Pittwater Life May 2022 Issue

News
Race is on to save Careel Bay
Urgently needed! Volunteers,
young and old,
willing to take part in
one of the largest citizen science
projects ever mounted on
the Northern Beaches.
The commitment? Undergo
training from some of Sydney’s
leading environment scientists,
then follow the precise
protocols for the initial year of
a multi-disciplinary survey into
the health of one of Pittwater’s
most underrated marine
microcosms.
The reward? Providing the
scientific evidence which might
turn the tide on the destruction
of Careel Creek and the
polluted waters it delivers into COLLABORATION: Bill Fulton and Robbi Newman (below) with the donated drone they’ll use to survey Careel Bay;
Careel Bay.
a shot taken by Robbi of the Careel Creek (above); an endangered White’s Seahorse on Posidonia australis.
“Careel Bay is a precious
Operation Posidonia’s website
environment,” explains Bill
(operationposidonia.com) to
Fulton, chief science officer of
marvel at the aquatic species
Living Ocean, the volunteer
which flourish in these flimsy
body driving the project.
submarine forests.
“It’s fed by an ancient creek
Sea horses, blue swimmer
that is now polluted with
crabs and prawns use them as
micro and macro plastics.
underwater kindergartens –
It is bordered by mangrove
allowing them to grow before
forest, salt marsh and shallow
they venture outside their comfort
zone, as Nemo did when
sand beaches. And it’s home
to Posidonia sea grass that is
he left the Great Barrier Reef in
endangered and a vital habitat
the film.
for marine life.”
Simultaneously, sea meadows
help protect the shore
The somewhat clumsily
named Careel Multi-Layered
from erosion while capturing
Coastal Assessment (CMCA)
carbon and improving the
project was officially launched
water quality.
on April 6 at The Studio on volunteer citizen scientists AUSMAP.
Robbi, a fully accredited
Careel Bay Wharf, but had its can choose an area of research Arguably the most fascinating
project, headed by Associ-
genesis with a proposal Living
aerial drone operator, is now
they’re particularly fascinated
Ocean first put to Northern
using his latest photographic
by.
ate Professor Adriana Vérges of
Beaches Council in 2021, hoping
for funding.
tool – an underwater drone
Earthwatch’s Dr Jock Mackenzie,
for example, will lead a Careel Bay’s sea meadows that
UNSW, is the detailed study of
donated by Matt Young and his
“We didn’t receive a reply,”
team at Laing+Simmons Young
team researching the health of will be conducted as part of
says Robbi Newman, Living
Property at Careel Bay Wharf
the mangroves where the creek Operation Posidonia.
Ocean’s co-founder and president.
within the bay’s posidonia
– to depict the marine life left
meets the bay.
Most boat owners who moor
“Little crabs live in the Careel their vessels in Careel Bay don’t
Undeterred, Living Ocean has
meadow.
Bay mangroves,” Bill continues. realise the irreparable harm
partnered with elite scientists
So, for the first time, this citizen
science project will check
“They drill their holes, and their heavy metal mooring
from Macquarie University and
drag the decayed mangrove chains are doing to the sea
the University of NSW, as well
the health of the creek and the
waste down into homes, performing
an essential carbon Yet there’s a simple alterna-
meadows beneath.
as respected environmental
bay from three perspectives
organisations such as AUSMAP,
– the air, the shore and creek
Earthwatch, Tangaroa Blue and
sequestration function. It’s suspected
they’re now dragging the vessels moored but don’t bay.
tive: floating chains which keep banks, and the bottom of the
Operation Posidonia.
Calling itself the ‘Careel Collaborative’,
its aim is to conduct Then there’s PhD candidate Pittwater is one of only six volunteer recruiting forum in
micro plastics down there too.” scar the bottom of the bay. Living Ocean is hosting a
the “first detailed study of the Jordan Gacutan from UNSW’s waterways in NSW (along with Avalon in May (the date was yet
Careel marine environment, Centre for Marine Science and Sydney Harbour) identified by to be finalised as this magazine
the most significant area of Innovation, who will team up Operation Posidonia as sites went to print) – to learn more
estuarine wetlands on the with volunteers checking the where Posidonia is endangered. visit the Living Ocean website
Northern Beaches”.
shoreline around Careel Bay for Why is it worth preserving in or Facebook. Steve Meacham
Each of the scientists has evidence of macro and micro Careel Bay? Surely it’s just an *To volunteer go to livingocean.org.au
or call 0410 374
a special sphere of interest, plastic pollution, following estuarine version of seaweed?
Bill explains – which means the protocols established by You just need to check 333.
8 MAY 2022
The Local Voice Since 1991
PHOTO: Donna Johnston
PHOTO: David Harasti