Redmap has received more than 1500 sightings of marine life around Australia that people deemed uncommon in their local seas. This edition of Redmap news reviews the citizen science including the Top 3 sightings per state. Also, read interviews with Redmap members around Australia and other marine news! Check out the newsletter here.
Australian fishers, divers and beachcombers have documented some 1500 sightings of marine life they considered uncommon in their local seas. Many of the Redmap sightings were species out of their usual home range (distribution); and others were valuable observations of rare or poorly-studied species that we'll track over time. And it looks like the scuba divers beat the fishers for uploading the most sightings on Redmap! Here's a snapshot of Redmap's citizen …
Commercial diver Bryan Denny has no regrets starting his career as a teenager when he'd skip school to fish with local abalone divers. Read about his life on the sea and the changes he's seen over the years.
A recent article in The Conversation detailed how Redmap volunteers are helping scientists track movements in marine species around Australia's vast coastline. Read the article here.
Last summer Victorian diver Paul Sorensen spotted a tropical-looking fish lingering in an abandoned shopping trolley under the Frankston Pier near Melbourne. It turned out to be a tropical species usually found near Queensland reefs.
Keen Victorian anglers can help with a major study on Yellowtail Kingfish populations by donating frames and keeping records of their catches this summer. Scientists will extract otoliths (ear bones) from kingfish frames to determine their age! Read more...
A new study by University of Tasmania researchers and international collaborators has found that a key element of future changes in the distribution of marine biodiversity resulting from ocean warming is not as closely related to local warming rates as previously assumed. Read more in the University of Tasmania News.
Hundreds of divers and snorkelers will hit the water in their metaphorical lab coats this summer as part of the biggest citizen science event on Victoria’s marine calendar, the Great Victorian Fish Count. Read more about this event that runs from November 21 to Dec 6 in the Mornington Peninsula News (Redmap gets a mention too!).
The world’s oceans are warming at an accelerated rate due to anthropogenic activities. Over 100 species have undertaken polewards range-shifts along the south-east coast of Australia with expected positive and negative impacts in the invaded southern communities. Read more about this hot topic by researcher Jorge E. Ramos and Redmap founder Gretta Pecl from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in the Ecological Society of Australia's Hot Topics …
Fancy yourself a bit of an artist? Check out the latest Redmap marine design competition.... (Closes November 5th 2015)
