Marine Explorer

https://flic.kr/p/RhRwdM | Dicotylichthys punctulatus - Three-bar porcupinefish #marineexplorer | I've noticed these long porcupinefish spend quite a lot of time chilling in grooves and overhangs, then fire into life from time to time. They are slow swimmers, so they seem to lumber along despite their frantically fluttering fins. Sydney Harbour North Head

https://flic.kr/p/2eZC8KP | Sydney has gone tropical! Pyura gibbosa sea tulips in 25 C water #marineexplorer | Today's Reef Life Surveys at Bluefish Point and Old Mans Hat were in warm tropical water; 25 C and about 20 m visibility. Not many tropical fish around though - perhaps we'll see the annual recruitment more in a few weeks

https://flic.kr/p/256h4Xp | Bay of Fires, Tasmania #marineexplorer | Named after the fires of indigenous people around the bay, in 1773 by Captain Tobias Furneaux. Today the name could equally apply to the fire-orange lichen that colours the rocks of the bay.

As we survey people around the jetties of Port Phillip Bay it's clear that they value the marine life that is attracted to them. Snorkelers, divers, boaters, walkers and fishers come to these jetties in large numbers - as do fish and invertebrates.

https://flic.kr/p/2e4EJhY | Corynactis australis jewel anemones coating a boulder #marineexplorer | These anemones can be solitary or live in a colony as in this shot. They can also be a range of colours including pink and purple. Related to corals, these anemones are part of the corallimorph family, the members of which are mostly tropical.

Blue groper (actually a wrasse, Achoerodus viridis) is the marine state emblem of NSW - and rightly so. Much loved by anyone who goes in the water with a mask, these curious, charismatic fish can grow to over 1 m long.

https://flic.kr/p/T9ivKj | Overhang #marineexplorer #GSRfieldtrip #UNSWbees | Cape Banks

https://flic.kr/p/2eUUV6g | Sydney surveys this week #GSRfieldtrip #marineexplorer #unswbees | Adding to our store of surveys in Sydney this week; hoping there will be enough people to interview despite the unsettled weather. Fairlight, Sydney Harbour (pic from surveys last month when the weather was finer)

https://flic.kr/p/24xVT72 | Dolphins and pelicans at Halifax #marineexplorer | People can enjoy marine life without getting wet - dolphins and marine birds are some of the favourites at Halifax, Nelson Bay. In a 10 minute stretch we saw three dolphins (one mother and baby pair) and six bird species - pelicans, silver gulls, crested terns, sooty oystercatchers, black cormorants and a stunning pair of sea eagles

The tiny Shiprock sanctuary zone continues to deliver some of the most diverse and abundant marine life that you're likely to see in NSW. On just one 50 m transect we recorded 44 fish species, with over 200 individuals 20 cm or greater in length.

https://flic.kr/p/SZxtRf | JT at Fly Point #marineexplorer | Great Southern Reef Field Trip, Day 1 - Nelsons Bay. Over the next four months I'll be surveying from Port Stephens to Perth, researching people's perceptions and stewardship of the marine environment.

When we do biodiversity surveys we turn over suspect shells to see if there's anything living inside. Sometimes we get a hairy surprise! Gordon's Bay

https://flic.kr/p/2dYSb9A | Anemone cave #marineexplorer | North Head Sydney Harbour

Boats and marinas are an essential part of experiencing our oceans. But they can also be vectors for invasive species, which can hitch a ride in ballast water, on hulls and anchors. Good stewardship includes managing ballast water according to guidelines, anti-foul coatings (although these have other environmental consequences), regular inspection and cleaning www.marinepests.gov.au/recreation-community