Author: CMCN Editor
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How do the only flowering plants in the sea cope with being buried?
Researchers from Edith Cowan University within the larger WAMSI Westport Marine Science Program investigated how seagrasses cope with burial from dredging. Seagrasses are the only flowering plants to occur in the ocean and are beneficial as they provide habitat and food for many economically valuable species and also improve water quality. Seagrasses have high light…
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Protecting meadows under the water by learning how they respond to cumulative pressures
The seagrass meadows within Cockburn Sound have been recognised as being regionally important as nursery and spawning areas for numerous recreational and commercially fished species (e.g. pink snapper and blue swimmer crab), play a role in mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration and contribute to improved water quality. Seagrass is one of the main sensitive…
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Watch out for the Golden Crownbeard!
Don’t be fooled by this pretty weed which looks like a mini sunflower. It hardly needs any water to put on a magnificent display in autumn. Your dreams have not come true! This is a serious environmental weed which is toxic to livestock and has become a costly menace in the rural area around Geraldton.…
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Djildjid Dreaming – a story of Aboriginal Fishing of the Derbarl Yerrigan
Djildjid Dreaming tells the story of the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River), the culture supported by it, traditional fisheries past and present, changes to the Swan River after English settlement, all produced through the lens of Biboolmirn Noongar man Joe Collard, who has ancestral ties with Perth metropolitan region. This recently launched short documentary is beautifully…
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Trophic pathways and foodweb structure of Cockburn Sound and Owen Anchorage
Researchers from Edith Cowan University and Murdoch University are collaborating on a project, supported by Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, within the larger WAMSI Westport Marine Science Program to investigate the foodweb structure in Cockburn Sound. Foodweb structures are crucial to identify critical animal and plant species, and understand energy flow from the…
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Meet the tiny creatures that make Cockburn Sound their home
Researchers from Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University and the Western Australian Museum (WAM) have found thousands of tiny marine animals known as benthic invertebrates living on top of and among the sediments in and around Cockburn Sound and Owen Anchorage. The research team used a Van Veen Grab Sampler (see photo) that is lowered from…
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Solid Port Hedland Turtle Season After Slower Than Usual Start
The Care For Hedland Environmental Association, with the support of its principal partner BHP and in conjunction with the Town of Port Hedland and Department Biodiversity Conservation & Attractions (DBCA) has been conducting monitoring of turtle activities along Port Hedland’s Cemetery Beach, Pretty Pool Beach and Spoilbank during the past laying and hatchling season (30th…
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WA School kids lead charge in removing over 5 tonne of rubbish
School children throughout Western Australia have led the charge in Tangaroa Blue Foundation’s 2022 WA Beach Clean-up with a 350% increase in students and school participation. 2022 has proven to be the most successful WA Beach Clean-Up in recent years, with more than 1400 volunteers cleaning 140 kilometers of West Australian coastline, removing over 5…
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Rehabilitating Injidup Spa
Nature Conservation Margaret River Region, in partnership with DBCA, held two volunteer busy bees at Injidup natural spa this winter as the first steps in rehabilitating one of the south west’s most popular “secret” spots. The beloved natural spa is suffering from erosion and vegetation loss, which has increased over the last couple of years due to…
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WA Fairy Tern Network Awarded
The WA Fairy Tern Network has been recognised at the 2022 Western Australian Coastal Awards for Excellence in the Science and Research category. The WA Fairy Tern Network supports and promotes solutions to protect the threatened Australian fairy tern across their breeding range in WA’s south west. The network has more than 500 members actively…