OzFish membership – a ticket to incredible experiences
By Robbie Porter – Special Project Officer – Shellfish Restoration
Part of being an OzFish member is the opportunity to play a hands-on role in restoring vital habitat in incredible locations. Becoming a steward for your local waterway and protecting Australia’s natural environment, while improving recreational fishing as you do it is what being an OzFisher is all about.
Last month, I headed north from my usual Moreton Bay backyard to take part in a research project being led by scientists from Griffith University.
I was joined by five lucky members from Central Moreton Bay Chapter and two Griffith University Ph.D. candidates to survey tropical shellfish reefs at Turkey Beach.
To say it was a privilege and unforgettable experience for all involved is an understatement.
One of Central Moreton Bay Chapter members who accompanied me, David Hastings, summed it up perfectly.
“The real joy was watching PhD candidate Marina perform her ‘happy dance’, having secured data and samples to support her research and guide OzFish’s future shellfish reef restoration efforts,” he said.
While there, our members got to see first-hand the work that goes into developing and delivering an effective research project. We were also lucky enough to be able to film the many fish that call the tropical shellfish reefs home.
We learned that the reefs were made from large numbers of several species of shellfish, including rock oysters, pearl oysters, leaf oysters, and mussels.
A real highlight was discovering a very large and previously unknown flat oyster reef.
The work undertaken to assist the research was challenging due to the large tidal flows and the deep mud, but we got it done in the end.
Again, Dave conveys how thick the mud was better than I can.
“When we stepped out of the boat, we sank to our knees in the mud, often losing our shoes and struggling to make headway – even crawling at times and risking lacerations. In some cases we were reduced to crawling,” Dave said.
We persisted and were able to help measure and count the oysters, collect water quality data, deploy cameras to look for the fish that used the reefs, and find all the animals that call them home.
Through this we gained a deep understanding of these rare and important fish habitats. It wasn’t all work either. We had time to catch some fish and crabs, including a cracking grunter!
“Between tides, we had time for fishing and crabbing, and to enjoy sunrises, sunsets, birdlife, dolphins, turtles and rays that occupied the mangrove-lined waters. Oh yeah, and to taste the different species of oysters – hard-won morsels from these non-commercial varieties.
“Despite starting early and sometimes sample-processing after dark it didn’t really feel like work at all,” said Dave.
This exclusive OzFishers experience was an incredible opportunity for OzFish volunteers to work alongside scientists to assist in real science.
Make sure you’re an OzFish member and stay tuned to your local Chapter news for word of upcoming experiences to make sure you don’t miss out.