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Reef Watch Victoria

Reef Watch Victoria is a not-for-profit project that encourages you as divers and snorkellers to check on marine life at your favourite dive sites

Through Reef Watch, you will be able to encourage better policies and actions to protect Victoria's marine Environment.

Photo courtesy of Paul Baumann

To register online to become a Reef Watcher, click here

For further details: email us at
info@reefwatchvic.asn.au

Or mail us at:

Reef Watch Victoria
C/- Museum Victoria
GPO Box 666
Melbourne
Vic, 3001
Ph: +61 8341 7446

Photos used on this website have been generously donated by: Dr. Mark Norman, William Boyle, Mary Malloy,Paul Baumann and reefwatch members.
These photographs remain copyright of the photographers.


Reef Watch conducts seminars and courses for volunteers to further their knowledge on marine plants and animals.

Mystery Creature No. 23 : Clue. Claws crossed you can pick the species.

Mystery Creature No. 21 :  Photo: Scott Grimster.

Answer The photo above shows the eggs of the Tasselled Anglerfish. Females lay about 5 000 eggs in a large mass. Each egg has a long double filament that sticks to growth on the surrounding rocks. Males protect and guard the eggs with their body.

Mystery Creature No. 22 : Clue. You are only seeing part of this creatures 'skeleton'.

You can find the answer to this one (and many more)by clicking here. Mystery Creatures

Reef Watch wins award


Photo: Jim Lee
At an annual event for coastal groups in Victoria run by the state's Coastal Council, Reef Watch was honoured with the award for excellence in education.
More than 250 people attended this year's Victorian Coastal Awards for Excellence, which were held at the Melbourne Museum on Thursday 26 April.
The Victorian National Parks Association's Reef Watch program has been short-listed for the award in previous years, but after ten years of building widespread community awareness about our spectacular marine environment and continuing to grow participation in fantastic projects such as the Great Victorian Fish Count - we finally cracked the nut.

Sincere thanks to our dedicated and inspiring volunteers for making this award possible and helping to guide Reef Watch from strength to strength.

BLUE GROPERS ARE NOW PROTECTED.


We need your help.

Photo: Mark Rodrigue (From NSW East Coast)
New regulations have recently been introduced to prohibit the take of Eastern and Western blue groper by all fishing methods.

The no-catch limit provides protection until April 2012.

DPI /Fisheries will then decide on whether the species requires further protection.

How you can help.

Reef Watch would greatly appreciate further sighting details (with photos and location details) of both species of Blue Groper. Once verified, this information will be passed on to Fisheries.

Please forward your photos and location details
info@reefwatchvic.asn.au


Tasmanian scientists are taking it a step further by looking at reintroducing the Blue Groper to their waters......

The Eastern Blue Groper has been functionally extinct in Tasmanian waters since the 1800's, Tasmanian scientists in an attempt to redress the loss of this species and other large fish predators in Tasmanian waters are trialling the reintroduction of the Eastern Blue Groper.

To find out more about sightings in Victoria Blue groper sightings at Museum of Victoria

SHARKS COUNT TOO...

If you see a White Shark along the Victorian Coast, please send the sighting details (location, time) to info@reefwatchvic.asn.au

INTEREST

Can you help Scientists find this Sea Cucumber?

Phot courtesy of Marine Research Group

Museum Victoria Honorary Marine Research Associate, Mark O'Loughlin and Reef Watcher Shari Barmos are working together on classifying our Victorian sea cucumbers.

They believe there are up to 4 species of this big sea cucumber 'Paracaudina' on the Victorian Coast. They need your help in locating them. They need insitu photos (so please don't move them) along with the date and location details.

Probable habitat: Seagrass beds, partially buried. They are frequently washed onto beaches during storms.

One specimen was photographed in 2008 by diver Darryn McKenzie in a very strange position. It is thought to be elevating its body so as to broadcast its gametes into the current

Photo: Darryn McKenzie, March, Rye 2008, Rye


NOTICE BOARD

Great Victorian Fish Count - 2011

Dates for 2012 are 24th Nov - 9th Dec.

Follow this link for a list of participants for 2012


Also new this year we are running a raffle to help cover the costs of the event. Click here to find out more.

Or Click here to watch a Youtube video to get inspired, and help with species Id.

In addition, you can download a general information leafet in .pdf format here

Nature Notes

Surveys - OCT 2011

David Brand
Flinders Pier
26/09/2011, am (Scuba, 50mins).Temp: 13. Vis. 5m

Mammals: Sub-adult Australian Fur Seal
Fish Species:
(1-5): Blue Weed Whiting, Magpie Perch, Rough Leatherjacket, (6-20) Bluethroat Wrasse (all female), Tasmanian Blennies, Juvenile Bullseyes.
Inverts:
(1-5) Short-tailed Ceratosoma, (6-20) Red Swimmer Crabs, Featherduster worm, 11 arm seastar, Red Tulip Sea squirt (>20) Blue Grape Seasquirt, Orange&White Anemone, Biscuit Seastar
Marine Pests:
None Reported.

Sylvia Buchanan
Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron
20/10/2011 Am: (Scuba, 60mins), Vis: 5m, Temp: 17

Fish Species:
(1-5): Pygmy Leatherjacket, Globefish, Pot Bellied Seahorse, Sparsely Spotted Stingaree, Southern Fidler Ray
Inverts:
(1-5) Short-tailed Nudibranch, Made-up Phyllodemium, Decorator Crab, Red Bait Crab, Sand Crab, Biscuit Seastar, Knobby Seastar, Golf Ball Sponge, Rose Sponge, (6-20) Doughboy Scallop 11arm Seastar
Marine Pests:
Northern Pacific Seastar (10)

New Marine Identification App. by John Gaskell

John Gaskell, Co-author of the fabulous book 'Beneath our Bay', has released a new Iphone/Ipad application to assist you to identify our marine species.

Sea Life Victoria is an informative guide to over 200 of the marine animals that live in Victoria's southern habitats. This application includes a collection of beautiful wild animal photographs all captured in their natural environment.



Features Include:-High quality professional photographs of over 200 species in their natural environment. Tap to view in full screen.-Informative text on each species relating to size, description, habitat, and interesting facts.-Ability to swipe through each species.-Browse function to view species in their animal groups.-A slide show accompanied by animal common names and scientific names.
For more information Sealife App Link

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Museum Victoria is producing a series of field guides to the rich marine life of southern Australia.

They are seeking help from Reef Watch photographers to contribute live animal images for the upcoming titles on:
-Sponges (spectacular sponge garden images)
-Bivalves (any live species in their natural habitat)
-Sea spiders (particularly super close-up shots)
-Echinoderms
-Bryozoans
-Hydroids
-Nudibranchs

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Please send images to info@reefwatchvic.asn.au, these will then be forwarded to Dr Mark Norman Head of Sciences, Museum Victoria



Last updated : 06/06/2012


A Project of Victorian National Parks Association:
Victorian National Parks Association


Supported by:

Caring for Country Melbourne Museum Melbourne Aquarium Australian Marine Conservation Society Coast Action/CoastCare - communities caring for our coast