Expedition Reports
(in reverse chronological order)

The expedition party (informal) at Pt Drummond.	The expedition party (posing)
Expedition leader Dr Scoresby Shepherd.	Ben Parkhurst starts a dive.
We saw some large groper...	and plenty of other reef fish...
and more reef fish.	in a variety of habitats

West Coast Expedition 2003

Dr Scoresby Shepherd led the third "Groper expedition" comprising 10 volunteers to various locations between Streaky Bay and Elliston in December 2003, with the assistance of funding from Coastcare grant.

Gearing up at Pt Westall (near Streaky Bay).	Groper and Wrasse at Pt Westall
Scoresby meets his Waterloo (Bay)	The two Brown generations of Reef Watchers..
Hugh and Scoresby recording the data	David Muirhead scrubbing up well

Western blue groper surveys continue - on Yorke Peninsula

Following a successful trip to Kangaroo Island earlier in 2002, Reef Watch were involved in a further survey undertaken by Dr. Scoresby Shepherd in conjunction with a number of Reef Watch divers (recruited at the recent Feral or in Peril workshop), to survey populations of western blue groper (Achoerodus gouldii) and other reef fish, this time at the foot of Yorkes. As for the Kangaroo Island trip, there was a community education component to the project, with Reef Watch (assisted by Divemaster Kevin Smith) conducting snorkeling tours as part of the Innes National Park summer education program.

Julia, Janine, Scoresby & Kevin.

For further information, read a recent article on blue groper or the scientific report of the Kangaroo Island survey.

This species is of conservation concern in South Australia, and hence is one of the species that will be monitored under the Feral or in Peril program. The species is currently protected within Gulf St Vincent (including Backstairs Passage and Investigator Strait).

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