Underwater Research GroupResearch 2000 - present

John TurnbullResearch Officer

Over 600 Bulletins1962-present

Beasts of burden…

How many horses are in

Sydney Harbour?

Seahorse Surveys, Balmoral2001-3

• 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

What are the six main threats to our marine environment?

Caulerpa Taxifolia Surveys2003 - 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

Clean Up Australia 1995 - present

• Manly• Balmoral• Clifton Gardens

Row Labels Appa

rel

Boati

ng

Clot

hing

Dom

estic

Fish

ing

Food

and

drin

k

Food

or d

rink

Gen

eral

Indu

stria

l

Oth

er

Pack

agin

g

Tran

spor

t

(bla

nk)

Gra

nd T

otal

Balmoral Nets 7 2 1 23 1 10 7 1 52Centennial Wreck Sydney Harbour 1 8 1 1 1 12Clifton Gardens 4 1 19 2 26Dobroyd Bommie, Sydney Harbour 4 1 1 1 2 9Little Manly Cove 7 2 2 10 21 15 10 6 1 74Obelisk Bay, Sydney Harbour 20 2 3 12 1 1 39Sow and Pigs Reef Sydney Harbour 3 1 1 1 6Watson 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

Marine Debris Surveys2012/13

• 8 sites• 247 items

What was underwater Sydney

like before European settlement?

Pardon?

South West Arm (SWARM) 2005/6 Search for underwater aboriginal sites

• Search for submerged terrestrial aboriginal sites

• Ten potentialsites located

• Ongoing research

SWARM

Crayweed Regeneration2011

• Pilot study– Long Bay– Little Bay

• Monitoring• Continuing today– Active re-planting in

Long Bay, Bare Island and Cape Banks

What fish species live in Sydney

today?

Harbour Keepers / Coast Keepers 2006 -2010

• 28 sites• Fish species, abundance• URG “boat”

Fish ID Surveys2012/13

• 14 sites• 1600+ Fish

Sum of Tally Column Labels

Row Labels All S

yngn

athi

ds

Aust

ralia

n Sa

wta

il

Blac

ksad

dle

Goa

tfis

h

Com

b W

rass

e

Com

mon

Cle

aner

fish

Cres

ted

Horn

shar

k

Cres

ted

Mor

won

g

Crim

sonb

and

Wra

sse

East

ern

Blue

Dev

il Fi

sh

East

ern

Blue

Gro

per

East

ern

Fidd

ler R

ay

Gird

led

Scal

yfin

Gre

y M

orw

ong

Gun

ther

's B

utter

flyfis

h

Herr

ing

Cale

Indo

-Pac

ific S

erge

ant

Klei

n's B

utter

flyfis

h

Lude

rick

Mul

low

ay

Pink

lined

Wra

sse

Port

Jack

son

Shar

k

Red

Mor

won

g

Rock

Cal

e

Snap

per

Sout

hern

Mao

ri W

rass

e

Spott

ed W

obbe

gong

Tarw

hine

Thre

ebar

Por

cupi

nefis

h

Whi

te-e

ar S

caly

fin

Yello

wfin

Leat

herja

cket

Yello

wta

il Ki

ngfis

h

Yello

wta

il Sc

ad

(bla

nk)

Gra

nd T

otal

Balmoral Nets 9 2 10 2 3 1 27Bluefish Point 5 1 2 4 1 1 4 1 10 1 16 46Cannae Point, North Harbour, Sydney 10 7 3 1 1 7 2 20 7 1 4 11 100 174ex HMAS Adelaide 1 2 130 3 1 80 20 1 3 3 60 303Fairfax Lookout - North Head 1 4 1 5 2 10 12 2 15 52Fairy Bower, Manly 120 1 3 1 2 1 13 1 2 5 2 8 1 150 310Little Waterfall East 10 5 12 1 42 70Red Indian Fish, North Head, Sydney 7 2 2 2 30 4 2 32 81Swansea Bridge 2 2 10 1 3 10 1 32 30 3 13 107The Centurion 6 5 1 1 5 100 118The Colours 6 3 1 2 5 1 7 3 28The Gap 1 20 11 5 1 2 1 4 1 8 1 3 26 20 104The Gap Cave Site 1 2 3 1 11 1 1 7 5 1 33The 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

What about scientific-grade data

on fish and invertebrates?

Reef Life Surveys2013/14

• 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

… Results

Z Z Z Z Z Z Z ZZZZZ