Marine

Sea urchins play an important ecological role on reefs in the Lord Howe Island Marine Park (LHIMP). They graze on seaweed, and sometimes completely clear it, creating unique habitats known as ‘barrens’ which are instead covered in encrusting algae and coral.

Serena Kirby. A career as a commercial deep-sea diver is not for the faint hearted but it’s been Jason Thornton’s profession for nearly two decades. Jason works for companies that supply divers to the oil and gas industry for the construction and maintenance of underwater pipelines. He says the job is far from glamorous.

Yorke Peninsula’s fragile coastline needs protection, and a 10-year strategy is being developed to safeguard its future. The Draft Guuranda/Yorke Peninsula Coastal Access Strategy 2025-2035 is being led by the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board. NYLB general manager Tony Fox said the strategy would aim to balance sustainable coastal access for off-road vehicles, while preserving fragile ecosystems and Narungga cultural sites ...

Gus, the emperor penguin found on Ocean Beach last month, was released into the Southern Ocean on November 20 ... The care, attention and efforts of wildlife rehabilitator Carol Biddulph and her husband Graham gave the Antarctic bird, found thousands of kilometres outside of its home range and in a different climate, a fighting chance of survival.

Visiting photographers Brett Newmarch and Claire Greenwell, recently came across an unusual fish in the Lord Howe Island Marine Park (LHIMP) ... "After about 30 minutes, Brett came across an unusual looking fish hanging vertically in the water column. It was characterised by a silver body, approximately 6 cm in length, with spotted markings and appendages up to 40 cm long."

Greenpeace Australia Pacific recently visited Lord Howe Island as part of its work to protect the global ocean, where the organisation aims to protect 30 per cent of the world’s ocean by 2030. Greenpeace is seeking to do this by encouraging governments around the world to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty, to which Australia is a signatory.

Leann Spencer has lived in Evans Head for more than four years. Every morning, as the sun is coming up, she goes for a beach walk ... as the fog was lifting, she saw strange tracks in the sand ... On closer inspection, Leann discovered it was a turtle nest and there were 140 golf ball size eggs at the bottom of the large hole.

The annual whites run of WA rock lobsters into deeper waters will start earlier this year, scientists with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development are predicting. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) said the number of rock lobster on the move offshore was influenced by several factors including ocean temperature.

Patricia Gill. An emaciated emperor penguin was found far from his Antarctic home on Ocean Beach on Friday in the first known sighting of the bird species on Australian shores. Gus, named after the Roman emperor Augustus, is reported to be doing well while in the care of a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, Carol Biddulph from the WA Sea Bird Rescue.

Liz Sandeman. Over the past 16 years since the first edition of Marine Connection’s Lone Rangers report was produced, there has been an increasing number of dolphins and whales around the world living solitary lives ... The report is not only an historic record of solitary, sociable dolphins, and whales, but also highlights their individuality and why it is vital that we respect them as wild animals.

Rangers and police are using drones to identify unauthorised vehicles involved in off-road activity in Two Rocks. WA Police said they have been assisting and would continue to assist in conducting proactive patrols ... using a police-issued drone.

Ninety five per cent of ocean beaches in NSW have been graded as Good or Very Good. The State Government Beachwatch Program has assessed beaches since 1989. The latest report summarises the performance of 218 swimming sites along the NSW coast in 2023–2024 including ocean beaches, estuarine areas lakes, lagoons and freshwater swimming sites.

The State of the Climate Report 2024 has found Australia’s weather and climate has continued to change, with an increase in extreme heat events, longer fire seasons, more intense heavy rainfall, and sea level rise. The report, prepared every two years, was released today by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and the Bureau of Meteorology.  

Rachel Hagan. Yorke Peninsula Council is about to undertake almost $100,000 worth of emergency works to address erosion at Mud Alley in Foul Bay. Over the past 40 years, coastal erosion has gradually worn away the beachfront, leaving properties vulnerable to flooding during severe weather events.

The annual assessment of Commonwealth fish stocks by ABARES has found that the majority of stocks assessed were not overfished or subject to overfishing. The ABARES Fishery status reports 2024 provides an annual, independent assessment of the biological and economic status of Commonwealth-managed fisheries.

Following severe storms at the end of August 2024 which saw seven metre swells hit the coastline, significant sand ingress compromised safe navigation of vessels to and from the Cape Jaffa Marina. As a result, the commercial fishing fleet unfortunately had to transport to Robe to commence their annual fishing season.

John Xanthis. Wilson Inlet opened on September 25 at 0.88 AHD in relatively ideal conditions with a north-easterly breeze, a declining swell, a good variation spring tidal range and a high pressure system ... water levels were low and late this year due to a dry winter with little river flow.

Demersal fishing is back on in the West Coast bioregion with fishing for species like WA dhufish and pink snapper permitted from September 16 to October 14. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) said from Augusta through to Kalbarri, demersal fishing from boats is allowed in three open seasons throughout the year as part of a management strategy...

One of Australia’s best beaches is making a comeback. Yorke Peninsula Council has recruited some hardworking students to help get Flaherty Beach, near Point Turton, back into shape ... "Flaherty Beach is a coastal gem on Yorke Peninsula and has been ranked as the fourth best beach in Australia," says Letitia Dahl-helm, YPC environment officer.

It’s a long way from the small town of Carnarvon in WA’s Gascoyne region to the picturesque Italian city of Venice. But that’s exactly where WA glass-artist Sabrina Dowling Guidici will be heading this September. Sabrina is the only Australian to be exhibiting at this year’s prestigious Venice Glass Week where she’ll showcase a unique glasswork collection titled ‘Saltwaters’ ... inspired by seagrasses found in WA’s World Heritage Site of Shark Bay ...

A special event is set to celebrate the Sunshine Coast’s magnificent ocean and coastline like never before. If you are a thalassophile – a lover of the ocean – then get ready to take part in the inaugural Sunshine Coast Marine Bioblitz...

Sea cucumbers, small marine animals found on the seafloor, are characterised by elongated, soft bodies and a leathery texture, resembling the shape of a cucumber. These cucumber-shaped animals are highly valued in some cultures, particularly in Asian cuisine, where they are often dried and consumed as a delicacy known as bêche-de-mer.