Jacqui Pocklington recently started as our new Marine Programs Coordinator and will be overseeing two of our programs in Victoria: Sea Search and Reef Life Survey.  Jacqui is a marine biologist with expertise in rocky intertidal shores and a love of the ocean environment. 

In other news, the Corner Inlet Seagrass monitoring project funded by a Communities Coastcare Caring for Our Country grant, was successfully launched on Saturday 2nd May at the Port Welshpool Boat Ramp.  Over the weekend, survey teams (including 7 volunteers on the Saturday and 11 on Sunday) were transported by the SEAL Diving Services Pisces and the Parks Victoria Sea Eagle into Corner Inlet where volunteers commenced assessing the condition of Broad-leaf seagrass at two new locations as well as monitoring seagrass meadows at four established sites. 

These established sites have permanent subtidal marker floats so we know we are looking at the same sites each visit, this is really important for our ability to see changes in the seagrass over time, so if you come across them you’ll know what they’re for.  Some highlights of the surveys included seeing sea eagles flying overhead on the shores of Wilson’s Promontory, and a close encounter with a pod of dolphins by one lucky team on Sunday.

Future monitoring of the Broad-leaf seagrass meadows is planned on a seasonal basis in Corner Inlet and anyone interested in volunteering with the project can contact Jacqui Pocklington (Marine Programs Coordinator) by email: jpocklin@peopleandparks.org

Underwater Identification Sheets

Sea Search in partnership with Coast Action/Coast Care, Reef Watch Victoria and Parks Victoria received an Envirofund Round 10 grant to create subtidal marine identification sheets to be used by volunteers who are splashing into the deep zone during their Sea Search and Reef Watch activities.  Many of the photos from the underwater photo competition will be gracing the waterproof pages of this new ID kit which will serve as a fantastic resource for Sea Searchers and Reef Watchers.  Workshops on identifying the wonderful plants and creatures found under the sea using the kits will be run in the second half of 2009.

For more information on Sea Search, please visit www.seasearch.org.au