Marine

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.

The Sunshine Coast will soon be home to an Australia-first blue carbon project creating a thriving mangrove ecosystem, a healthier Maroochy River for everyone to enjoy and the potential for future income streams for landholders. The Australian Government’s Clean Energy Regulator has formally registered the nation’s first Blue Carbon project in the Sunshine Coast’s Blue Heart, on the lower Maroochy River floodplain, following a rigorous research and application process.

An operation to remove an estimated 20 tonne whale carcass from Greys Beach was successfully completed ... City of Greater Geraldton CEO Ross McKim said it was the most difficult removal the City has undertaken in more than a decade.

New research from the University of South Australia shows that the Australian seafood industry has become more resilient to food shocks – a good sign, with Australians eating more seafood now than ever before. Shocks are a sudden and dramatic loss in food production and can impact food security, as well as local industries and livelihoods.

Australia’s fledgling offshore wind farm sector can learn from the successes and mistakes of the UK, says an expert with a quarter century of hands-on experience in fishing and the last dozen advising offshore oil, gas and renewables industries. John Watt, Brown and May Marine’s Senior Fisheries Expert, was invited as a keynote speaker at this month’s Offshore Windtech Summit1 in Melbourne, the Asia Pacific’s largest wind energy gathering.

Whales have been dropping into Yorke Peninsula waters in the past month seemingly unbeknown to authorities. There have been no reports to the state’s dedicated whale-watch page of the huge mammals in the YP region so far this whale season — which starts in May and goes to October — despite at least two confirmed sightings locally.  

A shark advice has been issued due to a whale carcass on the beach just south of the Sovereign Park foreshore access. On July 20 Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) said the whale carcass – at WN42 Sovereign Park BEN sign – had been reported by a member of the public.

Michelle Daw. Yorke Peninsula commercial fishers say they are being discriminated against by a new fees regime that took effect this month, which has been described as a "kick in the guts" that could send them out of business. The fees are based on a quota system aimed at making fishers pay the full cost of government management for King George whiting, garfish and calamari, in Gulf St Vincent and Spencer Gulf only.

From the Western Australian deserts to the NSW rainforests, the new projects combined will protect 7.5 million hectares of land and 450,000 hectares of sea Country – bigger than the size of Tasmania. This is on top of existing IPAs which currently cover 87 million hectares of land and over five million hectares of sea Country – the majority of Australia’s national estate.