Investigating Middle Harbour Creek (Science & Geography)

Developing questions for an investigation

When you begin a scientific investigation or geographical inquiry it is important to have a series of questions to guide your actions. 

• Where is Middle Harbour Creek located within the Sydney Harbour catchment?
• How does Middle Harbour Creek connect to Middle Harbour and Clontarf?
• What physical and human features can be found along the creek and its estuary?
• What natural processes (e.g. tides, erosion, sedimentation) shape the Middle Harbour Creek environment?
• How does stormwater flow from surrounding suburbs affect the creek and the harbour?
• What types of habitats can be found in the Middle Harbour and Clontarf area (e.g. mangroves, rocky shores, mudflats)?
• What types of marine and estuarine organisms live in and around Middle Harbour Creek?
• How do abiotic factors (such as salinity, pH, turbidity, temperature) influence the types of organisms found here?
• What adaptations help organisms survive in the intertidal zone?

Can you think of other questions for investigation?

Introduction
A catchment, sometimes called a drainage basin, is the source area for runoff flowing to a particular point. The soils, geology, water and vegetation within a catchment are all interrelated; actions in one part of the catchment can affect other parts of the catchment. There is very little human activity that does not affect on the catchment in some way. Catchments form convenient management units. The State is made up of a series of catchments, and each river or lake catchment can be further divided into smaller sub-catchments.

Mapping activity
One the map below, locate:

• Middle Harbour Creek
• Clontarf 
• Living Seawalls site
• Nearby suburbs and land uses (residential, bushland, industrial, etc.)

Trace the path of water from local suburbs through Middle Harbour Creek to the ocean.

Discussion: How might what happens in our suburb affect the water quality at Clontarf?
Find the location of your school and place an “X” on your map.

​Mapping activities for other locations are available on the Living Seawalls page.

Intertidal zones
Undertake research on intertidal zones in Sydney. 

• Define “the intertidal zone” and describe how it changes with the tides.
• What are the main zones within an intertidal area (e.g. high, mid, low)?
• What physical conditions (like exposure, wave action, and salinity) differ between them?
• Why are intertidal zones important?
• What types of organisms live in Sydney’s intertidal zones?
• How do these organisms adapt to the challenges of living between land and sea?
• Which Sydney locations are known for healthy intertidal ecosystems?

Create an intertidal zone field guide
Your Task: You will design and produce a Field Guide that could help someone identify and understand the plants and animals found in Sydney’s intertidal zones — places like Clontarf, Middle Harbour Creek, or Chowder Bay.

Your guide can be:

• A printed booklet,
• A digital document or slideshow, or
• An interactive poster or mini-website.

Choose at least 6–8 species commonly found in Sydney’s intertidal areas.
Include a mix of animals (crabs, snails, barnacles, sea stars) and plants/algae (sea lettuce, Neptune’s necklace, etc.).
Try to include species from different tidal zones (high, mid, low).

Gather information for each species such as: common name, scientific name, habitat zone, description, adaptations, diet/role in ecosystem, image or drawing.

Design your field guide: 

• Include a title page with your name, class, and title 
• Add an introduction that explains why intertidal zones are important for biodiversity and ecosystem health.
• Organise species pages clearly and consistently (same layout for each).
• Add maps or diagrams showing where your species can be found in Sydney.
• Use headings, bullet points, and clear fonts for readability.

Download the Middle Harbour Creek Mapping Activity