HERON ISLAND RESEARCH STATION INDUCTION PRESENTATION FOR GROUPS WHO CAN COLLECT SLIDE 1 Welcome to the Heron Island Research Station Induction presentation. This presentation contains important information to assist in making your trip to Heron Island successful. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to listen. SLIDE 2 Heron Island is one of the southernmost islands of the Great Barrier Reef, and is just one small part of an incredible reef system stretching for over 2000km. The reefs and pristine waters around Heron Island are inhabited by a vast array of plants and animals. Staying on Heron Island means staying inside a living wonder. SLIDE 3 Europeans named the island in 1843 after one of the many birds that inhabit it. They first began using the island as a Turtle Cannery in the 1920 s, but this short-lived endeavour simply wasn t sustainable and the island became a resort soon after. The island was then made a National Park in 1943. There is a long history of scientific research on the Island, with the research station first being established in the 1950s. SLIDE 4 There are 11 staff working in a variety of different areas around the station. Scientific and Education staff will assist with your field and laboratory needs, while Boating and Diving staff will assist with your water activities. Maintenance and Housekeeping staff are always on hand for any facilities issues. Maintenance staff can also assist with experimental setups. Administration staff will be available to answer queries in the Reception office. Staff work from 8am to 4pm and are there to assist you throughout the day. If you have trouble locating any of our staff, there are radio call points located at the Scientific Office and the Boat Shed. If you d like a souvenir of your trip, we do sell some merchandise in the reception office, which will be open for sales from 11am to 12pm. If this doesn t fit with your schedule, your course coordinator will arrange another time for you so you won t miss out! SLIDE 5 Heron Island is a fragile environment and it is important that we all work together to preserve it. As part of our commitment to the environment, we operate under an Environmental Management Plan. This management plan defines how the station and our visitors conduct themselves in order to limit the impact of our activities. The station s Environmental Management Plan is available on our website and summaries are displayed around the research station. You should become familiar with the main points of the environmental management plan. SLIDE 6 Under the environmental management plan all activities conducted through the research station require a permit, which your course coordinator has already obtained. You must know and understand the conditions of this permit. The permit will include information on what you can collect, how many and what you should do with specimens once you have finished with them. Permits must also be reported on, so ensure you record all your collections for your course coordinator. SLIDE 7 The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is broken up in to many different zones, each with their own unique set of restrictions. Your permit will specify in what zone your activities must be conducted. Primarily research and education activities occur in the Scientific Research Zone. Alongside this zone is the Marine National Park which is heavily protected. There are beach markers to help you understand the location of the zones and our scientific officers can always point you in the right direction. Many different groups are conducting activities within the Scientific Research Zone. Discuss your study sites with our scientific officers to be sure you don t impact on someone
else s research. Also keep an eye out for other people s sites whenever you are out on the reef so that you don t disturb them. SLIDE 8 The station has a touch tank and display tank onsite for educational purposes. Feel free to gently handle any of the animals in our touch tank. We ask that you keep them in the water as much as possible so as not to cause them unnecessary stress. We are also permitted to hold the highly protected Tridacna within the touch and display tanks. These clams are heavily protected due to human activities threatening their conservation. It is a privilege to be able to interact so closely with them, so please touch them with care. All aquaria and laboratories are plumbed with saltwater. Our saltwater system is a high-flow-through system with all saltwater drains leading directly back to the ocean. Only uncontaminated seawater may ever go down the drains. SLIDE 9 Abiding by the environmental management plan is an important way you can help us look after the environment. Other ways you can help are by participating in our green initiatives. You ll notice small stickers around the station highlighting some of our green initiatives, such as steps we ve taken to conserve water or switching off lights to save power. Be sure to ask staff about any other initiatives you can participate in. Turning off lights is also important for the animals of the island. Lights can disorientate turtles and also disturb the many birds that call the island home. For this reason, many station lights are on timers and you need to press the black button to activate them. They will illuminate for a brief time to allow you to move safely up or down the stairs and then turn off. Make sure you fully depress the button and always take care when moving around at night. We hope that you will participate in all our initiatives and learn as much as you can, while enjoying this unique environment. SLIDE 10 While on the island, you will encounter a variety of wildlife. The wildlife is seasonal, so what you encounter will depend on when you visit. The Summer months are dominated by birds. With the island being an important nesting site there can be over 150,000 birds on the island at any one time. You ll certainly see white-capped Noddy Terns building nests in the Pisonia trees and Silvereyes flitting about many of which are banded as part of a long term research project occurring on the island. During the Summer months, Shearwaters (or Mutton birds) nest in burrows that they excavate across the island. These burrows are prone to collapse under foot traffic. Please take special care when walking near burrows and always stick to the paths as these will keep you away from most burrows. If you accidently collapse a burrow, please dig it out so that the bird does not suffocate in the nest. Alert research station staff if you have any trouble. We ask that you never feed the birds. Birds like the Buff-banded rails are very cute, but please resist feeding them as it makes them aggressive and is not a natural source of food. SLIDE 11 Aside from the birds there are many other animals to see. Over the summer months the island is a Rookery for Green and Loggerhead turtles. Being able to see turtles lay their eggs or hatchlings emerge from their nests is an incredible experience. The best time to see adults laying is during high tide at night throughout summer. When adults are coming up to lay you must not disturb them as they can become frightened and return to the ocean without laying. Be very calm and still, don t cross in front of them and please do not shine lights anywhere around them as they can become disorientated. Once an adult has dug its pit and is laying you can get a little closer as they are quite settled at this time. You should never touch the turtles. The best time to see turtle hatchlings is at dusk. The change in sand temperature as the sun sets triggers them to hatch. Please don t pick up the baby turtles. They need to run down to the ocean so they can find their way back to Heron Island as adults.
While in the Winter months there are no turtles laying or hatching, there is still plenty to see. We are fortunate to have whales pass through the waters around the island throughout Winter, so keep an eye out for them. You ll always see an immense amount of wildlife in the water. The books located in the station library can help you to identify them. We encourage you to take every opportunity you can to observe the island wildlife but ask that you always do so responsibly. SLIDE 12 While you re here with us enjoying the island and its wildlife, your safety is important to us. The Research Station has a number of procedures in place to ensure the station, and the manner in which you conduct your activities, is safe. If you have a medical issue please see the research station staff who are all first aid trained, or your course coordinator. At times there is a nurse located on the island but if not, research station staff will assist you. The main first aid kit is located on the reception deck and has all the standard first aid supplies that you might need. In addition it has Povidine and iodine wipes for disinfecting coral cuts, sunscreen and a defibrillator, vital signs monitor and an oxygen provision kit for those qualified to operate them. SLIDE 13 In the event of any emergency throughout your stay, staff are trained and prepared to assist you. If an emergency occurs during staff hours, please find a staff member immediately. Outside of staff hours, use the emergency radio or station phones to contact staff. There is an emergency radio located at the first aid station on the reception deck. We ll show you how to use the radio when you arrive on the station. Your nearest phone is likely to be the one on the reception deck, near the first aid station. Beside all phones, you will find a list of staff accommodation numbers which you can call in an emergency. There are also phones located in many other areas of the station. Do not call triple zero in the event of an emergency. SLIDE 14 It is not uncommon for the fire alarm to be falsely activated on the station. This is due to the fact that sensitive smoke detectors are located in all rooms of the station. If the fire alarm is activated, it will sound in every room of the station. It is a voice alarm and will advise you to remain where you are and await further instructions. Provided you see no evidence of fire or danger, you should wait for staff to respond to the alarm before taking any action. If it is a false alarm, it will suddenly stop as staff will turn the alarm off this is the signal that everything is fine and you can carry on with your activities. If there is an emergency that requires you to evacuate, the voice will stop and a continuous siren will sound. Refer to the fire emergency evacuation plans in the buildings to assist you in evacuating. Calmly make your way to the evacuation assembly point on the beach clearing, as pictured in the image on your screen, and await further instructions. SLIDE 15 Some areas around the island have restricted access, including the workshop and staff accommodation. If you need to access the workshop, the Maintenance staff can assist. Staff accommodation areas are restricted to respect the privacy of staff. The resort adjacent to the station has behind the scenes areas that are also always off limits. Visitors to the Station are not permitted in these areas for any reason. Restricted areas on the island are clearly marked. SLIDE 16 The resort located on the island is a separate entity from the research station and as such, access is by permission only. Your course co-ordinator will meet with resort management to discuss access conditions. During busy times access might not be possible so always check with your course co-ordinator. If access is granted, always be respectful of the resort s guests and staff.
SLIDE 17 With all this safety information in mind you ll need to get out and do some activities - and there are lots of different things you can do on the island. Reef walking on the low tide is fantastic and you ll see lots of interesting organisms. When reef walking, remember to wear shoes to protect your feet. The station stocks a limited supply of reef walking shoes so try to bring some with you. We encourage you to use the designated reef walking track and information booklet. These can be found in the lab store. Always stay on the sand paths and move carefully to avoid falling over. Collections cannot occur along the reef walking trail so remember to move further away to do any collecting. SLIDE 18 Snorkelling is another fantastic activity we encourage you to make the most of. On the high tide you can go snorkelling on the reef flat. The station has some simple rules for safely snorkelling in these areas. Always snorkel in a buddy pair. Stay on the reef flat and don t go over the reef crest into the deep water as strong currents can occur. To the east of the island the reef flat is very wide, so ensure you never reef walk or snorkel out so far that you can t make it back. There are visible markers out to the east to assist you. The harbour is a great place to see turtles and stingrays but hours are restricted to before 8am and after 5pm for swimming and snorkelling. Always remember it is a harbour and boats will need passage in and out. Utilise the white board at the kitchens for recording your activities and check the tide information before going out. While you are out snorkelling on the reef flat you may encounter the seaplane. This plane operates to and from the island generally around the high tide. They will land either on the north side of the island or to one side of the jetty. If you are snorkelling and hear the seaplane please look up and give the pilot a wave as he will fly across a couple of times to see where everyone is. Move out of the way if he is coming in to the beach. The pilot is very experienced but you can assist him by making yourself visible. Please talk to Boating and Diving staff about additional safety equipment available for use when snorkelling or reef walking. Boating and Diving staff will also assist you with your snorkel equipment upon arrival. SLIDE 19 While snorkelling and reef walking you ll encounter some amazing animals. Some animals are very poisonous or venomous so it is always best to simply observe. There are reference books in the library to assist you with identification of wildlife, or feel to ask our friendly staff. SLIDE 20 You can see details about the stations facilities by viewing the virtual tour available on our website. Shortly after arriving on the research station you ll be shown to your accommodation. You ll be provided with linen but should bring your own towels. Out of respect for other island residents please keep the noise down around the station after 10pm. The amenity building is located beside your accommodation. Toilets and showers are located within the building along with a shared space for washing, drying and storing your snorkel gear. The outside showers are used for rinsing and don t have drains so please don t use any soaps or detergents. You may be on the research station with other groups. Always be respectful of other research station guests and keep shared areas clean and tidy. SLIDE 21 The station has a lab store for your laboratory and field equipment needs. Your course co-ordinators can assist you in finding items. Please mark down what you take out and when you return it. Please return all items in a clean and tidy state to where you found them. If anything breaks please let us know and if you have difficulty finding something, talk to our Scientific Staff.
SLIDE 22 As we are a University research station, you must follow University Workplace Health and Safety policies in the laboratories. This includes wearing enclosed footwear at all times, not consuming food or drinks in the laboratories and the appropriate disposal of general, clinical and sharps waste. In addition there are fresh and saltwater sinks in the laboratories. Ensure only sea water goes down the saltwater sink as the drain leads directly back to the ocean. One difference you do need to remember is that laboratory chemicals cannot be put down the drains. All chemicals must be bottled up and Scientific Staff can assist you with this. SLIDE 23 The aquaria system allows you to hold organisms on the station for experimental purposes. There are a range of aquaria and plumbing supplies available for use. If you need glass aquaria please take care as they are prone to cracking and chipping. Never move glass aquaria when full of water. Take care with any electricity around the aquaria deck, and ask our maintenance or scientific staff for advice or assistance when setting up experiments. SLIDE 24 With all the activities you ll be doing there is no doubt you ll have an appetite! Please keep the kitchen, dining room and outdoor eating areas clean and tidy by always returning your plates, cutlery and glasses to the kitchen. You should always wear footwear in the kitchen. Please be mindful about what goes down the drains as it is treated at a plant located on the island. Please minimise fat and oils going down the drain. Should you need anything at all please ask our housekeeping staff. SLIDE 25 No doubt many of you will be keen to keep in touch with the outside world and let everyone know what you are up to on the island. Typically there is no mobile phone access but there is a pay phone available. The pay phone doesn t accept cash, so bring a phone card with you or you can purchase them on the island. In addition there is wired and wireless internet around the station. Discuss internet access with your course co-ordinators as logins are required. SLIDE 26 That concludes our induction presentation. We are looking forward to seeing you on the research station soon and remember: please ask us if you have any questions.