other shipwreck surveys, then please get in contact with Jodi or Toni. Watch this space! 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. Seaweed Restoration Festival On a splendidly sunny Saturday, October 21st, 2023, Reef Check Australia was honoured to join and support the inspiring seaweed restoration event at Alexandra Headland. Over 50 enthusiastic participants, under the guidance of the Seaweed Research Group, engaged in a significant environmental initiative – planting various seaweed species onto mesh bags for future oceanic restoration. This event, a critical part of a social science chapter led by PhD candidate Shelby Schumacher, was a testament to the power of community-driven environmental action. Reef Check Australia, with our dedication to educational outreach and support for restoration activities, found a natural synergy in the day's proceedings. We were thrilled to be part of an event that not only focused on ecological restoration but also brought together diverse groups for a common cause. The Seaweed Research Group, comprising over 30 cross-disciplinary experts, showed an exceptional commitment to harnessing seaweed’s potential for ecological, economic, and social welfare. Their innovative approach that integrates science, technology, health, and business, highlights seaweed's crucial role in marine ecosystems and its expanding economic significance. The event was more than just a restoration activity; it was a platform for learning and exchange. As participants planted seaweed, they gained insights into its pivotal role in marine ecosystems – akin to terrestrial forests, offering shelter and sustenance to a plethora of marine life. Furthermore, the Seaweed Research Group's efforts in demonstrating seaweed's diverse applications, from health benefits to its role in the global economy, were commendable. We extend our heartfelt thanks to them for inviting Reef Check Australia to be a part of this meaningful day. Reef Check Australia took this opportunity to educate attendees about the delicate coral reefs along the Sunshine Coast, emphasizing their vulnerability amidst climate change challenges. Engaging the community in discussions about reducing carbon footprints and participating in environmental activities resonated with our mission of conserving marine life through education and action. This day of environmental stewardship, knowledge sharing, and community involvement re-enforced our commitment to safeguarding our oceans. Together, we continue to pave the way for a sustainable and vibrant marine future. 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 Kabi Kabi peoples of the Sunshine Coast, the 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 the Sunshine Coast Councils Environment Levy Partnership Grant. Mooloolaba Foreshore Festival At this year's Mooloolaba Foreshore Festival , Reef Check Australia got a little creative with the standard stall set up (having forgotten to pack our tables and chairs meant our inner MacGyver skills were activated), I decided to do a tatami-style set up. Our beautiful canvas banner wrapped around the gazebo, it became the perfect background shot of the sea for kids and families to take a snap! Throughout the day, we received a steady stream of visitors, particularly families with young daughters who were eager to engage in beach clean-ups, educational workshops, and nurturing aspirations for their children to become future stewards of the reef and community they lived in. There were also many who had returned to the Sunny Coast to retire who used to surf or scuba dive and wanted a new meaning to the hobbies they once pursued. Reef Check Australia certainly piqued their curiosity, and several were keen to get their feet wet again and engage in reef conservation. As the festival drew to a close, we reflected on the importance of fostering community involvement in ocean conservation and education both from the perspective of a young child growing up to that of the retired who reminisced the coastal ecosystems before rapid modernisation. Big thanks to Cheryl Tan for manning the stall and helping to engage the local Sunshine Coast community. Reef Check Acknowledges the Kabi Kabi peoples of the Sunshine Coast, the 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 the Sunshine Coast Councils Environment Levy Partnership Grant. Great Barrier Reef In December we bade farewell to one of our amazing team leaders from the GBR as she takes up a new opportunity in Western Australia. We wish Aimee all the best and thank her for her amazing efforts in her work with Reef Check Australia. Beach Clean Up - Steen's Beach Hook Island Taking advantage of a nice forecast our team headed out on the water in the beautiful Whitsundays to explore some of the beaches and see if any of them could benefit from a dedicated clean up effort. Having the advantage of a high tide, our team pulled into Steen’s Beach on Hook Island. The beach is a National Park Campground with a single table and associated benches and a long drop toilet. Our team collected some small items of broken plastic and a few miscellaneous items in the sandy beach area then headed east over the rocks and along the rockier foreshore of the adjoining beach. It was not long before the pursuit of polystyrene sent us into the trees and the green tree ants! Our team collected numerous green tree ant bites and 15kgs of rubbish from this beach, including 144 pieces of polystyrene, 154 pieces of hard plastic, 15 thongs (no matching pairs), 22 plastic drink bottles and, concerningly, 8 bleach bottles (Kuat brand). As posted by Tangaroa Blue on 25 February 2022, (Facebook/Tangaroa Blue), these foreign bleach bottles come from a number of countries and may come in on the ocean currents after being dumped overboard from foreign fishing vessels. The bleach is one of the arsenals used in “cyanide fishing” to stun the fish for live capture. Having covered over 700m of beach, a falling tide forced us back to the boat with our load to ensure we could safely exit the area. Thanks to John at Whitsunday Paradise Explorer for getting us to site, helping with the clean up and hauling the rubbish back to the boat. This clean up was conducted on the traditional lands and sea country of the Ngaro People of the Whitsundays. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Elders past, present and emerging.  This project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government's Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.       Whitsundays, Daydream Island Reef Health Survey A small but enthusiastic team headed over to Daydream Island in the beautiful Whitsundays to conduct our annual Reef Check Australia, Reef Health Surveys, along with Eye of the Reef Rapid Surveys and CoralWatch. Both sites were set up in 2013 and have been monitored since then as funds allow. Like many of the sites in the Whitsundays, these sites were severely impacted by Cyclone Debbie and coral cover has not recovered to levels observed prior to this event. Lovers Cove historically had levels of soft coral around 30% and hard coral initially recorded at 33% in 2013. Soft coral levels fluctuated at Mermaids Cove with hard coral cover initially at 15%. During our surveys in 2020 hard coral was less than 2% at Lovers Cove and zero at Mermaids Cove. Hard coral cover has increased to 9% at Lovers Cove and 18% at Mermaids Cove. However, these percentages only represent what was located under the transect tape and recorded during the point intercept survey and do not take into account the numerous corals that were observed scattered around the survey area. Encouragingly we also observed numerous hard coral recruits taking up residence on the bare substrate. Minimal bleaching was observed at both sites but at less than 1% of the population.  Parrotfish were the most observed target fish at both sites, with butterflyfish and coral trout also observed, along with numerous non-target fish. A big thanks to our volunteers Deb Duggan and Terry Farr for helping out, Daydream Island Resort and Living Reef team for making us welcome and Cruise Whitsundays for getting us to site. These surveys were conducted on the traditional lands and sea country of the Ngaro People of the Whitsundays. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Elders past, present and emerging. This project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government's Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Magnetic Island Nelly Bay Reef Health Surveys In early November we started our annual reef health surveys around the Townsville Region for the season. First up was Nelly Bay, Magnetic Island, a site that was established in 2003 and has been surveyed regularly over the past 20 years. Over this period we have observed a decrease in hard coral cover, and in rock (dead coral, often covered in turf algae or crustose coralline algae) among the substrate. No trends were detected in coral impacts or invertebrate presence. Similar to last year, this year’s surveys had very high macroalgae (specifically Sargassum) cover across data points on the substrate survey. However, the height of the Sargassum was approximately 0.5m this year, compared to 3m+ last year when the surveys were conducted in late December when the water was approximately 3 degrees warmer. The team observed some bleaching of hard corals, however this was a small portion of individual colonies (i.e. for each colony of coral that was bleached, approximately 5% of that colony was bleached, with the remaining 95% healthy). A special thanks to our surveyors Joan and Rachelle and surface watch Aabha for making this trip possible and for being available at short notice to make the most of the decent conditions whilst they last! Also thank you to Pleasure Divers for tank hire, allowing us to complete these surveys. This project is made possible through support from Townsville City Council through their Creek to Coral program, the Integrated Coral Reef Citizen Science 2.0 Program funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and Reef Ecologic. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on where these activities take place, the Manbarra and Bwgcolman people of Palm Island, and the Wulgurukaba and Bindal People of the Townsville and Magnetic Island region. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in our community today.     Books and podcasts Have you read or listened to something lately that you would like to share? Let us know and we can feature it here The Exceptions - Kate Zernike Not specifically marine related but an interesting story of the struggles of women for recognition in science. With so much focus nowadays on Women in STEM, this book shows how far we have come since the 1960's.   Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean Antarctica - a continent in crisisEven the most remote place on Earth is beginning to crumble.. Read now in: Australian Geographic What is an ocean avalanche? They are terrifying and deadly on land, but what about under the sea? Read more: Australian Geographic So you think bottled water is better than tap? Bottled water has up to 100 times more plastic particles than previously thought. Read more: Popular Science Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.  3 Feb | Clean Up for the Hatchlings - Land Based Activities This is the 10 year anniversary of this awesome event. Clean up your beach and come along for free BBQ and amazing prizes at Coopers Lookout Park, Buddina. For more info and to register for your favourite beach head to Eventbrite. 6 Feb | Coast to Corals - Erik Sandertun Roed and lobster monitoring in Norway. Register on our Website If you missed any of our Coast to Coral online events, remember you can always catch-up by taking a look at our YouTube Channel here     Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.    Make a Donation   Copyright © 2023 Reef Check Australia, All rights reserved.You have received this newsletter because you have given Reef Check Australia your email address. If you would prefer not to receive any further emails, please click the unsubscribe link in your email.Our mailing address is: Reef Check Australia PO Box 782, Mooloolaba, QLD, 4557Australia

Dear Friend The festive season is certainly here and everyone is looking forward to a short break. Our teams have been busy this last month but we still have some past activities to share with you. Whilst some of these news items might seem a bit old, we still want to share the amazing work our teams have been doing and give a big shout out to our amazing supporters and grant funders who make these projects possible. As promised last month, we also bring you a list of just some of our favourite local and small businesses that we encourage you to support when doing your Christmas shopping. This months email includes: Action of the Month: That's a Wrap News from the Field Gift Ideas Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program That's a Wrap! Photo by freestocks on Unsplash Another year done and dusted and as the world slows down for a few days over the silly season it allows us the perfect time to reflect on the past 12 months and all that has happened. The highlights and the challenges. The successes and opportunities to grow. All offer the opportunity to be grateful for the experience, and allow a platform for us to reflect and plan for the next 12 months. As we look ahead to the new year, it's a time to set goals, make plans, and dream big. Whether it's traveling to a new destination, learning a new skill, or simply taking more time for self-care, there's a sense of optimism and possibility that comes with the start of a new year. For Reef Check Australia, the magnificent team behind the scenes that make it all work accomplished outstandiing things. Along the length of the QLD coastline, almost 100 reef health surveys were completed, and over 80 community events, fundraising nights, movie nights, and beach/underwater clean ups were conducted. Over 20 Reef Ambassadors and 12 Reef Health Surveyors completed their training, and we set up a reef restoration project in Moreton Bay. Hundreds of kg of marine debris was removed from our waterways, beaches and oceans, and hundreds of community members found out who RCA is, and what we do. We even presented citizen science data at two conferences. We strengthened partnerships and created new ones. We won awards, and were finalists for others. That's a really big year for a small team, so thankyou to each and every single one of you. Your support, assistance, energy and input makes a huge impact and we appreciate you. So as we say goodbye to 2023, let's take a moment to celebrate the good, acknowledge the challenges, and look forward with hope and optimism to what lies ahead. Here's to a new year full of possibility, growth, and happiness. That's a wrap! 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 Gold Coast Training - Reef Ambassadors During July and August our latest group of enthusiastic volunteers undertook our Reef Ambassador training course. The theory component is delivered online, enabling people to join from all over the state, all the while reducing our carbon footprint by removing the need to travel. Whilst some of our new ambassadors are yet to complete their face-to-face component, we did have new volunteer participation at the recent Gold Coast Whale Festival. This was a great opportunity for them to learn from more experienced volunteers and practice their skills in communicating with a wide range of people. Our ambassadors brought a fantastic selection of ideas for new projects and events that they wish to organise so we can’t wait to see these come to fruition. Reef Check Australia acknowledge the 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 City of Gold Coasts Catchment and Citizen Science Grants Program. . Kirra Reef Health Survey, August 2023 The sun was out and so were we! With a few days in a row of gorgeous weather, we headed to Kirra reef for our annual reef health monitoring at the site. Our team was lucky enough to encounter watch whales and dolphins on the way to site, making it a truly special day for all of us 😊 Kirra Reef is situated at the southern end of the Gold Coast and consists of scattered rocky outcrops that are covered in kelp and algae. It is approximately 400m from the shore, and is protected on three sides by land, making it accessible most of the year. Despite being close to shore, access by boat is recommended. It is approximately 100 metres in length and home to an array of soft corals, feather stars, anemones, cephalopods and an abundance of fish species. Eagle rays, wobbegongs and turtles can often be spotted just off this reefal area if you have a keen eye and time to explore. Reef Check Australia has been monitoring Southeast Queensland reefs since 2007, and Kirra Reef  since 2019, as part of a partnership with City of Gold Coast to monitor the health of reefs in the area. The team were delighted to find the site full of marine life including the smallest wobbegong anyone had ever seen, an octopus, nudibranchs, sea urchins and so many fish! A small amount of debris was recorded on the site, most drifting with the algae in the gulley’s between the rocky coral covered outcrops. The site supports a large number of anemones, ascidians and flowery soft corals and lots of different types of algae, often making substrate surveys a little tricker. If you get the chance to check out this small but diverse site, we highly recommend having a look!  Again, we recommend access by boat for safety. Big thanks to Gold Coast Dive Adventures for getting us to the site! Reef Check Acknowledge the people of the Yugambeh language region of the Gold 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 City of Gold Coasts Catchment and Citizen Science Grants Program. Caloundra Music Festival Basking in perpetual sunshine, the 16th annual Caloundra Music Festival took place from Friday the 29th to Sunday the 1st of October and boasted an idyllic setting, bordering the scenic Kings Beach. With a diverse lineup, the festival attracted thousands, serenading them with genres ranging from rap and funk to blues and jazz. While single-use items were minimized through the use of reusable cups and a focus on recycling and composting, Reef Check Australia volunteers took the opportunity to blend environmental education with entertainment. Positioned strategically amidst the festival grounds, they engaged the public on marine conservation efforts and recommended local snorkelling spots to experience the underwater world of the Sunshine Coast. While the music resonated with the attendees, the event also struck a chord on environmental awareness. Partnering with Reef Check Australia and BushCare Sunshine Coast, the festival aimed to educate the public on local conservation initiatives. Both organizations went beyond the festival's timeframe, advertising local citizen science opportunities for the region to get involved in environmental action beyond the three-day event. Volunteers from Reef Check actively discussed ongoing projects in the area and invited festivalgoers to get involved in future conservation efforts. Meanwhile, BushCare Sunshine Coast promoted land-based conservation projects, emphasizing the interconnectedness of terrestrial and marine ecosystems. By intertwining the melodies of the festival with the vital message of environmental responsibility, the event created a lasting impact that will likely reverberate in the actions of attendees long after the last note faded away. A massive thankyou to our new Ambassadors Jolin, Jake and Erica who completed the last elements of their Reef Ambassador course whilst at the festival. Volunteers are vital to the work we do, and we appreciate your time and energy! Thankyou, and we look forward to seeing you art future events! 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 is supported by the Sunshine Coast Councils Environment Levy Partnership Grant.    Moreton Bay - St Helena Reef Health Surveys A sunny day between wind and rain. Despite heavy rains over the past few weeks, Moreton Bay put on a show in September, showing just how gorgeous the on-water conditions can be, meaning this tiny but might Reef Check Australia team was able to get out and conduct a summer reef health survey at Saint Helena Island, to document any changes to the reef in the area. Reef Check Australia has been monitoring Southeast Queensland reefs since 2007, and Saint Helena 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. St Helena Island is located 5km from the mouth of the Brisbane River. The island itself has an interesting history. From 1867 it operated as a high security colonial prison, operating for 65 years as a self sufficient set up, complete with lime kiln, sugar refinery, a sugar cane plantation, and almost no native vegetation due to its removal early on. Reef Check Australia has two long term monitoring sites around the island.  The first site; Palindrome, is near the jetty, and has a patchy reef full of both hard and soft corals. This site was quite turbid for the winter survey; unusual for this time of year known for cold but clear conditions. A high level of silt was recorded and purple filamentous nutrient indicator algae covered almost every surface. Several items of debris were recorded; mostly glass bottles, and a couple of nudibranchs, however no target fish species were found on this survey. The second site; Ray of Sunshine, is towards the south east, and has a greater density of hard corals than Palindrome. The visibility was uncharacteristically poor for this time of year, with sediment throughout the water column. No macroalgae was recorded at this site on transect (previously found in high occurance at this site), however Nutrient Indicator Algae (NIA) was recorded in much higher counts than the previous year. This site has plenty of hard coral colonies, with bleaching affecting approximately 5% of the population, an increase since summer, and winter last year. 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 sites. 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, 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.       Elliot Heads - Beach Clean Up On a sunshine-filled Saturday morning in early October, the sky cleared just as our clean-up operation began, blessing our environmental efforts with clear weather to launch the start of the Great Barrier Reef Clean-up, which happened throughout the month of October. Spearheaded by Reef Check Australia and Tangaroa Blue Foundation, a diverse group of volunteers—some new to beach cleaning and others well-versed—gathered to reclaim the beauty of our coasts by removing marine debris from our shared shorelines. The scope of the clean-up was expansive, targeting not just the sandy stretches of Elliot Heads Beach but also sections of the serene mouth of Elliot River and the secluded Dr May Island. These areas are not just scenic getaways but crucial habitats for local wildlife. Migratory and critically endangered shorebirds, as well as nesting sea turtles with notably high nesting rates, call these areas home. Bordering the Great Sandy Marine Park, Elliot Heads is just 20 km south of Mon Repos, which hosts the largest nesting population of the endangered loggerhead turtles in the Southern Hemisphere, underlining the critical nature of maintaining clean and safe surrounding environments. This sandy river mouth is also home to shorebirds travelling along the East Australasian Flyway, a route that stretches from Alaska all the way to New Zealand around the western side of the Pacific. Our collaborative effort yielded 11.2 kg of marine debris, packed into three large bags. The origin of this waste varied; some were locally deposited by beachgoers and due to nearby urbanisation, while other debris had been washed ashore. Unfortunately, marine debris was even found inside empty hatched turtle egg casings, demonstrating just how present this problem is in the lives of turtles already. All items collected were meticulously sorted, weighed, and their data incorporated into the Australian Marine Debris Initiative Database. This feeds into a nationwide dataset that scientists across the country can utilise to gain a better understanding of the plastic pollution problem. By the end of the day, it was evident that the endeavour was about more than just physical cleaning—it was a determined community effort to preserve the natural beauty of an important ecosystem. Remember, each individual action serves as a stepping stone towards a larger, collective goal: the sustainable health and beauty of our marine and terrestrial environments. Reef Check acknowledges the Traditional Country of the Taribelang Bunda, Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang, and Bailai Peoples on the land and sea country where these activities took place. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging. ReefClean is funded by the Australian Government's Reef Trust and delivered by the Tangaroa Blue Foundation.    Great Barrier Reef Alma Bay Clean Up The conditions around Magnetic Island have been very windy and swelly over the last couple of months, so as soon as our Townsville team found a break in these conditions, we quickly headed to Alma Bay to conduct our biannual beach and underwater clean up as part of Tangaroa Blue's ReefClean project. Being school holidays, we weren’t surprised to see this beach full of people when we arrived, nor were we surprised to find items such as sunglasses, hats and hair clips during the 40 minute scuba dive, however we did only fall a small amount of eight debris underwater. As for the beach clean up, we had a very different outcome with a total of 566 pieces of marine debris collected along the beach which is les than 200m long. The most common debris as expected was hard plastic remnants, accounting for 397 of the 566 pieces of debris. As microplastic surveys throughout Australia have identified this location to have the highest concentration of microplastic of any surveyed beach in the country, we decided to separate microplastics (those less than 5mm in diameter) from larger pieces. We collected 192 microplastics from within the seaweed along the high tide line! On a positive note, this time around we found much less glass from smashed alcoholic beverage bottles compared to last clean up at this location in May – only 6 pieces of glass this time compared to the 465 we collected last time. This project is supported by Tangaroa Blue through ReefClean; a project funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust. ReefClean is a project to remove and reduce marine debris impacting the Great Barrier Reef. All debris form this event were sorted and the data added to the Australian Marine Debris Initiative Database. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on where these activities take place, the Wulgurukaba people. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in our community today. Whitsundays, Hook Island Reef Health Survey Getting out before the winds increased again our team headed out to Hook Island with the aim to conduct our annual Reef Check Australia Reef Health Surveys, along with Eye of the Reef Rapid Surveys and CoralWatch. The Luncheon Bay site was set up in 2013, with Butterfly Bay first surveyed in 2018. Although we had planned on starting at Butterfly Bay, the presence of a very large charter boat and a huge number of snorkellers on our survey site, changed our mind and we headed to the quieter Luncheon Bay. Levels of hard coral cover at Luncheon Bay remained similar to 2022, with an increase in soft coral cover noted and a decrease in rubble. An increase in hard coral was recorded at Butterfly Bay, with a decrease in rubble. Coral bleaching was observed on all transects at Luncheon Bay but only 2 transects at Butterfly Bay, but like the other Whitsunday sites we have surveyed, it was less than 1% of the population.  Coral damage was observed on all transects at Butterfly Bay however this was not surprising as this very pretty area is very popular with snorkellers. Parrotfish and Butterflyfish dominated at both sites. Once again, clams were the only target invertebrate observed at both sites. Thanks to John at Whitsunday Paradise Explorer for getting us to site and Aquadive for supplying the tanks. These surveys were conducted on the traditional lands and sea country of the Ngaro People of the Whitsundays. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Elders past, present and emerging. This project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government's Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.   Gift Ideas Support local, give experiences. Here are just a few of our favourite businesses to support. What to give that person who has everything? Why not Adopt a Reef! Visit our Website to make your purchase. or visit our Sea store for other great gift ideas and help support our cause. Your Mates Brewery Purchase your loved ones a gift card or a box of tasty beverages and support this local business that supports Reef Check (you may have heard about the monthly raffles?) Blue Tortuga Adventures Have someone on the Sunshine Coast who likes diving, snorkelling or fishing? Shout them a trip with Blue Tortuga. Gold Coast Dive Adventures How about a trip to the Gold Coast's Wonder reef? Whitsunday Paradise Explorer Maybe shout the family or friends a day out snorkelling or visiting the beautiful beaches and islands of the Whitsundays on your own personalised, professionally skippered small boat. Pranafest 2024 Early bird tickets now available. Shout yourself (why not) and some loved ones tickets to a weekend of wellness and awesome music on the Sunshine Coast.   Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean Scalloped Hammerheads gather in seas off PerthWhy - find out what researchers have been able to determine. Read now in: Australian Geographic Heatproofing Coral Can heat tolerant algae help save our coral? Read more: Australian Geographic Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.  Like most people we are taking a  break for a couple of weeks. Keep an eye on our socials for any activities that may pop up. We will have beach and snorkel clean ups early in the new year and ambassador and surveyor training course dates will be announced.   If you missed any of our Coast to Coral online events, remember you can always catch-up by taking a look at our YouTube Channel here     Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.    Make a Donation   Copyright © 2023 Reef Check Australia, All rights reserved.You have received this newsletter because you have given Reef Check Australia your email address. If you would prefer not to receive any further emails, please click the unsubscribe link in your email.Our mailing address is: Reef Check Australia PO Box 782, Mooloolaba, QLD, 4557Australia

Dear Friend We have reached the penultimate month of 2023 and what a busy year it has been.  Our teams have been challenged by windy weather but have persevered and been out doing reef health surveys when conditions allow, whilst other amazing volunteers have been spreading the word about ocean conservation at a range of events. With the silly season fast approaching check out our action of the month on how you can help save our environment. This months email includes: Action of the Month: Support local this Christmas News from the Field Brain Food Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program Support Local this Christmas Photo by Donovan Dean on Unsplash With Christmas just around the corner many people are busy creating gift lists, organising get togethers and preparing menus. Which allows us the perfect opportunity to think about supporting local companies. This way we can minimise our impact and maximise our support for local! Think about where products are coming from, how many miles have they travelled to get to your place, how are they packaged and what they are made from. We urge you to think outside the square, and look at experiences as gifts this year. If you do choose items, next month we take a look at some of the companies that we love to support Following on from our July Action of the Month (Plastic Free July), we urge you to consider purchasing products locally (or at least in Australia), products made from recycled materials, items shipped in compostable or recycled packaging or giving experiences instead. When organising get togethers, don't use single use plates or cutlery. If you don't have a big picnic set, get everyone to bring their own reusable plates, cups and cutlery. This creates less waste, even paper plates and bamboo cutlery have to be disposed somewhere. These small actions add up to big wins for our environment. Don't forget next month we will bring you details of some small local businesses that you can support when ticking off your Xmas shopping list. 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 Gold Coast - Palm Beach Reef Surveys A quick window of good weather in August meant an opportunity to conduct a survey at Palm Beach Reef (site 1), so our mighty team of surveyors from all over Southeast Queensland jumped at the chance to get in the water and check in on the health of these local reefs. Palm Beach reef is an extensive rocky reef made up of numerous ridges and gullies, located 800-1000m off shore. The reef has patchy hard coral cover and hosts a high number of benthic invertebrates such as sponges, ascidians and anemones. It also has a notably high abundance of sea urchins, wobbegongs and nudibranchs. Reef Check Australia has been monitoring Southeast Queensland reefs since 2007, and Palm Beach Reef since 2007 as funds allow, to gain a better understanding of the subtropical reefs in the Gold Coast subregion. The site was host to numerous anemones (339 on this site alone!) along with a large number of urchins (Diadema; a long spined sea urchin, collector urchins and pencil urchins; all target species for Reef Check Australia).  The benthic survey shows an increase in the amount of Nutrient Indicator Algae (from 0.6% in October 2022, to over 10% in August 2023), as well as a decrease in the amount of Soft Coral observed, and an increase in rubble. Wobbegongs and reef rays were found along the transect along with a selection of nudibranchs. Reef Check Acknowledge the people of the Yugambeh language region of the Gold 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 City of Gold Coasts Catchment and Citizen Science Grants Program. Wavebreak Island Reef Health Survey, August 2023 A minimal tide, clear calm waters and sunshine meant all systems go for the Reef Check Australia in water research team as they headed out on the early morning to visit Wavebreak Island as a part of their annual reef health surveys for the Gold Coast region. Reef Check Australia has been monitoring Southeast Queensland reefs since 2007, and Wavebreak Island Reef since 2019, as part of a partnership with City of Gold Coast to monitor the health of reefs in the area. Wavebreak Island is located within the Gold Coast Broadwater (inshore) and is therefore protected from ocean swells. It provides an ideal environment for introductory diving and snorkelling. It's a perfect dive spot for beginners or for someone seeking calmer conditions. The rocky scree environment allows diver's to navigate in both shallow and deep depths, however divers should take care diving here on anything other than a slack tide, as the water can move quickly around the rock wall. The rock formation to the north of the island is an ideal area to explore as it's home to numerous sponges, and a small number of corals. A huge number of fish are found here, resulting in this site being heavily utilised by fishermen, divers and snorkelers alike. Plenty of surgeon fish and a few bream were sighted during the survey. As the site is characterised by rocky rubble on a sandy bottom, there was no coral recorded on the substrate transect however several were noted and photographed within the area. Several large stonefish, a wobbegong and a cleaner shrimp, plus several collector urchins and long spined sea urchins were also recorded at the stie. There was a huge amount of marine debris recorded, including 4 fishing rods, a camp chair, cable ties, glass bottles, tuna cans, drink lids, material, a snorkel and over 60m of fishing line noted, and where possible, removed. Noting how much debris weas recorded here, we will host a clean up specifically for this site in the near future, so stay tuned if you wish to join. Big thanks to Gold Coast Dive Adventures for getting to the site! Reef Check Acknowledge the people of the Yugambeh language region of the Gold 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 City of Gold Coasts Catchment and Citizen Science Grants Program. Sunshine Coast - Currimundi, Reef Health Survey, September 2023 After several reschedules due to weather, the conditions were stunning for one glorious day, so the Reef Check Australia team jumped at the chance to check out our site at Currimundi. Currimundi Reef is situated on a flat exposed rocky outcrop area, off the Currimundi Coast. Reef Check Australia has been monitoring this reef for reef health since 2009. Our 2 sites sit at around 9m and are located on the reef flat dominated by leathery soft corals, encrusting hard coral, bryozoans and other benthic invertebrates. Although starting at the same point as Site 1, Site 2 runs west, whilst Site 1 runs east. Whilst similar the 2 sites offer different amounts of coral cover. Surface conditions and visibility was great, with a bit of surge under the water. The substrate at this site consists of rock with turf algae and scattered hard and soft corals, along with calcareous algae which acts like a cement to hold the reef together. On both sites we encountered a large amount of Asparagopsis algae which is very unusual. Our team recorded 101 counts of this macroalgae during the two point-intercept substrate surveys. Coral bleaching was only recorded on two transects at Site 1 and one transect at Site 2, but at only 1% of the population,  levels were low. Numerous non-target fish were observed, and we recorded 19 butterflyfish and 3 snapper during our fish survey. Despite the popularity of the area for fishing, the only impact recorded was one unknown coral scar. We were also lucky enough to spot several species of nudibranch and the largest sea hare we have ever seen! Thank you to Blue Tortuga Adventures for getting us to site and a big thank you to all of our surveyors! These vital reef health surveys are not possible without our amazing volunteers, so thankyou for all that you do! 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 is supported by the Sunshine Coast Council’s Environmental Levy Partnerships Grant. Gold Coast Whale Festival Reef Check Australia was thrilled to host a stall the amazing Whale Festival on August the 12th at Burleigh Heads' Justin Park, right by the surf club and overlooking the beach and majestic whales passing by. This day marked an inspiring blend of community passion and environmental action. Collaborating with a line-up of NGOs and organisations such as Sea Shepherd, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Sea World Foundation, Ocean Connect, The Griffith Marine Megafauna Lab, Sharks and Rays Australia, Gold Coast City Council, Ocean Connect and many more we united under the banner of marine conservation. The event embraced diverse initiatives - from a simultaneous beach cleanup to captivating scientific talks by marine megafauna experts. The heart of the event resonated with sharing knowledge and inspiring real change. Talks focused on various marine topics and engaging discussions, which encouraged and empowered Gold Coast locals to integrate conservation practices into their daily lives. Our combined efforts resulted in an unforgettable day- sunny skies, happy hearts, and a cleaner shoreline. The event saw hundreds of enthusiastic participants engaging in beach cleanup activities that removed litter deposited by beachgoers and marine debris washed up! Every piece of trash collected added valuable data to the Australian Marine Debris Initiative, contributing to vital research on marine pollution. We thank Humpbacks and Highrises for orchestrating the fantastic event that seamlessly blended education, inspiration, and fun. With captivating scientific talks, practical conservation tips, and a touch of sun, this event was a perfect recipe for a meaningful weekend. Let's continue to make waves of change and protect our oceans for generations 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 Acknowledge the Kombumerri & Yugambeh people of the Gold 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 City of Gold Coasts Catchment and Citizen Science Grants Program. Sunshine Coast - Plastic Free Sea Festival  On a windy September day dotted with patchy rain and bursts of sunshine, a crowd of committed volunteers gathered across Happy Valley in Caloundra, the old dry river mouth of Pumicestone Passage, and parts of North Bribie Island. This impressive gathering was orchestrated by Visionary Ocean Warriors, in collaboration with multiple organisations including the Envoy Foundation, Sunshine Coast Council, TurtleCare, and Take Action for Pumicestone Passage & EnviroComm. Each group offered educational stalls with informative material on local conservation initiatives. The collective purpose of the event was not just to clean up but also to educate the community on the vital role they play in safeguarding their local marine environment. Despite the challenging weather, the event drew in 73 volunteers who together collected over 60kg of marine debris. All collected waste was meticulously categorised, weighed, and the data uploaded into the Australian Marine Debris Initiative database for future research. The river mouths in the cleanup areas were identified as hotspots for marine debris, owing to their flat terrains that facilitate the transportation of waste by oceanic currents and winds. A significant amount of the rubbish also came from the high numbers of tourists visiting the region, highlighting the pressing need for frequent clean-up efforts in these areas. The event concluded with a unique twist—each volunteer had the opportunity to go 'thrifting' through a donated assortment of clothes, books, and miscellaneous items as a token of appreciation for their hard work. In the end, it wasn't just about cleaning the beaches; it was about fostering a community spirit centred around conservation. Remember, every individual contribution counts in the larger battle against marine pollution. By being conscientious about our habits and involving ourselves in community-driven projects like this, we are not just cleaning up; we're also laying down a foundation for a cleaner, healthier future for our oceans and marine life. 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 is supported by the Sunshine Coast Councils Environment Levy Partnership Grant. Great Barrier Reef Nelly Bay Underwater Clean Up In late September we finally caught a break from the strong winds and were able to head to Magnetic Island to conduct our biannual underwater marine debris clean-up at Nelly Bay. Being a mid-week event planned last-minute to take advantage of the conditions, we were only able to gather together a small but mighty team of two volunteer divers – one Reef Check surveyor and one ambassador, along with our amazing team leader Aimee. This was our new ambassadors first time diving our local reefs on Magnetic Island, and she was pleasantly surprised to see how clean they were, with not one piece of debris found during their 40 minute scuba dive! Given this location is a fairly popular snorkel site with a snorkel trail leading through the coral reef, and around a dozen snorkellers there at the time of our clean up, it was great to see how pristine this reef is. We would like to say a massive thank you our volunteers Rachelle and Marika for squeezing in this clean up during their busy schedules to help keep our reefs clean! This project is supported by Tangaroa Blue through ReefClean; a project funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust. ReefClean is a project to remove and reduce marine debris impacting the Great Barrier Reef. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on where these activities take place, the Wulgurukaba people. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in our community today. Rowes Bay Sustainability Stall On September 17th Reef Check Australia was invited to hold a stall at the Rowes Bay Sustainability Centre Open Day, an event for locals to learn how to be more sustainable and resilient in order to help our environment. This was a great opportunity for new ambassador Nadja to complete her training and attend her first event! Nadja got to put all she learnt about RCA into action while chatting to people of all ages visiting our stall, educating them about who we are, what we do, and small measures people can take to help protect our local reefs. It was great to see a diverse range of locals interested in taking measures to live a more sustainable life! Thank you to Townsville City Council for organising this event. Our attendance at this event was made possible by funding support from Townsville City Council through the Creek to Coral program. We acknowledge the Bindal and Wulgurukaba People, the traditional custodians of the land on which this event took place, and their elders past, present and emerging. Black Island Reef Health Survey After weeks and weeks of strong winds our team was able to get out to Black Island Reef (Whitsundays) in beautiful conditions. Our aim was to conduct our annual Reef Check Australia, Reef Health Surveys, along with Eye of the Reef Rapid Surveys and CoralWatch. This site was set up in 2021 as a site of interest linked to the Boats 4 Coral project and is an area of coral reseeding. Our team of divers and snorkeller completed these activities and are happy to report the corals appeared healthy with minimal damage observed. Although some bleaching was observed it affected less than 1% of the population and was only recorded on 2 of the 4 transects. Butterflyfish were the most sighted fish with clams being the dominant invertebrate. Thanks to Aimee, Terry and Deb for helping out, John at Whitsunday Paradise Explorer for getting us to site and Aquadive for supplying the tanks. These surveys were conducted on the traditional lands and sea country of the Ngaro People of the Whitsundays. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Elders past, present and emerging. This project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government's Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Hayman Island Blue Pearl Bay Reef Survey  Taking advantage of the nice weather our team also headed out to Hayman Island, Blue Pearl Bay in beautiful conditions. Our aim once again was to conduct our annual Reef Check Australia, Reef Health Surveys, along with Eye of the Reef Rapid Surveys and CoralWatch. Site 1 was set up as one of Reef Check Australia’s initial survey sites in 2001. Site 3 was added in 2003. Both sites have been monitored since then as funds allow. Hard coral cover at site 1 has remained reasonably consistent over the last 3 years however has still not recovered to levels observed in 2016, prior to cyclone Debbie. Hard coral cover at site 3 has increased  since 2022, but again has not returned to pre-cyclone levels. Bleaching was observed on all transects at both sites but at less than 1% of the population.  Other coral damage was very low and disease was not recorded. Parrotfish were the most observed target fish at both sites, with butterflyfish and coral trout also observed. Thanks to John at Whitsunday Paradise Explorer for getting us to site and Aquadive for supplying the tanks. These surveys were conducted on the traditional lands and sea country of the Ngaro People of the Whitsundays. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Elders past, present and emerging. This project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government's Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.   Brain Food Reviews and details on books, documentaries, and podcasts that we have come across, & wanted to share. The Deep Ocean, Life in the Abyss. Micheal Vecchione, Louise Allcock, Imants Priede & Hans van Haren. Explore the deep ocean and the diversity of organisms that live there. Don't forget if you read any of the books we list to send us a message and let us know what you think! Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean Organisms without brains CAN thinkResearchers have found that organisms without a brain can learn. Read now in: Australian Geographic A spoonful of sugar makes a better battery Australian researchers have discovers that simply adding a dash of sugar could improve the life of your electric car's battery. Read more: Anthropocene Magazine Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.  4 November | Mooloolaba Foreshore Festival. For more info: Hello Sunshine Magazine If you missed any of our Coast to Coral online events, remember you can always catch-up by taking a look at our YouTube Channel here     Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.    Make a Donation   Copyright © 2023 Reef Check Australia, All rights reserved.You have received this newsletter because you have given Reef Check Australia your email address. If you would prefer not to receive any further emails, please click the unsubscribe link in your email.Our mailing address is: Reef Check Australia PO Box 782, Mooloolaba, QLD, 4557Australia

Dear Friend Welcome to our October update. The end of the year is quickly approaching and our teams have been out and about doing surveys and attending events. We rely heavily on our volunteers to make these things happen, so we say a BIG thank you to those who were able to help make all of these things possible.  This months email includes: Action of the Month: Start local for a global impact. News from the Field Brain Food Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program Start Local for a Global Impact Photo by David Clode on Unsplash As the vibrant colours of spring continue to surround us and the warmer weather starts to trickle in, we thought it would be the perfect time to celebrate this months Action of the month; to take action for your local environment. This month, lets celebrate the natural world around us, and choose tangible ways to protect it. With world habitat day and world migratory bird day amongst others sharing October, we thought it the perfect time to look after local, for a global focus. This month we have our Moreton Bay reef restoration activities continuing, and we will be joining a seaweed restoration project on the Sunshine Coast. We are gearing up to help with coral spawning activities in the Great Barrier Reef early next month, and there are so many sea birds gracing our shores on their annual migration, it’s a great opportunity to admire these animals that have arrived on our shores. With so many ways to make a positive impact on our local environment, let's come together as a community to protect the beautiful natural spaces that surround us. Unsure what you can do? Join a community clean up day, join a tree planting activity, join in one of our restoration activities above or below the water, jump onto Inaturalist and start logging what you see in the world around you, or maybe build a frog house in your backyard, or create a haven for other critters like possums or bats. There are plenty of small ideas that have big impacts. Remember, every action counts. This October, let's unite in protecting our local environment and leave a positive impact on the world around us. Together, we can create a greener, cleaner, and more sustainable future for generations to come. 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 Tallebudgera Land Based Clean Up A group of Reef Check Australia volunteers braved the cold winter mornings we’ve had recently (despite it not technically been winter yet!) and cleaned the area around Tallebudgera Creek on the Gold Coast. The area we targeted on this occasion was around Kevin Gates Park on Saturday 27th May including the park land, the rock wall and the beaches surrounding the creek. This area is surrounded by developments, is a common park ground for recreational activities and is also a popular fishing spot, and thus prone to littering. A lot of fishing gear (fishing line, lures, sinkers etc.) was collected along the creek. Sadly, many cigarette butts and bits of soft plastic were also collected making up a large portion of 300 items making up approximately 3kg of debris collected over a 400m2 area. Many items looked like they had been embedded in the surrounding environment for quite a while. Overall, the most common items on the clean-up were fishing line, plastic wrappers and bits of confetti. It was concerning that we found lots of small pieces of plastic as this suggests that they have been breaking down in the environment and are potentially accumulating in the area. They can also pose a very real threat to animals and marine critters that inhabit the area. Remember, every little bit counts. If you see rubbish on the beach, pick it up and dispose of it in the correct bins. Together, we can and will make an ocean of difference! Reef Check Acknowledge the Yugambeh people of the Gold 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 City of Gold Coast's Catchment and Citizen Science Grants Program. Goat Island West Reef Health Survey, May 2023 Another beautiful autumn day meaning another perfect day to hit the water and survey reef health as a part of our long term reef health monitoring program in Moreton Bay. Goat Island is a coral cay in the middle of Moreton Bay, surrounded by internationally recognised Ramsar wetlands and the Moreton Bay Marine Park. It sits just off the coast of the North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) town of Dunwich (Goompie) and is a tiny, uninhabited island that supports an impressive array of native species, and provides critical habitat and roosting sites for shorebirds. The island’s rocks in the south-west corner are known among boaties as a superb fishing spot, with a multitude of fish species gathering at the rocks to feed as the tide rises. The Goat Island West reef health monitoring site was set up in 2014, in collaboration with Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation and Quandamooka Land & Sea Management Agency. The site sits to the southwest of the island and is impacted by the steady flow of boating traffic moving close the island. It is dominated by rocky substrate and soft coral. The site was last monitored by Reef Check Australia in 2022, shortly after the February floods.  It was a great opportunity to check in on the health of this reef after such widespread impacts in the region last year. A medium amount of silt was recorded covering the site. Bleached coral was recorded on every transect, however population levels were low (1-5%). Coral disease was recorded on a few coral colonies and several items of marine debris were recorded and removed from the location; fishing line and glass bottles in particular. Reef Check acknowledges the Quandamooka people of Minjerribah, the 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. Shark Gulley, Flat Rock, Reef Health survey, June 2023 With the sun out, the water cold and the whales passing by in droves, the Reef Check Australia team soaked up all the glorious sunshine above the water, and all the amazing diversity below the water, at the Nursery at Flat Rock. Flat Rock is a popular recreational diving and boating location offshore from Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) featuring an exposed rocky ledge dropping into deeper water. This Marine National Park (Green no take) zone has a no-fishing zone and is also a Grey Nurse Shark Protection area. This site was established in 2009. The site is made up of rocky ridges and gullies and is characterised by encrusting and branching hard corals and benthic invertebrates. Site 1 lays at 9 meters on the seaward side of the fringing reef, sitting above a common gathering area for Grey Nurse Sharks. The survey team was treated to 16 whales in the vicinity of our dive boat before heading under water to see what we could find. The site sits along a benthically diverse wall. Hard coral percentage was less than when the site was last surveyed, with soft coral taking up a much larger footprint than in previous years. Rock made up the majority of the benthos, with ascidians, sponges and nutrient indicator algae making up the remainder. Minimal impacts were recorded, and a couple of sea urchins, a clam and drupella snails were the only target invertebrates recorded, however a calcareous tube worm was recorded which is a fascinating organism and an absolute highlight of the dive (besides the whales of course). Thanks to all the volunteers and organisers who made this trip a success, and to Manta Lodge for getting us to site. Reef Check acknowledges the Quandamooka people of Minjerribah, the 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. Narrowneck Artificial Reef; Reef Health Survey, August 2023 A minimal tide, clear calm waters and sunshine meant all systems go for the Reef Check Australia in water research team as they headed out on the early morning to visit Narrowneck Artificial Reef as a part of their annual reef health surveys for the Gold Coast region. Reef Check Australia has been monitoring Southeast Queensland reefs since 2007, and Narrowneck Artificial Reef since 2007, as part of a partnership with City of Gold Coast to monitor the health of reefs in the area, and the growth of this artificial reef structure. Narrowneck reef (sometimes called “Gold Coast Reef”) is an artificial reef (made from geotextile) that was constructed in 1999. At 70,000 cubic meters, it holds the title for the largest multi-purpose reef ever constructed. The reef was designed primarily as a shoreline stabilisation structure. Creating better surfing waves was a secondary concern. However, it’s generally accepted that it did improve the quality of surf during its earlier years by improving the shape and frequency of rideable waves. Due to degradation, the reef was refurbished in 2017 and 2018, providing improved shoreline stabilisation and an increase in waves. However anecdotal information suggests the reef is seldom surfed. The site supports a large variety of algae and seaweed with sponges and ascidians. This year, a small amount of soft coral was also spotted; big hoorah! We were lucky enough to also find several wobbegongs, plenty of fish and a small shark as well. A small amount of debris was also found on site. This site is very dependant on calm conditions, so we were very lucky to have gorgeous conditions enabling us to visit this site. Big thanks to Gold Coast Dive Adventures for getting us to the site! Reef Check Acknowledge the people of the Yugambeh language region of the Gold 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 City of Gold Coasts Catchment and Citizen Science Grants Program. Kings Beach, Reef Health Survey, September 2023 Utilising local surveyors who used quick action to let us know the time was NOW to check out the glorious Kings Beach boat ramp for our annual reef health monitoring site meant the A team activating their inner MacGyver to come up with a plan quickly and effectively. With visiting superstars of Reef Check Australia GBR team Julie and Terry, the team was ready to jump in the spring water and see what we could find! Sunny conditions and clear waters before the storm came rolling in and swell picked up was a glorious start to this survey. Kings Beach is a surprising fringing reef located approximately 100m offshore, adjacent to a frequently utilized boat ramp and near to Caloundra's popular beachfront area. Site 1 is situated at a depth of 3 meters. This site was added to the Reef Check Australia reef health survey list in 2009, to gain a better understanding of reefs off the southern Sunshine Coast. The site was heavily impacted by the 2011 SEQ flood, and again in the 2022 flood. The area has a diverse array of corals and critters found at the site, and despite consistently being impacted by increased flooding, the coral populations are slowly increasing after being almost completely decimated in 2011. The site was again covered in the macro algae Asparagopsis (see previous posts and ongoing research on this algae) which makes surveying that extra bit of fun! Plenty of Halimeda (a reef building algae) and sea stars were found amongst patchy encrusting hard corals, and a few soft corals making their way through the algal carpet. Ascidians (commonly called sea squirts) were found across the entire site in a variety of forms. Non target sea cucumbers, one collector urchin and a couple of long spined sea urchins were also recorded on transect. No target fish were recorded on this site, however only two pieces of rubbish was found here, which is a great sign! If you haven’t checked out Kings Beach you should grab a snorkel and get down there! 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 is supported by the Sunshine Coast Council’s Environmental Levy Partnerships Grant. Great Barrier Reef Nelly Bay Land Clean Up In September Reef Check Australia was joined by Our World Heritage Island and Co-Exist Australia for our biannual clean up as part of Tangaroa Blue's ReefClean project. Unfortunately, due to unfavourable conditions the in-water part of the clean-up was postponed, however we were still able to conduct the beachcombing component on September 16th as planned. This beach combing event was a great way for locals to become involved in protecting their beautiful island. We were joined by 37 participants, including local families, Townsville residents and tourists to clean up what first appears to be a reasonably clean beach. We were all surprised by the number of debris collected, which totalled 1612 debris weighing 14.5kg! The most common items collected were hard plastic pieces (630), soft plastic remnants (140) and cigarette butts (134). The team was very disappointed to see such a large number of cigarette butts, however we are happy we managed to collect so many so they are no longer posing a threat to local marine life. We would like to say a massive thank you to all who took part in this event, it was great to see people of all ages becoming involved and excited to do their part to keep our oceans and beaches clean! Thank you to Our World Heritage Island and Co-Exist Australia for collaborating with us on this event, we hope to work with you again soon! Check out these two organisations on social media to learn more about what they each do to help protect our beautiful earth. This project is supported by Tangaroa Blue through ReefClean; a project funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust. Reef Clean is a project to remove and reduce marine debris impacting the Great Barrier Reef. All debris form this event were sorted and the data added to the Australian Marine Debris Initiative Database. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on where these activities take place, the Wulgurukaba people. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in our community today. Alma Bay Underwater Clean Up The conditions around Magnetic Island have been very windy and swelly over the last couple of months, so as soon as our Townsville team found a break in these conditions, we quickly headed to Alma Bay to conduct our biannual beach and underwater clean up as part of Tangaroa Blue's ReefClean project. Being school holidays, we weren’t surprised to see this beach full of people when we arrived, nor were we surprised to find items such as sunglasses, hats and hair clips during the 40 minute scuba dive, however we did only fall a small amount of eight debris underwater.   As for the beach clean up, we had a very different outcome with a total of 566 pieces of marine debris collected along the beach which is les than 200m long. The most common debris as expected was hard plastic remnants, accounting for 397 of the 566 pieces of debris. As microplastic surveys throughout Australia have identified this location to have the highest concentration of microplastic of any surveyed beach in the country, we decided to separate microplastics (those less than 5mm in diameter) from larger pieces. We collected 192 microplastics from within the seaweed along the high tide line! On a positive note, this time around we found much less glass from smashed alcoholic beverage bottles compared to last clean up at this location in May – only 6 pieces of glass this time compared to the 465 we collected last time.   This project is supported by Tangaroa Blue through ReefClean; a project funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust. ReefClean is a project to remove and reduce marine debris impacting the Great Barrier Reef. All debris form this event were sorted and the data added to the Australian Marine Debris Initiative Database. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on where these activities take place, the Wulgurukaba people. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in our community today.   Brain Food Reviews and details on books, documentaries, and podcasts that we have come across, & wanted to share. Earthshot, How to save our planet. Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes. A book of optimism and action to save our planet. Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean Jurassic era fish fossil found to have died from eating an overly large ammoniteA pair of paleontologists at Universität Hohenheim's Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart has found a fossilized Jurassic-era fish that appears to have died after swallowing an overly large ammonite. Samuel Cooper and Erin Maxwell report their study of the fossil in the journal Geological Magazine. Read now in: phys.org   Scientists uncover the secret of the deep-sea ‘octopus garden’After three years of monitoring the area, researchers found the site is a popular mating and nesting ground for pearl octopuses, where hot springs help embryos develop twice as fast than expected at this depth. Read now: CNN Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.  3 October | Coast to Corals: Rubble Stabilisation and Dynamics. Head to Reef Check Australia to register. 21 October | Seaweed Restoration Festival - Alexandra Headlands. Head to USC for more information on how to become involved. 29 October | UQ Moreton Bay Research Station Open Day. Keep an eye on our socials for more information. 4 November | Mooloolaba Foreshore Festival. For more info: Hello Sunshine Magazine If you missed any of our Coast to Coral online events, remember you can always catch-up by taking a look at our YouTube Channel here     Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.    Make a Donation   Copyright © 2023 Reef Check Australia, All rights reserved.You have received this newsletter because you have given Reef Check Australia your email address. If you would prefer not to receive any further emails, please click the unsubscribe link in your email.Our mailing address is: Reef Check Australia PO Box 782, Mooloolaba, QLD, 4557Australia

Dear Friend Welcome to our September update. Winter is over and spring is upon us. For many areas winter was warmer than normal with reports of flowers blooming early even in Tasmania. Scientists are hoping this is not a sign of things to come as whilst early flowers might seem nice, scientists are concerned that pollinators do not respond to the same temperature cues and we could end up with an ecological imbalance. This is another indication of our changing climate and reinforces the importance of everyone doing their bit, no matter how small, to help our environment.  This months email includes: Action of the Month: Spring into spring! News from the Field Brain Food Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program Spring into Spring! Image by Sean Oulashin - unsplash HOW IS IT SEPTEMBER? I don’t know about you, but every time I look at the calendar, another day week month has passed.. and now it's already September!!!  This year has proven to be one of our busiest. We are all so busy at the moment, trying to fit all the activities we perhaps missed out on over the past few years into one very action packed 2023! During winter, we found comfort in rest and recuperation, but now it's time to channel that energy into action. Let's take a moment to assess where we stand in our personal goals and aspirations for 2023. Are we on track to achieve what we set out to do? Spring is the perfect time to reassess, re-evaluate, and realign our paths as we SPRING into SPRING! So set some time for yourself to reflect and review. And if you need some guiding prompts to kick start you, here are a couple; What have I done well? What would I do differently if I had the time again? Am I spending and investing in places which are aligned with my values? What is the part of each day I am most tired/stressed/frustrated and how can I do it differently? What is the one thing I can change NOW to improve my experience of 2023? Remember, without looking back we have no idea how far we have come! Let’s Spring into Spring with a renewed sense of purpose, embracing the chance to make a difference and create lasting memories. Don't hesitate to reach out and join us in our upcoming adventures— above or below the water. It's time to bloom with the promise of a brighter future for ourselves and the world around us! 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 Tallebudgera Underwater Clean Up A group of keen Reef Check Australia snorkellers and divers braved the chilly (almost) winter morning on the 27th May to clean up Tallebudgera creek on the Gold Coast. The creek area is a popular swimming and fishing spot and can therefore be impacted by littering and industrial waste. During previous activities, this area has been identified as a hot spot, hence our continued efforts to remove debris located in the area as well as the continued monitoring of changes in the levels of debris removed. It was encouraging to report that fewer items were found under the water than we have previously recorded on both land and underwater clean-ups at this location. The debris consisted of large numbers of fishing line, lures and hooks. These items can pose a significant entanglement risk to others swimmers, snorkellers and divers. They can also be damaging to marine creatures that get entangled and entrapped in fishing line, which is why it is so important to remove as much debris as we can safely. This activity forms part of a wider program to look at the ongoing impacts of the floods in early 2022, in addition to documenting the rate of attrition of marine debris in the region. Everyone can make a difference to the health of their local marine resources. If you see debris, please pick it up and dispose of it correctly. Together, we can and will make an ocean of difference! Reef Check Acknowledge the Yugambeh people of the Gold 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. Myora Reef Health Survey The sun was shining, and the water was clear (if a bit chilly!) so the team took the opportunity to check out the gorgeous Moreton Bay site; Myora reef. Myora Reef is a unique reef habitat in Moreton Bay, as it is the only location dominated by Acropora corals (a branching hard coral). Myora Reef is situated on a fringing reef on the west side of North Stradbroke Island, within the Marine National Park (Green no take) zone. The reef patch is situated next to Rainbow channel and therefore receives extensive tidal flushing. The site is one of our long-term monitoring sites, established in 2014 in collaboration with the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation and Quandamooka Land & Sea Management Agency. The site hosts notable hard coral communities, with the hard coral growth forms dominated by branching, plate and foliose. Some bleaching and coral disease was observed but at less than 1% of the population, levels were low. The site had a medium silt level recorded, and turf algae covering available rock surfaces. Butterflyfish and snapper were recorded onsite, along with long spined sea urchins, and non target sea cucumbers; sea cucumbers are not commonly recorded on any of our reef health monitoring sites.Thanks to all the volunteers and organisers who made this trip a success, and to Go Dive for getting us to site. Reef Check acknowledges the Quandamooka people of Minjerribah, the 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.    Underwater Clean Up Dive Peel Island Crystal clear waters, calm seas and sunshine made the perfect day for the Reef Check Australia team to hit the water for an underwater clean up at Peel Island for World Oceans Day, June 8 2023. Peel Island is a small, heritage-listed island and national park located in Moreton Bay, just 4km from the mainland at Cleveland. The island is known for its natural beauty and wildlife enjoyed by locals and visitors alike and is accessed only by boat or watercraft.  The island has an interesting history. To read all about it, check out some of our previous posts. The island is a popular fishing and swimming area, with tens of boats often anchored in Horseshoe Bay due to the area offering protection from many winds, and a safe spot to swim.  This site was selected as it has been previously identified as a hot spot. Sitting close to Platypus wreck, and close to a beach entry point, this area is commonly used. Due to the large number of people visiting the area, it is often littered with fishing debris as well as additional recreational items. This activity forms part of a wider program to look at the ongoing impacts of the floods in early 2022, in addition to documenting the rate of attrition of marine debris in the area due to boating and fishing. Approximately 12 kilograms of debris was removed from a 800m2 area, including 10 glass bottles, approximately 30meters of fishing line, lures and sinkers, rope, and a discarded crab pot.  Where debris was able to be safely removed, it was. Any large items with coral growth established was left in situ. With large amounts of the reef suffering significant impacts due to the floods and storms of 2022, we want to ensure live coral remains that way. Reef Check Acknowledge the Quandamooka people, 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. Moreton Bay - Flat Rock - The Nursery Reef Health Survey With the sun out, the water cold and the whales passing by in droves, the Reef Check Australia team soaked up all the glorious sunshine above the water, and all the amazing diversity below the water, at the Nursery at Flat Rock. Flat Rock is a popular recreational diving and boating location offshore from Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) featuring an exposed rocky ledge dropping into deeper water. This Marine National Park (Green no take) zone has a no-fishing zone and is also a Grey Nurse Shark Protection area. The Nursery, Site 1 is on the sheltered leeward side of Flat Rock, where a flat rocky slope meets rocky boulders. This site was established in 2008, and sits at a depth of six- eight meters on the leeward side of the fringing reef. This site is a haven for turtles and wobbegongs, with plenty of each being found on the transect, as we listened to the whales as they passed us close enough to hear them but not see them. Hard coral cover has stayed steady at approximately 23%, with a slight increase in the percentage of soft coral since 2021. Additional benthic categories making up the rest of the transect included anemones, sponges and nutrient indicator algae; all increased in presence since 2021. Pencil urchins, long spined sea urchins, anemones, giant clams and drupella snails were all recorded on the transect. Coral disease, unknown scars and bleaching were recorded, although in low numbers. A beautiful site to revisit! Thanks to all the volunteers and organisers who made this trip a success, and to Manta Lodge for getting us to site. Reef Check acknowledges the Quandamooka people of Minjerribah, the 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. Industry Placement Information Night Reef Check Australia General Manager Jodi Salmond joined almost 40 students and speakers recently at the University of Queenslands HDR Industry Placement Information Night! Such a great turn-out with students joining in the event to learn more about options for industry placements in the marine sector. Such a great opportunity for students to meet people working in the sector, make connections, and ask questions! Thankyou to UQ Centre for Marine Science for organising the event, for fellow industry representatives from CSIRO, frc environmental, Healthy Land & Water, Reef Check Australia and Sea World - Gold Coast, Australia, as well as to Nathaly from the UQ Graduate School who helped students understand the placement program in more detail. Lots of great connections were forged, and we look forward to hearing from HDR students undertaking industry placements in the future. Reef Check Acknowledge the Turrbal/Jagera people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which the University of Queensland is situated, and on which these activities took place and we pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging. Reef Check Australia’s involvement in reef health monitoring and community engagement in the Brisbane region has  received funding support from the Port of Brisbane.   Great Barrier Reef Alma Bay Land and Underwater Clean Up Late May we were joined by Co-Exist Australia for our biannual beach and underwater clean up at Alma Bay, on Magnetic Island. Our combined team of 19 volunteers put in an amazing effort and collected a whopping 908 pieces of debris along this popular beach, making a huge impact in helping keep our local areas clean! Over half of what was collected on the beach (465) was pieces of broken glass, primarily found among the rocky areas at each side of the bay. We also collected 239 hard plastic remnants, which wasn’t surprising as this location has been found to have the highest concentration of microplastics of all surveyed beached within Australia! Thankfully within the water there was much less, with our team of divers and snorkellers collecting 13 pieces from within the water around the reefs. Once again glass was the most commonly found. This project is supported by Tangaroa Blue through ReefClean; a project funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust. ReefClean is a project to remove and reduce marine debris impacting the Great Barrier Reef We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on where these activities take place, the Wulgurukaba people. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in our community today.    Dry Tropics Report Card Launch Townsville Our team joined the large number of partners responsible for the data behind the Townsville Dry Tropics Waterways Report Card 2023 for the public launch in Townsville this month. Organised by the Dry Tropics Partnership for Healthy Waters, the afternoon was well attended by the passing public including young prep students, university students, families and holiday makers. We were able to showcase the work Reef Check Australia does and how the data we collect contributes to documents such as the Report Card. Our little reef survey display was once again a hit with the kids, raising questions from the enquiring minds and encouraging them (and their parents) to think about how their actions can make a real difference to protecting our reefs and oceans. As partners, we were delighted to attend a private evening function, which included networking opportunities and trivia. We were very happy to note that some of the prizes to be won were bottles of wine from Goodwill Wines, with 50% of the profits going to Reef Check Australia. Although our table tried our hardest, we did not win any trivia prizes, but it was still a win for Reef Check Australia. Thank You Dry Tropics Partnership for Healthy Waters! We also acknowledge the Bindal and Wulgurukaba People, the traditional custodians of the land on which this event took place, and their elders past, present and emerging. Our attendance at this event was made possible by support from Townsville City Council Creek to Coral program.   Brain Food Reviews and details on books, documentaries, and podcasts that we have come across, & wanted to share. Inside your mind. Podcast by Stephen Fry. Available on audible.   Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean Jellyfish roaming the sea for at least 500 million years The extinct Burgessomedusa phasmiformis evolved to swim hundreds of millions of years before dinosaurs existed. Read in: Popular Science Miracle substance growing off Australian Cost A miracle substance being grown off the coast of Australia could be the solution to a growing problem the country is facing. Read in: news.com.au Close to home - Record Breaking haul of illegal crab pots. Marine park rangers and fisheries officers have retrieved 195 derelict or illegal crab pots from Pumicestone Passage. Read now: abc.net.au Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.  5 September | Coast to Corals - Restoration opportunities in a UNESCO biosphere with Maddison Brown. Register now: Reef Check Calendar 23 September | Plastic Free Sea Festival. Happy Valley Caloundra. Free event.  24 September | Raffles at Your Mates Brewery, Warana. All profits from sale of raffle tickets go to Reef Check Australia. 29 Sept - 1 Oct | Caloundra Music Festival - tickets available now: https://caloundramusicfestival.com/ If you missed any of our Coast to Coral online events, remember you can always catch-up by taking a look at our YouTube Channel here     Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.    Make a Donation   Copyright © 2023 Reef Check Australia, All rights reserved.You have received this newsletter because you have given Reef Check Australia your email address. If you would prefer not to receive any further emails, please click the unsubscribe link in your email.Our mailing address is: Reef Check Australia PO Box 782, Mooloolaba, QLD, 4557Australia