All divers, beach walkers, surfers, swimmers, bird lovers, fishers, watercraft and rock pool enthusiasts are invited to get involved in the inaugural Marine Bioblitz of the Byron Bay Region, from 8th–17th March. This ten-day community driven survey of marine life along our coastal waterways will generate a valuable record of our local biodiversity within the Byron Bay and Ballina region.
The Bioblitz, coordinated by the Byron Bay Hope Spot team at Dolphin Research Australia and supported by a grant from Patagonia’s 1% for the Planet program, invites the community to get out in our blue backyard and log observations of marine life. Observations recorded by the community during the Bioblitz will provide a snapshot of marine and coastal biodiversity in our region.
“The Bioblitz will be a lot of fun and bring the community together to connect, appreciate and protect marine life. It’s open to anyone who wants to be involved – children who love the ocean can do their own observations, school groups can take part, you can snorkel, beach walk or kayak – whatever floats your boat,’ said Alice Forrest, Byron Bay Hope Spot Coordinator.
“It’s easy to participate, simply register, grab your camera and head out to the local estuary, beach, rock pool or reef, take a photo of the marine flora and fauna you find and log your observations on the iNaturalist app anytime over the 10 days of the Bioblitz,” said Alice. The survey area coincides with the Byron Bay Hope Spot, extending from Brunswick River and the Cape Byron Marine Park, to the Richmond River and Wardell.
In partnership with local organisations and businesses, the community can also join a range of special events during the Bioblitz, including a mangrove walk, dolphin watch survey, turtle school and other exciting activities.
“The observations will help to provide an important open-source record of the marine biodiversity that exists in our region. This information will help to inform conservation measures and monitor the impacts of climate change on our oceans into the future”, said Alice.
To kick off the Bioblitz festivities, a ‘blue drinks’ style launch event will be held on Thursday 7th March 6 -8.30pm, at Common People Brewing Co at Bangalow, where you can mingle with fellow marine enthusiasts, learn about the importance of our marine biodiversity, and get insider tips on how to participate in the Bioblitz.
The Marine Bioblitz is the first of a series of events Dolphin Research Australia will be running in the community throughout the year as part of their Hope Spot Ocean Champions program. The workshops will each address key threats facing our marine wildlife and grass-roots actions to promote positive change and improved protection.
All divers, beach walkers, surfers, swimmers, bird lovers, fishers, watercraft and rock pool enthusiasts are invited to get involved in the inaugural Marine Bioblitz of the Byron Bay Region, from 8th–17th March. This ten-day community driven survey of marine life along our coastal waterways will generate a valuable record of our local biodiversity within the Byron Bay and Ballina region.
The Bioblitz, coordinated by the Byron Bay Hope Spot team at Dolphin Research Australia and supported by a grant from Patagonia’s 1% for the Planet program, invites the community to get out in our blue backyard and log observations of marine life. Observations recorded by the community during the Bioblitz will provide a snapshot of marine and coastal biodiversity in our region.
“The Bioblitz will be a lot of fun and bring the community together to connect, appreciate and protect marine life. It’s open to anyone who wants to be involved – children who love the ocean can do their own observations, school groups can take part, you can snorkel, beach walk or kayak – whatever floats your boat,’ said Alice Forrest, Byron Bay Hope Spot Coordinator.
“It’s easy to participate, simply register, grab your camera and head out to the local estuary, beach, rock pool or reef, take a photo of the marine flora and fauna you find and log your observations on the iNaturalist app anytime over the 10 days of the Bioblitz,” said Alice. The survey area coincides with the Byron Bay Hope Spot, extending from Brunswick River and the Cape Byron Marine Park, to the Richmond River and Wardell.
In partnership with local organisations and businesses, the community can also join a range of special events during the Bioblitz, including a mangrove walk, dolphin watch survey, turtle school and other exciting activities.
“The observations will help to provide an important open-source record of the marine biodiversity that exists in our region. This information will help to inform conservation measures and monitor the impacts of climate change on our oceans into the future”, said Alice.
To kick off the Bioblitz festivities, a ‘blue drinks’ style launch event will be held on Thursday 7th March 6 -8.30pm, at Common People Brewing Co at Bangalow, where you can mingle with fellow marine enthusiasts, learn about the importance of our marine biodiversity, and get insider tips on how to participate in the Bioblitz.
The Marine Bioblitz is the first of a series of events Dolphin Research Australia will be running in the community throughout the year as part of their Hope Spot Ocean Champions program. The workshops will each address key threats facing our marine wildlife and grass-roots actions to promote positive change and improved protection.
For more information about the Bioblitz and to register visit https://events.humanitix.com/marine-bioblitz-byron-bay-region or email byronhope@dolphinresearchaustralia.org
To find out more abut other citizen science projects in your area, including Bioblitzes, search the Australian Citizen Science Association project finder pages.
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