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RAISING AWARENESS FOR THE GSR
RAISING AWARENESS
for the Great Southern Reef
Let me digress briefly from sailing and talk about another ocean passion of mine, scuba diving. I learned to dive in the cold, clear waters of Monterey Bay, California, back in the late 80s. It is there that I fell in love with temperate marine ecosystems and the beauty of the giant kelp forests. Had I learned in warmer waters I might never have donned a 7mm-thick wetsuit. Many divers never experience the wonders of temperate waters, shunning them for the tropical coral reefs that attract so much attention yet temperate waters hold a great diversity of marine life and few more so than the waters of southern Australia, or the Great Southern Reef (GSR). Unlike tropical reefs in which species are distributed globally, 90% of species found in the GSR are endemic to southern Australia and what marvellous creatures they are; from the colonyforming bryozoans that rival corals in their fantastic shapes and colours to those masters of camouflage, the stunning sea dragons. These are not cosmopolitan species that might just as easily pop up on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) as a reef in Belize, the Maldives, or the Philippines. These are marine species native to Australia and geographical isolation has confined them to our waters. They are as much a part of Australia’s wonderful natural heritage as its unique terrestrial wildlife. Located on the Fleurieu Peninsula about 100km south of Adelaide, the old Rapid Bay jetty is one of Australia’s most popular shore dives. This dive site is a photographer's dream, teeming with life and colour. The old jetty pylons are a beautifully overgrown home to an abundance of colourful invertebrates including sponges, ascidians, soft corals, sea stars and nudibranchs. Fish life is also plentiful, particularly at the jetty intersection or what divers call the ‘T’, where large schools of old wives, blue gropers, cowfish and southern blue devils reside. It is also home to a resident population of exquisite ornately camouflaged leafy seadragons. To raise awareness of the GSR AusOcean is developing South Australia’s first live streaming underwater camera to broadcast the magnificent marine life beneath Rapid Bay directly to your screens. You can find the live stream at: www.youtube.com/c/ausocean
Alan Noble