‘Underwater Wonders’ book – it’s a gem
Most people are simply unaware of the rich diversity of colourful creatures that live in Port Phillip Bay. Freddy Leong's new book 'Underwater Wonders of the Mornington Peninsula' is out to change all that... and at $20 a copy, it's a steal! [caption id="attachment_976" align="aligncenter" width="507" caption="Freddy Leong - bringing the Bay to you"][/caption] Freddy's book lets the photos do the talking, with each of the 110 full colour photos simply naming the featured species, and where it was photographed. This beautiful book will inspire a lot of people to realise the Bay is not just a pool to go and get ...
Mystery mollusc at Point Lonsdale
Special thanks to all the kids, parents and others who took part in the Baykeeper shoreline shell surveys in January 2010. True to form, every beach was different, highlighting the wonderful diversity of species that live in the Bay. Each survey is a journey of investigation and learning, sometimes into the unknown! [caption id="attachment_955" align="aligncenter" width="504" caption="... something out of Avatar??"][/caption] This mollusc (about 60mm long) was one of several of its kind found in rock pools at Pt Lonsdale Marine Park. They were quite easily seen as they were on open sandy areas in the pools. The most striking features are ...
Blue-ringed Octopus – seashell surprise
Investigating our amazing coastal plants and animals is a cool way to spend summer. But bear in mind you're entering their home... so mind your manners! Stay safe, be careful where you tread, and leave the environment in as good a condition as you found it. Don't put you fingers and toes anywhere you can't see; and before you pick up a shell, check first to see if there's an animal in it. Once vacated by the original owners, shells can be used as daytime hide-outs by a range of small creatures, including Blue-ringed Octopus. [caption id="attachment_892" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="B-rO ...
Wake up Australia, there’s a whole lotta litter goin’ on!
Litter in waterways is not just visual pollution. International studies have found fragments of plastic frequently mistaken for food by diving and surface-skimming seabirds. The Melbourne Parks & Waterways 'Tagged Litter Report' (1993) estimated that four to five million items of floatable litter entered Melbourne's waterways each year. Rock-lined Yarra bank under Westgate Bridge (December 2009) The study found heavily vegetated stream banks tended to trap and prevent the tagged items from entering the Bay. Of 408 recovered items released in the Yarra system, only 13 were found on beaches in the Bay. On the other hand, tagged ...
Wild Things
‘Underwater Wonders’ book – it’s a gem
Most people are simply unaware of the rich diversity of colourful creatures that...
Mystery mollusc at Point Lonsdale
Special thanks to all the kids, parents and others who took part in the Baykeeper...
Seal pups – cute and canine
There’s no room for stay-at-home Gen Xers in an Australian Fur Seal family....
Read more posts from Wild Things
Education
Blue-ringed Octopus – seashell surprise
Investigating our amazing coastal plants and animals is a cool way to spend summer....
Find a shore thing on a beach near you
Most Australians remember fun days at the beach: beating the heat, building sand...
Revised method to age Anchovy
The Baywide Anchovy Study Milestone Report #1 (2008) caused great concern when it...
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Advocacy
Cigarette butts bad news for the Bay
Cigarettes have been marketed as glamorous for the girls and macho for blokes…. anyone happy to set something in their mouth on fire has got to be a ‘cool and can-do’ type! Unfortunately, due to choices many of these people make, hundreds of thousands of cigarette butts enter the Bay each year via stormwater drains; and some see no... [Read more of this review]
Wake up Australia, there’s a whole lotta litter goin’ on!
Litter in waterways is not just visual pollution. International studies have found fragments of plastic frequently mistaken for food by diving and surface-skimming seabirds. The Melbourne Parks & Waterways ‘Tagged Litter Report’ (1993) estimated that four to five million items of floatable litter entered Melbourne’s waterways... [Read more of this review]
Read more posts from Advocacy
