Understanding, enjoying and caring for our oceans
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 […]
Last year, I found a Venus shell, Tapes literatus at the Ships’ Graveyard in the North Arm of the Port River. I reported the discovery in my article entitled Further Discoveries at the Ships’ Graveyard. More recently, two more specimens were found on the western side of Torrens Island (8 October […]
I have been helping Catherine McMahon from Port River Shellfish Restoration Project to monitor oysters being kept in baskets in the Port River system. One interesting aspect of the monitoring is the marine life that turns up in the oyster baskets. We have found fish, shells, pygmy squid, nudibranchs, flatworms, […]
I took this ‘one off’ shot of a clear jelly during my dive at Moonta Bay jetty in June 2017. While the photograph is enigmatic, my observations were sufficient for me to pursue a positive identification of the species. It turned out to be a comb jelly, and my interest […]
In addition to my recent discovery of an Oyster Blenny at the Ship’s Graveyard in the North Arm of the Port River, I also found this bivalve mollusc shell there. I checked it out further when I got home. I thought that it was a Venus shell, Tapes literatus. I […]
When I recently snorkelled at the Ship’s Graveyard in the North Arm of the Port River, I saw lots of blennies disappearing into holes on the river bed. They were much too quick for me to be able to identify them at all. Some of them seemed to have long-flowing […]
Since first learning about marine biosecurity and the translocation of marine species from one region’s waters to another via commercial shipping and recreational boating, I’ve come to recognise a few of our locally found invasive species. This summer I’ve added another invasive species to the list of alien organisms I’ve found while […]
While this weekend’s scorching hot temperatures kept my wife and I out of the sun for the most part, we couldn’t resist making a late night beach walk down at Glenelg. While the habitats there are highly modified due to breakwater and marina construction, dune removal for coastal development plus […]
The inaugural Whyalla Underwater Shootout held over the long weekend from June 7-9th was a resounding success, according to its organisers. The competition, which was hosted by the Marine Life Society of South Australia attracted 96 entries from eleven photographers from around the state. Facing the chilly waters of Upper Spencer […]
Mary Anne Stacy of the Port Noarlunga Aquatics Centre recently discovered an unusual fan worm on a pylon of the Port Noarlunga Jetty. Suspecting it to be a Sabella worm (a species introduced from European waters in ships’ ballast) Mary Anne organised for it to be identified. Her fears proved […]