Habitat Restoration Investigation

The Habitat Restoration Investigation Excursion is currently being offered at two locations: Clifton Gardens & Balmoral, and Watson's Bay. These excursions are designed for students to get a start on an independent research project in either Geography (Geographical Investigation) or Marine Studies. 

Clifton Gardens & Balmoral - Sydney Seahorse Project, Operation Posidonia and Project Restore

Students undertake fieldwork and collect data across 2 sites for their projects. Basic fieldwork includes: water testing, field sketches, beach wrack surveys and quadrats.

At Clifton Gardens they learn about different species of seagrass, the vital role it plays as a habitat and in marine food chains, and threats to seagrass, particularly the endangered Posidonia australis. They examine images from the Fisheries NSW Spatial Data Portal to see the spatial distribution of different seagrass species.

They learn about the important work of the Sydney Seahorse Project in conservation stocking of the White’s Seahorses and providing additional habitat structures - Seahorse Hotels. Students use underwater cameras to undertake an underwater transect along the swimming nets as an introduction to how artificial structures can support biodiversity, and explore photos to see the Seahorse Hotels in action. 

At Balmoral, they independently repeat field tests for comparison between the two sites, but also examine aerial photographs at 5 year intervals to explore longitudinal data of the impact of mooring scars on seagrass beds. They learn about the work of Project Restore to provide reef pods to enhance habitat spaces for fish, Operation Posidonia to restore seagrass beds, and community engagement to install Environmentally Friendly Moorings and improve outcomes for the endangered Posidonia australis, a critical habitat for White’s Seahorses.

​This excursion can be supplemented by a snorkel at Clifton Gardens, provided by an external provider.

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Watson's Bay
Students explore organisms in rock pools, do a beach wrack survey, and use underwater cameras to investigate biodiversity. They complete field sketches and water testing to familiarise themselves with the field site. They learn about initiatives implemented at Watson’s Bay and Rose Bay as part of Project Restore, learn about the importance of seagrass to species such as White’s seahorses, the role of kelp as a foundational species, and examine a Living Seawalls installation.

Students explore the different types of Living Seawalls and how biomimicry is used to create different microhabitats, they explore the different species found on and behind the installation and explore how species inhabiting Living Seawalls change over time by examining photos of another Living Seawalls installation over a four year period.

It is great to support these habitat restoration projects at these locations. We look forward to seeing how the students' independent projects develop and the direction that  students’ investigations will take over the next couple of months.