Posts By: Dan Monceaux
March 20, 2020
Further reading on the topic of anchors
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 carried out by our society’s president, Steve Reynolds, who has... Read morePosted in Education, Maritime History, Research | By Dan Monceaux
November 13, 2019
List of dolphin watching, conservation and advocacy groups on Facebook in South Australia
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, becoming entangled in discarded or lost fishing tackle, or having... Read morePosted in Coastal species, Conservation, Marine mammals, Research, Whales & Dolphins | By Dan Monceaux
October 23, 2019
Potential consequences of the missing Port Noarlunga jetty stairs
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 conditions), snorkeling and even stand-up paddle-boarding. Another activity that children... Read morePosted in Coastal activities, Education, Jetties, Kayaking, Safety, Submissions to Government | By Dan Monceaux
June 19, 2019
Nudibranchs and other sea slugs of the Port River, South Australia
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 are aware, the river was largely unexplored (by divers at... Read morePosted in Nudibranchs, Pollution, Stormwater | By Dan Monceaux
June 18, 2019
What to do with old fishing gear found while snorkeling or diving?
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 careful not to pierce one’s neoprene gloves, wetsuits (or worse:... Read morePosted in Conservation, Education, Equipment, Pollution | By Dan Monceaux
October 16, 2018
The Port River – over 100 marine and coastal species and counting
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 water and explore several contrasting habitats within tens of metres:... Read morePosted in Art & Culture, Citizen Science, Crustaceans, Mangroves, Marine invertebrates, Pollution, Underwater Photography | By Dan Monceaux
August 18, 2018
South Australian marine biodiversity explodes onto iNaturalist.org
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 limited. Those practising in specialised niches of scuba diving, marine... Read morePosted in Citizen Science, Marine invertebrates, Nudibranchs, Species lists | By Dan Monceaux
November 16, 2017
Great, scalloped or smooth? How to identify a hammerhead shark
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 shark culling policy in response to a number of human... Read morePosted in Sharks & Rays | By Dan Monceaux
September 25, 2017
Long-nosed fur seals hauling out at the Fort Glanville breakwater
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 confusion in the community, as people falsely assumed that the... Read morePosted in Conservation, Dive Reports, Pinnipeds | By Dan Monceaux
August 25, 2017
List of shore dive locations within 2 hours drive from Adelaide
I’ve always been flummoxed by the trend whereby divers who live in Adelaide continually revisit a handful of the state’s innumerable shore diving locations. While the popularity of Rapid Bay jetty, the rocky reefs of Second Valley, the soft coral encrusted columns of the Port Hughes jetty and the built and natural habitats of Port Noarlunga is not undeserved, I’ve... Read morePosted in Coastal activities, Jetties | By Dan Monceaux