Port Phillip Bay VIC/ Two Bays Program, Jan 2010

RLS recently headed back to Port Phillip Bay VIC as part of the Two Bays program through Pelican Expeditions (www.svpelican.com.au/brain/twobays/2010/index.html) – with RLS involvement organised by Steffan Howe at Parks Victoria. For this, we were invited to do a day’s diving from the SV Pelican – a fantastic 19 m catamaran set up specifically for marine research. The RLS team included Ian and Sylvia Buchanan, Jen Hoskin, Kev Mahon, Jacqui Pocklington, Paul Schaus, Paige Shaw and Amelia Fowles. From the Pelican we surveyed Parks Victoria Marine Park monitoring sites at Point Nepean in Port Phillip Bay. The surveys were successful and allowed the completion of the set of sites in the Point Nepean Sanctuary Zone of the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park for this summer. We also spent a few days surveying other spots around the Bay –including Portarlington Pier, Point Franklin and St Leonards Pier. Jen and Sylvia even ran out two transect lines along the HMAS Canberra.

Overall, 48 species of fish and 51 invertebrates & cryptic fish species were recorded. The most abundant fishes recorded (apart from schooling pelagics such as Spratelloides spp., and Atherinids) were: Trachinops caudimaculatus, Siphamia cephalotes, Sillaginodes punctata and Notolabrus tetricus; and invertebrates: Heliocidaris erythrogramma, Patiriella brevispina, Tosia australis and Coscinasterias muricata. The fishes most often recorded, not surprisingly included Notolabrus tetricus, Neoodax balteatus and Diodon nichthemerus, while the most frequently recorded invertebrates were Tosia australis, Uniophora granifera, Meridiastra gunnii and Heliocidaris erythrogramma.

We stayed at the Queenscliff Dive Centre (www.divequeenscliff.com.au) – with thanks to Carl, Brian and Bryce for helping organise gear and boats and for looking after us, and especially for helping to get us surveys on the Canberra. Thanks also to Steffan Howe, Mark Rodrigue and Chris Hayward at Parks Vic; Garry McKechnie and Natalie Davey at Pelican Expeditions and of course, the ever-enthusiastic RLS volunteers that took part!

Glyptauchen panduratus (Goblinfish)

Phasianella australis & Phasianella ventricosa

JSS