NEWSLETTER
Membership This is steadily increasing but I would ask any of last years members who have indicated they will pay a renewal, but have not yet done so, to do it as soon as possible.
SDF and DIASA Fundraising Ball This will be held on 12/9/98 and details are available from the Committee. We are providing a framed picture from the Photo Index as one of the prizes on the night.
Diving Officer Please note that in future the contact phone number for the Diving Officer will be that of Chris Hall. This will be published in our Newsletters each month and on the Internet.
Star of the Sea School A reminder that this is our venue for this month's meeting. See later in this Newsletter for details of what promises to be a very interesting evening.
Philip Hall
The Threatened Species Network (SA) has again jointly supported an exhibition at the South Australian Museum which focuses on threatened species in this state. The exhibition began on 24th June and will run until December.
Audio and visual materials highlight how fauna distribution has changed over the last 150 years; such changes being an inevitable product of urban development.
One module of the exhibition, entitled "Pygmies in the Grass", will develop into a travelling display at the conclusion of the exhibition. It will travel to schools and community centres in the mid-north of the state, where the habitat of one of Australia's rarest animals - the Pygmy bluetongue lizard - still exists.
This sounds like an excellent opportunity to visit a display which will both inform and warn the viewer of the dangers to our local native fauna.
Philip Hall
This month's General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 19th August and will commence at the usual time of 8pm. The venue will, however, be different. We are going to take up the offer made last year, by Tim Hoile, to view the Marine Discovery centre at the Star of the Sea School at Henley Beach.
This Centre is unique to South Australia and is intended to provide hands-on learning for children and adult visitors alike. Not only are there marine tanks but also several beach related models and various displays.
We will begin with the usual business part of the meeting and then, after a break, Tim will show us around the Centre and answer your questions with regard to its running.
This Centre is very different to the Hallett Cove School display and this provides an excellent opportunity for us to examine these differences.
MLSSA has a close working relationship with the Centre. Phill McPeake provided information and backup for the Centre when the tanks were being established. Also two members of MLSSA, Tim Hoile and Peter Hoskin, work or have worked at the School.
The address is 333 Military Road but the Discovery Centre is situated in a renovated house on the corner of Seaview Road and Marlborough Street.
A diagram of the location is below.
On 1/4/98 I dived on the Portland Maru wreck near Cape Torrens on Kangaroo Island's north coast.
My brief, courtesy of the Maritime Archaeology Branch of the Department of Environment and Natural Sources, was to photograph divers using the wreck as a backdrop and, for the first fifteen minutes, I did this using a Nikonos 5 with 20mm wide-angle lens.
The wreck is an impressive dive with a huge boiler and engine block forming the focal point for large schools of fish including swallowtail, sweep, drummer, bullseyes and old wives, in 16 meters depth.
But the most striking aspect of this wreck for me was the large number of Sergeant Baker fish in the vicinity. Most of these were females but I saw one handsome male displaying to a nearby female, both fish almost stationary in open water several meters off the bottom. Generally these fish rest on the bottom or on slightly raised vantage points on reef or wreck.
Fortunately I had left my "dedicated" fish photo set-up (Nikon F2, 55mm Micro-Nikkor lens, Ikelite housing and strobe) tethered to the anchor line, so after burning up the Nikonos film as fast as I could, I devoted the second half of the dive to securing an acceptable photo of a female Sergeant Baker for the Photo Index. These fish grow to 68cm, are said to be good eating and are common on deeper reefs right round Australia's southern coasts, particularly NSW and WA.
This is the best wreck dive I've done and it's a pity it's not more accessible to divers.
David Muirhead
On the 16th April I called into the new crab hatchery at Wallaroo to obtain an update on what is happening there. To my surprise they have started their experimental project and have at present approximately 10.000 small crabs in their large holding pen.
The facility is at present experimenting with this new industry and hopes to be in full production with the help of investors by the end of this year.
The inside of this pond is lined with a large plastic liner and is fed by poly pipe direct from Spencer Gulf.
Another industry I have just become aware of is an abalone aquaculture farm set up by a couple in conjunction with the Narrunga tribe at Point Pearce.
This is also an experimental farm and again hopes are that it will produce enough abalone to become a viable industry for the overseas market. I was informed that only one in ten young abalone survive to be of any resale value. Why this is I am unsure but as soon as I find out I will inform you all.
The only other thing of interest at this moment is with the recent rains. Not only my lawn has come back and my rainwater tanks are once again full but the whole of the Yorke peninsula has turned a lovely green once again, except where the farmers have ploughed the fields and sown their barley for the coming season. We had 83 mm from Friday night the 24th to Saturday morning the 25th.
Ron Bellchambers
Previous experiments have shown that the relationship between abundance of juvenile fish and seagrass density is the result of habitat selection rather than direct predation, but have not distinguished between habitat selection and simple feeding.
The simple feeding model, in which fish swim until they find food, eat it, and swim again, predicts that fish will be found where the most food is available regardless of the presence or density of seagrass. Food availability was manipulated in tanks in which juvenile Sillaginodes punctata (King George whiting) were offered the choice of two habitats, live eelgrass (Zostera mucronata) or unvegetated sand. The fish, which were prevented from feeding for a short time prior to the experiment, were initially distributed in a way that strongly supported the feeding model. There was weaker evidence that after exposure to excess food, or in the absence of food, fish selected eelgrass habitat. At night, the distribution of fish supported neither model clearly.
Connolly, R.M.
1994
Tony Isaacson from Hallett Cove R-12 School has applied for a Coastcare Project grant.
The Project summary reads as follows:-
"Our aim is to expand community interest in, knowledge of and concern for the biodiversity of marine life in southern temperate waters and that of fresh water catchments that impact on coastal environments. We intend to adopt and adapt best teaching practice to provide teachers and students with hands-on material to develop student understanding of marine and coastal processes. Kaurna use of the area and the Tjilbruke trail are a part of this curriculum. The applicant was awarded the BHP Secondary Science Teacher's Prize in 1997 for the development of this project which is intended to compliment initiatives at the Marine Discovery centre, Henley beach SA."
The grant is intended to cover:-
Extra teacher instruction time at the School to cater for other school visits and community visits
Internet connection, Webpage construction and maintenance time
Information signs
Laboratory based text books
Consumables e.g. paper
CD ROMs, video tapes and floppy disks
A Photometer for analysis work
A possible part of the Project is to breed and rear captive hatched Leafy Seadragons at the school if a permit for this research is granted.
Tony asked if MLSSA would be the Community Group to support the Project and I was only too happy to sign my name, on behalf of the Society, to such a worthwhile enterprise.
This grant application was explained at the July Committee Meeting and also to the July general Meeting.
Philip Hall
An art exhibition by wildlife artist Sue Stranger will be at the South Australian Museum from the 7th August till October. Visitors to this exhibition will enjoy the calming influence of the oceanic surroundings, as they become absorbed in the sights and sounds of our Ocean by Night!
"Ocean by Night" is a vibrant and exciting art exhibition combining marine art with temperate marine specimens and will serve as a highlight for the International Year of the Ocean in South Australia. The primary aim of this art exhibition is to promote the spectacular diversity of the lesser known marine life inhabiting the temperate waters of the southern coast of Australia, and provide an educational component of those wanting to extend their knowledge. All artworks will be for sale, and a percentage of these sales will aid in the research and protection of our unique temperate waters.
"Ocean by Night" is part of the International Year of the Ocean Agenda and is supported by the Marine and Coastal Community Network, threatened Species Network and the Australian Marine Conservation Society.
Just a few lines to let you know the weather has not changed much here on Yorke Peninsula (since the June Long Weekend).
The only good thing to report, for those who enjoy a dive around the bottom end in places like Troubridge point, is that the northerly we are experiencing here at the moment is keeping the sea conditions flat with clear water.
I was down at Troubridge point doing an exercise with the S.E.S., and although there was a reasonably cool North wind blowing, the water looked cold but very inviting. But alas, I had no diving gear with me. (Thank god for that as I thought I saw an iceberg drifting between Kangaroo Island and the foot.)
Looking down from the cliff top, the water was very clear. I saw a whale and a couple of S.E.S. personnel saw two silver looking dolphins and a seal close to the cliffs.
It was very relaxing as there was only a slight wash breaking onto the sands and for those who dislike fishermen, there were not many of them there either.
Well, this is only a short report, but I hope you get the picture on how things were down on the point on Saturday 4th July (no flying saucers were seen, this American Independence Day).
Ron Bellchambers
A growing number of coastal communities have expressed safety concerns over the increased usage of jet skis. Some Victor Harbor residents are concerned that the use of jet skis in Encounter Bay during the Southern Right whale season may discourage visitations by the whales, due to noise levels. Other areas of concern relate to usage in the Coorong area near wading bird feeding and roosting habitats.
(Adapted from "Coastlines" June 1998, part of the South Australian Regional Ripples an insert in "Waves" Magazine.)
Philip Hall
We had a reasonable turnout for a meeting in the school holidays. After the discussion of the general business we settled down to view the slides taken by member Chris Hall. We saw how his technique and skill developed, from his early slides, to the Long Weekend dives on Yorke Peninsula this year. Some of his later slides were chosen for the Photo Index.
This is a good place to insert a reminder that all photographers are welcome to submit slides for the Photo Index. We know there are more photographers in the Society and urge you to try a Photo Dive when not collecting for the Show or for specific aquaria
Phill McPeake and I have been looking at the available information on this subject. If you have any useful articles then please could you let us have a copy. I will be putting a summary of our research in a later Newsletter.
Dave Brooksby, of Southern Dive, was unable to put his 'Bus in the Boat Show this year. Thus our proposed display did not eventuate. We hope not too many people spent too much time looking for us. As you all know, we can only do this sort of display if invited as we are unable to fund such a display by ourselves.
I have been working on this since the 1997 edition was printed. So far I have been able to insert two full articles that have come in and have five more short ones ready to go in. I am also expecting at least five more of various lengths before the September deadline. We are going to try to keep the Journal to about 30 Pages this year but if you have an article to contribute then please phone me to discuss details.
Philip Hall
1998 has been declared the "International Year of the Ocean" by the United Nations. The Australian Marine Conservation Society has used the international focus on the ocean for a national initiative to raise the profile of the Australian marine environment. The society (AMCS) has launched an Australian Oceans Fund and is appealing for donations to help to establish several projects. Some of the AMCS projects proposed are:-
A concerted, high profile marine protected areas campaign called MPAs 2000.
A series of marine conservation seminars called "Waves of Change". These would be held around the country and would feature eminent national & international speakers.
A series of marine art exhibitions would be held around the country to increase awareness & appreciation of the oceans.
A program to involve the community in selecting Australia's 100 living marine treasures, and to arrive at a choice of a State fish or other marine animal for each State or Territory.
A monitoring & education program called "Whale Dreaming" focusing on the annual Humpback Whale migration.
Marine-themed festivals called "Oceans Alive" to be held at a number of locations around Australia.
A special television documentary on Australia's marine environment called "Australia - the Ocean Continent".
A variety of underwater & tidal wetland projects for community organisations beyond AMCS branches.
All of these will help to raise the profile of marine conservation and the urgent need to address the problems of pollution and over-use. The Australian Oceans Fund needs $200,000 to be able to achieve its objectives. Please make an effort to support the fund. Outcomes that the AMCS hopes to achieve are:-
Implementation of an effective national Oceans Policy.
15% of all marine biogeographic regions designated as "no-take" areas within a larger multiple use system of MPAs, including all Sub-Antarctic islands.
Vigorous fisheries enforcement measures including Vessel Monitoring Systems fitted on all commercial vessels operating in, or traversing theAustralian Fishing Zone (AFZ).
Fitting of appropriate mitigation techniques/bycatch reduction devices on all applicable fishing equipment & vessels in the AFZ.
Introduction of all coastal sewage discharges to tertiary level, with implementation of reduction and reuse intimate.
Listing of all threatened & vulnerable marine species under the Commonwealth Endangered Species Protection Act.
Increased support for the Australian Whale Task Forces' initiative for a Global Whale Sanctuary.
Details of the AMCS Australian Oceans Fund Appeal will be kept in the Society library.
Steve Reynolds
SA's Green Corps have started a new project that aims to restore the habitat of Leafy Seadragons on the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island.
The National Parks & Wildlife section of PIRSA was a finalist in this year's Banksia Environment Awards for its work aimed at protecting threatened species.
On 6th June two Southern Right Whales and two Humpback Whales were spotted swimming around each other off The Bluff, Victor Harbor. There was lots of interaction between the two species, including fin-waving and tail-lobbing.
Steve Reynolds
In 1993 eight divers visited the wreck of HMS Port Napier off the Isle of Skye, Scotland. The ship was a WWII mine layer which sank on its maiden voyage in 1940 when fire broke out in the engine room. The wreck lays in 24m of water. The divers found two crates of beer in the galley. They contained 40 bottles of Whitbread pale ale and the contents had been preserved by rubber-sealed screw-in bottle tops. The divers sampled some of the beer back on dry land and found it to be even better than new beer. "Foamy with a mature flavour" said one of the divers. They didn't finish off the 40 bottles though. They saved a few of them for the Whitbread company.
Steve Reynolds
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