During this last decade the URG has brought the “R” back – with a range of programs to gather scientific data, find significant new sites and projects to restore habitats. Presented by John Turnbull.

1. Underwater Research Group
Research 2000 - present
John Turnbull
Research Officer

2. Over 600 Bulletins
1962-present

3. Beasts of burden…

4. How many
horses are in
Sydney
Harbour?

5. Seahorse Surveys, Balmoral
2001-3
• Balmoral nets
• Polymer tagging
– Visual implant fluorescent
elastomer
• Sexing and sizing
• Mostly White’s; some
Big-bellied
• 1308 sightings over 32 dives
– Ave 40 per survey
– Max 119, min 5

6. What are the six
main threats to
our marine
environment?

7. Caulerpa Taxifolia Surveys
2003 - 2008
• Initially 21 dives in North
Harbour; 100+ manhours
• C. taxifolia found in multiple
locations and treated by Fisheries
• Ongoing monitoring, 15+ dives
• A: Other threats
– Habitat loss
– Water quality
– Pollution
– Overfishing
– Climate change

8. Clean Up Australia
1995 - present
• Manly
• Balmoral
• Clifton Gardens

9. Row Labels
Marine Debris Surveys
Apparel
Boating
2012/13
Clothing
Domestic
Fishing
Food and drink
Food or drink
General
Industrial
Other
Packaging
Transport
(blank)
Grand Total
Balmoral Nets 7 2 1 23 1 10 7 1 52
Centennial Wreck Sydney Harbour 1 8 1 1 1 12
Clifton Gardens 4 1 19 2 26
Dobroyd Bommie, Sydney Harbour 4 1 1 1 2 9
Little Manly Cove 7 2 2 10 21 15 10 6 1 74
Obelisk Bay, Sydney Harbour 20 2 3 12 1 1 39
Sow and Pigs Reef Sydney Harbour 3 1 1 1 6
Watson Bay, Sydney Harbour 19 5 1 3 1 29
(blank)
Grand Total 7 16 2 4 44 42 35 30 22 14 20 4 7 247
• 8 sites
• 247 items

10. What was
underwater Sydney
like before European
settlement?
Pardon?

11. South West Arm (SWARM) 2005/6
Search for underwater aboriginal sites
• Search for submerged terrestrial aboriginal
sites
• Ten potential
sites located
• Ongoing research

12. SWARM

13. Crayweed Regeneration
2011
• Pilot study
– Long Bay
– Little Bay
• Monitoring
• Continuing today
– Active re-planting in
Long Bay, Bare Island
and Cape Banks

14. What fish species
live in Sydney
today?

15. Harbour Keepers / Coast Keepers
2006 -2010
• 28 sites
• Fish species, abundance
• URG “boat”

16. Fish ID Surveys
2012/13
Sum of Tally Column Labels
Row Labels
All Syngnathids
Australian Sawtail
Blacksaddle Goatfish
Comb Wrasse
Common Cleanerfish
Crested Hornshark
Crested Morwong
Crimsonband Wrasse
Eastern Blue Devil Fish
Eastern Blue Groper
Eastern Fiddler Ray
Girdled Scalyfin
Grey Morwong
Gunther's Butterflyfish
Herring Cale
Indo-Pacific Sergeant
Klein's Butterflyfish
Luderick
Mulloway
Pinklined Wrasse
Port Jackson Shark
Red Morwong
Rock Cale
Snapper
Southern Maori Wrasse
Spotted Wobbegong
Tarwhine
Threebar Porcupinefish
White-ear Scalyfin
Yellowfin Leatherjacket
Yellowtail Kingfish
Yellowtail Scad
(blank)
• 14 sites
• 1600+ Fish
Grand Total
Balmoral Nets 9 2 10 2 3 1 27
Bluefish Point 5 1 2 4 1 1 4 1 10 1 16 46
Cannae Point, North Harbour, Sydney 10 7 3 1 1 7 2 20 7 1 4 11 100 174
ex HMAS Adelaide 1 2 130 3 1 80 20 1 3 3 60 303
Fairfax Lookout - North Head 1 4 1 5 2 10 12 2 15 52
Fairy Bower, Manly 120 1 3 1 2 1 13 1 2 5 2 8 1 150 310
Little Waterfall East 10 5 12 1 42 70
Red Indian Fish, North Head, Sydney 7 2 2 2 30 4 2 32 81
Swansea Bridge 2 2 10 1 3 10 1 32 30 3 13 107
The Centurion 6 5 1 1 5 100 118
The Colours 6 3 1 2 5 1 7 3 28
The Gap 1 20 11 5 1 2 1 4 1 8 1 3 26 20 104
The Gap Cave Site 1 2 3 1 11 1 1 7 5 1 33
The Ladder (Inner) 6 5 50 5 110 176
(blank)
Grand Total 1 2 145 13 23 2 10 61 2 26 4 53 9 2 8 3 1 34 130 1 11 75 5 140 67 10 63 4 163 18 63 480 1629

17. What about
scientific-grade data
on fish and
invertebrates?

18. Reef Life Surveys
2013/14
• 35 surveys 2013/14
• Best site
– Shelly, 32 fish species
• Worst site
– Old Man’s Hat, 6 fish species
• 5 certified RLSers
– 3 more in training

19. … Results

20. Z Z Z Z Z Z Z ZZZZZ