Events - March 2008

To join an event or for more information contact Dave info@coastkeepers.org.au or 02 9299 0000. Please also register as a CoastKeeper prior to joining an event.

Clean Up Australia Day
Sunday 2nd

Bush Regeneration - every Mon morning
Dunbogan

CoastKeepers @ Manly Fish Survey
Sun 2nd

Fish Survey training @ Port Stephens
Sat 29th

Fish Surveys - ongoing

Clean Up Australia Day - Sun 2nd

Coastkeepers will be running a variety of clean up events for Clean Up Australia Day at locations all along the NSW coast. With marine debris recognised as a key threat to many threatened species in NSW the importance of clean ups can not be understated. Plastics, cigarette butts, drinks collars and plastic bags all take a horrible toll on marine animals and their removal from the environment will literally save lives!

CoastKeepers will be holding clean ups along beaches, around tidal rocks and foreshores as well as sending divers to clean up the ocean floor. More events will be listed over the coming weeks - see above for contact details to join in!

Read more about the devastating impacts of marine debris here.

Illawong Bay, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Sunday 24th Feb - 09.00am - Underwater clean up

The popularity of this site as a fishing spot has left a maze of discarded rubbish in the water. CoastKeepers divers have already accumulated 30 dive hours over 3 events and removed around 300 kilos of rubbish - and yet we have barely scratched the surface! A carpet of fishing line covers the seafloor and mixed in are a mound of fishing lures, floats, rods, reels, seats - the list goes on. Murky conditions and the danger of being snagged mean this is not a dive for the inexperienced or faint-hearted, but if you have the dive skills and want to take part in a thoroughly worthwhile underwater clean up this is the event for you.

CoastKeepers Fish Survey groups Clean Up Australia

This year CoastKeepers Fish Survey groups all along the NSW coast will be take the plunge, clean up bag in hand, to remove killer plastics and other marine debris from NSW waters. Some of these events are open to non-members so contact us if you want to get involved in a group in your area.

Eco Divers are joining forces with staff from Ocean World to give Manly Cove and the Ocean World jetty a good clean up. This area is a trap for floating and drifting marine debris especially plastic bags that are blown across the harbour. With a vibrant marine ecology including many seahorses and a nearby Little Penguin colony, removing rubbish at this site is a crucial marine species protection activity.

Charlestown Diving Academy Social Club will be cleaning up at Swansea Bridge, Swansea. Strong tides through the channel require an early start but the site is famous for its marine life so you can enjoy a good dive while helping the environment. All welcome.

Australia National University Scuba Club (ANUSC) will be hitting the water at Redfin Wharf on the Clyde River, Batemans Bay with a large group of divers. Previous clean ups at this site have removed a great deal of rubbish including shopping trolleys, plastics and bait bags. The site is opposite a busy shopping centre so accumulates a large amount of rubbish.

South West Rocks Dive Centre aim to get into the garbage that builds up in the Back Creek, South West Rocks. The best conditions are found at high tide so the team will be hitting the water about 6pm on Monday 3rd March. All divers are welcome so if you are in the area come along and meet and meet the friendly and active members of the Hairy Lobster Dive Club!

Montague Dive Club in Narooma will be our most southerly clean up. Montague Dive Club dive at many locations along the southern coast of NSW and will be cleaning a suitable location depending on conditions on the day.

Crest Diving in Jervis Bay will be working with staff from Booderee National Park and the Jervis Bay Divers Club at Murrays Beach boat ramp. This site makes a great shore dive but the high levels of use can result in some high levels of marine debris. This will be both a land-based and an underwater clean up so non-divers are welcome too. Open to all.

Jervis Bay Divers Club will be giving divers a choice of sites. You can either join them at Greenwell Point Wharf on the Shoalhaven River or at Murrays Beach boat ramp in the Booderee National Park (see above). JBDC have cleaned up at Greenwell Point Wharf before and removed car batteries in addition to the usual rubbish - imagine the harmful chemicals that get released once a battery starts to leak! This dive is tide dependant. Non-members welcome.

Solitary Islands Underwater Research Group (SURG) regularly remove marine debris on every dive while completing a range of underwater research projects including CoastKeepers Fish Surveys.

CoastKeepers Clean Up is supported by Envirofund.

Bush Regeneration - every Mon morning
Dunbogan - Gogleys Lagoon/Trevors Corner

The Mid North Coast Branch of National Parks Association complete bush regeneration work every Monday morning at Gogleys Lagoon and Trevors Corner in Dunbogan, a short drive south of Port Macquarie.

This is a great opportunity for anyone wanting to contribute to the restoration of this beautiful part of the NSW coast. No previous experience is required as training will be given on the day, so come along and gain some new skills while making new friends.

Work starts at 8 am and finishes at 11 am. You should bring morning tea, plenty of drinking water, protective clothing, sturdy shoes, sunscreen, insect repellent and a hat. The meeting place changes every week so contact us in advance to book a place and ensure that you have the correct meeting location. Contact Dave at daver@marine.org.au

CoastKeepers @ Manly Fish Survey - Sun 2nd

CoastKeepers Fish Surveyors survey sites in the Manly area on the first Sunday of every other month. The aquatic reserve at Shelley beach and Fairy bower are two favourite sites with many of our target species in large numbers. Other popular sites include Fairlight and Little Manly beach. Data form these surveys is forwarded to BioNet, Project AWARE and the Manly Environment Centre.

Fish Survey training @ Port Stephens - Sat 29th

Divers from the Charlestown Diving Academy (CDA) will complete their training with a morning workshop and afternoon dives at Fly Point, Port Stephens. CDA were one of the first groups to join the CoastKeepers Fish Survey and it is good to see a second group of their divers getting involved.

Fish Surveys - ongoing

CoastKeepers dive groups will be completing Fish Surveys as part of their normal diving activities. All CoastKeepers Fish Surveyors are volunteer divers who wish to give something back to the marine environment they love.

Dive groups are collecting data from key locations all along the NSW coast. The data they gather is collated by CoastKeepers to be used by marine managers to monitor impacts on the NSW marine environment.

Read more about CoastKeepers Fish Surveys here and read about the various dive groups along the NSW coast who are involved in CoastKeepers Fish Surveys here.

Divers or dive groups wishing to get involved in Fish Surveys should contact Dave to register their interest info@coastkeepers.org.au

CoastKeepers Fish Survey project is supported by Envirofund.

Please click here to register!

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