It was an exciting but rather scary prospect – to brave the COVID world and fly overseas, ‘outside’ of Australia (gasp!) to survey the remote, historical, and amazing wonderland of Norfolk Island. A team of five RLS divers did just that to continue monitoring the unique marine life found around Norfolk Island within the Australian Temperate East Marine Park.
Echinoderm enthusiast Andrew Green reveals a southern seastar species hidden in plain sight.
Hammerhead sharks, incredible visibility and Christmas pudding were just some of the highlights for the small but enthusiastic RLS team who recently voyaged to the Coral Sea for the last Lap of Aus trip of 2020.
The odds were against them – mid-pandemic, facing crew shortages, border closures, and a looming La Nina cyclone season with a human cyclone-magnet on board. Despite this, a plucky group of RLS divers were able to complete a remarkable number of surveys in October during their trip from Airlie Beach to Thursday Island onboard Eviota.
In early 2020, COVID-19 brought the majority of Reef Life Survey’s field activities to an immediate halt. Fortunately, a group of determined NSW volunteers and recognition that SCUBA diving does, in fact, classify as “exercise”, has allowed for the continuation of essential long-term monitoring of Sydney’s changing reefs.
