Understanding, enjoying and caring for our oceans
River to Reef is an exhibition of new marine-themed artworks by South Australian artists, documentary filmmakers and amateur naturalists, Dan and Emma Monceaux. Presented by Onkaparinga Arts, the ambitious show includes fifty-five new works and can be viewed online, or in-person at the Arts Centre, Port Noarlunga, South Australia. The […]
In 2019, the Marine Life Society of South Australia was awarded a grant from the City of Port Adelaide Enfield to produce the first edition of the Port Adelaide Anchor Trail. The printed guide is in the process of finalisation now. The research work on this project was almost single-handedly […]
Among South Australia’s most beloved marine species are the bottlenosed dolphins, Tursiops sp. Dolphins which forage, feed and rear their young in inshore environments like Tursiops are vulnerable to various threats in the marine environment. These include the possibility of being struck by a boat, personal water craft or propeller, […]
Just 32 kilometres south of Adelaide, the seaside town of Port Noarlunga is one of South Australia’s favourite destinations for aquatic activities. This week, hundreds of school children are in the midst of intensive aquatics programs, where they are introduced to the joys of paddling, ocean swimming, surfing (pending wind […]
The Marine Life Society of SA was recently asked which species of sea slugs (which include nudibranchs) are found in the Port (Adelaide) River. We’ve only just started exploring the river underwater, so the list below is very much a work in progress. Prior to 2017, as far as we […]
Divers and snorkelers often come across discarded or entangled fishing gear underwater. Unsurprisingly, the problem is most pronounced around rocky points or jetty structures where people regularly fish. Responsible divers do the right thing, and where practical, cut loose and bring ashore any gear they encounter… though one must be […]
I was first inspired to pay more attention to this often overlooked ecosystem by the discovery of the upside-down jellyfish, Cassiopea sp. there in 2016 by MLSSA president and area resident, Steve Reynolds. My personal explorations soon followed, beginning at Garden Island. There, a snorkeller can easily step into the […]
Marine Life Society of South Australia members need no reminding of the wonderful diversity of species present in our state and commonwealth waters. But how widely known is this out in the wider community? Up until the late 2000s, I would argue that local familiarity with marine ecology was severely […]
As a South Australian snorkeler, typically drawn to shallow, inshore waters, I haven’t had first-hand contact with hammerhead sharks. As a child I found them fascinating; their distinctive T-shaped heads an apparent freak of evolution. In 2014 my interest in hammerhead sharks was renewed. That year, Western Australia introduced a […]
I had a pleasant surprise on Friday afternoon, when I was treated to an intimate encounter with South Australia’s most notorious pinniped. I’m talking about Arctocephalus forsteri, the long-nosed fur seal; loved by many and detested by some. Previously known as the New Zealand fur seal, its common name caused some […]