Understanding, enjoying and caring for our oceans
I posted details on iNaturalist regarding my sighting of what appeared to be Giant Chitons, Plaxiphora albida at Fishery Beach on 15th September 2023. “These were quite common on this snorkel. Speculation only:- I often wonder if these large molluscs, so tasty for larger wrasse, are now far more common […]
Further sightings of the Western Crested Morwong at Port Noarlunga is a good summary of what we have learned about the Western Crested Morwong’s presence in SA. Interesting that, as far as I know, these recent sightings have all been at Port Noarlunga Reef and under the outer jetty. This […]
In 2011, this Common Weedfish, Heteroclinus perspicillatus, was stalking a Rockpool shrimp, Palaemon serenus, which it later consumed. (As posted at https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/10002537#activity_comment_948643c9-28f5-4479-b730-e7f9dd2e9a28 ) Both these weedfishes and shrimps are very common in these particular tide pools and channels at Haycock Point, Carrickalinga. The weedfishes and shrimps often appear at peace […]
The Nature Glenelg Trust (NGT) has been involved in researching and monitoring Goolwa pipi (cockles) population dynamics and associated aspects e.g. recreational pipi extraction impacts. Open season is currently November to May, with a maximum daily bag limit of 300 cockles daily per person. There is also a minimum size […]
Whilst diving at the old Rapid Bay Jetty on 25th October I saw the first decent aggregation of the Great Spider Crab, Leptomithrax gaimardii that I’ve seen for some years now. There were probably more than 200 crabs seen by us today, and there would have been more outside our […]
Canopy algae are a major component of Blue Carbon fixation. Whilst diving at The Bluff (Rosetta Head) on 27th October 2022, I found this Western Pacific Purple Sea Urchin, Heliocidaris erythrogramma: – I have posted it on iNaturalist, along with the following details, at https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/140727962 . Overall, I saw relatively […]
This is an old low, resolution slide scan of an adult tubemouth, Siphonognathus argyrophanes, likely being cleaned by some pencil weed whiting among the Posidonia under the eastern arm of the T-section of the old outer Rapid Bay jetty in around October 1992: – (The photo is suggestive but not […]
This large sponge in the Darwin Art Gallery and Museum reminds me of how prawn trawling decimated our SA gulfs soft bottom habitats and meadows: – I also think about Smith Bay (on Kangaroo Island) and the huge old green coral colony* there, the survival of which has uncanny shades […]
I see similarities between the recent and seemingly quite rapidly escalating decline in Port River dolphin numbers and the continuing extinction trend in the bushland birds of Adelaide and the Mount Lofty Ranges. Ornithologists have been saying for decades that the many smaller, specialised birds (such as robins, flycatchers, tree-creepers […]
I wanted to do a shallow sub-tidal snorkel at the cliff base at Carrickalinga. I was able to do a shore entry via a walking track from the North Bay car park. This location has been part of a Green Sanctuary Zone in the Carrickalinga Cliffs MPA since 2014. (Personal […]