The animals (mostly molluscs) that live on and in the seabed play a a key role in cycling nutrients that underpin the health of the Bay food chain. Despite this importance, there have been few longterm studies of shellfish in the Bay. Since 2009 the … [Read more...]
The great Easter egg hunt is on!
An unusually high number of sand snail egg masses found on the Carrum shoreline on April 15 prompted an email enquiry to Museums Victoria for advice on when spawning occurs. Impressively, they replied the very next day with the most up-to-date … [Read more...]
Tracking plastic from Streets to Bay
The Port Phillip Baykeeper ‘Street to Bay’ litter audits are designed to track plastic pollutants commonly found in Port Phillip Bay to their major source - urban streets connected to the Bay by stormwater drains and waterways. Engaging communities … [Read more...]
Shifting shorelines: a bug’s-eye view
'Grey to Green' project leads the way..... Collaboration with City of Greater Geelong and the National Centre for Coasts and Climate to monitor the effects of installing a semi-submerged breakwater off Point Richards is a golden opportunity to … [Read more...]
Annual health check for the Bay
Assorted limpets and top shells at Point Gellibrand (Pic by Stathi Paxinos) With the Summer By the Sea program underway it’s time for our annual health check of Port Phillip Bay - for the ninth year! The Baykeeper Shoreline Shell Safaris, which … [Read more...]
Baykeeper Catchment Education
Since 2009 the Baykeeper shoreline shell surveys have been a fun way to engage schools and families in citizen science - where everyday people systematically record environmental features to enable qualified scientists to answer BIG questions. Over … [Read more...]
Corio Bay – there be dragons!
One of the best things about taking action to care for the Bay is the gems you discover along the way. Thanks to our good mate Geoff Sadler, in February 2016 we sailed out of Geelong Yacht Club to conduct 2 half-hour manta-net trawls to measure … [Read more...]
Nurdles: noxious and near invisible
On first sight the Yarra bank at Fishermans Bend looked like it had already been visited by a Clean Up Australia crew. But on closer inspection 1,151 nurdles were collected in just a couple of metres south of the punt landing. Nurdles are so … [Read more...]
Summer by the Sea – say g’day to the Bay!
The 2014 'Summer by the Sea' program kicks off in early January providing a wide range of exciting and educational activities for Victorian beachgoers. Most activities are FREE! Port Phillip Baykeeper will be conducting Shoreline Seashell Safaris at … [Read more...]
Anyone order nurdle soup?
If you think about it, Port Phillip Bay is kinda like a giant bowl of soup! All those plankton, fish eggs and veg floating about makes healthy tucker for things that swim. But something's changed in the plastic age. The unwelcome presence of … [Read more...]
Victorian litter strategy launch on St Kilda beach
The Victorian Litter Strategy 2012-2014 was released at St Kilda beach today (January 2013) with a big Perspex box designed to hold 18m3 of litter (equal to the amount generated by 300 Victorians each year). A neat and tidy crew from Sustainability … [Read more...]
One street – 4,336 butts
When Glaxo Smith Kline staff asked "how can we help?" we had just the gig for them. We're looking for groups to collect and record the locations of butts in streets around Port Phillip Bay; and Victoria Ave in Albert Park was high on the to-do list. … [Read more...]
Surveys show – it’s raining butts!
Cigarette butts accounted for 37% of litter items removed from City of Port Phillip beaches on Clean Up Australia Day 2011. In search of a positive solution, Baykeeper has teamed with Ormond College (Melbourne Uni) students and the City of Port … [Read more...]
