Marine Species Diversity in Malabar Bay By Hayden Ingle, 10 Years

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1 Marine Species Diversity in Malabar Bay By Hayden Ingle, 10 Years

2 Malabar Bay Located in Sydney, between Maroubra Beach and Long Bay, Malabar Bay is surrounded by Anzac Rifle Range, a water treatment works and associated outfall, housing and a golf course. It is subject to natural tides, currents and all local weather conditions.

3 Aim To assess the diversity of Malabar Bay by identifying, and photographing (when possible), different fish species over a period of twelve months. Species will be identified by reviewing photographs and scientific drawings in the books : Sea Fishes of Southern Australia (Barry Hutchins, 2006), and Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia (Rudie H. Kuiter, 2006).

4 Method Regularly snorkel the bay of Malabar over a period of 12 months (February 2014 February 2015), and observe it s sea life. Photograph species when possible. Compare sightings with illustrations in Sea Fishes of Southern Australia and Guide to Sea fishes of Australia. Record each new sighted species and upload photographs if appropriate.

5 Equipment 1. Snorkelling equipment including fins, face mask 2. Fish identification book 3. Underwater camera 4. Lap top to record results

6 Eastern Blue Groper

7 Species identified Mado Stripey Luderick Silver Drummer Toothbrush Leatherjacket Bream Common Stingray Common Toadfish Variegated Lizardfish Sergeant Baker Australian Damsel Rock Cale Red Morwong Sea Mullet Smooth Stingray Yellowfin Bream Fire Streaked Blenny Moorish Idol Crimson Banded Wrasse Senator Wrasse Globe Fish Striped Catfish

8 Australian giant cuttle fish Swimming sea anemone Eastern Blue Groper Sergeant Major Old Wife Spotted Wobbegong Pilchard Whitebait Striped Catfish Eastern Fortescue Smooth Toadfish Tarwhine Crested Horn Shark Port Jackson Shark White s Sea Horse Common Sea Dragon Common Bulls-eye Blackspot Goatfish Red Gurnard Yellow Boxfish Kelpfish Magpie Morwong

9 Unknown seaweed Pencil Urchin Pygmy Leatherjacket Saddled Puffer Eastern Pomfred Eagle Ray Fiddler Ray Snub nosed Garfish Stout Longtom Slender Longtom Green Moray Short Finned Conger Eel Southern Conger Eel Common Pike Eel Eastern Cleaner Clingfish Threadfin Butterflyfish White Ear Girdled Scalyfin Long Snouted Flounder Smooth Flutemouth Eastern Blue Spotted Flounder Eastern Hulafish

10 Red sea anemone Hawaiian Triggerfish Pink Clingfish Swallowtail Dart Round Faced Batfish (juvenile) Diamond Trevally (juvenile) Blue Ringed Octopus Sydney Octopus Globe Fish

11 Doriprismatica atromarginata Toothbrush leather jacket Fan worm Green sea anemone

12 Red morwong Rock cale White s Seahorse

13 Giant hermit crab Flutemouth Eastern blue ringed octopus Mado

14 Brittle star Crimson banded wrasse Biscuit star Australian fur seal

15 Sea hare Sydney octopus Eastern blue groper

16 Common stingaree Threadfin butterfly fish Glaucus

17 Sea hare Smooth stingaree Sea hare

18 Discussion and Conclusion This research project showed that Malabar Bay, where I regularly snorkel, is full of a wide variety of sea life. The Simpson s Diversity Index is a measurement tool used by scientists to quantify diversity. It measures richness; the number of species, and evenness; the abundance of different species. I do not understand this mathematical equation yet however I can determine that I see a wide variety of different sea life when I go for a snorkel. I haven t included the mammals such as Southern Right and Humpback whales, dolphins and seals in my recordings, or seaweeds, crabs, shells, molluscs and other crustaceans. However, this project shows that the sea life in Malabar is richly diverse. In the future I hope to repeat this study, and understand the complexity of the Simpson s Diversity Index and how it quantifies the diversity of sea life within Malabar Bay.