Between 2015 and 2018, SURG members, with the assistance from the general public, have been assessing threats to estuarine species and the habitats that they rely on during some stage of their life cycle. Using a number of research methods these threats were quantified and the impacts to the estuarine ecosystem determined along four local estuaries. This research aimed to inform the wider community of the local threats to critical habitats, identify areas of high risk, direct on-ground works...
September 2018
August 2018
Wednesday 1st - 7:00pm
Dr. Ben Mos is a post-doctoral researcher based at Southern Cross University's National Marine Science Centre. He will present a series of 5 minute talks about some of his research projects that revolve around two major challenges in the aquatic realm – (1) what impacts are humans having in aquatic ecosystems?, and (2) how can we use the aquatic realm to sustainably feed 9 billion people?
July 2018
Wednesday 18th - 7:00pm
The AGM will be held prior to the July Business Meeting on the 18th July. If you're keen to participate in the running of the club, the AGM is an opportunity to nominate yourself or other members for any of the positions which are all declared vacant on the night.
The meeting will be held at the usual venue; the upstairs boardroom at the NMSC, and will start at 7pm sharp. The July business meeting will commence shortly afterward, at approximately 7:30pm.
Following are...
Tuesday 3rd - 7:00pm
SURG member Neil Vaughan will show you around the Solitary Marine Park islands with fabulous photos and interesting commentary about all that makes SURG such a great place to visit.
June 2018
Sunday 10th - 8:30am
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Clean-up activities adjacent to Coffs Creek Sunday 10 June.
The survey is the 6th of 8 (the end is in sight), and the 2nd survey since the Container Deposit Scheme commenced in December 2017. If you can spare a few hours this it would be greatly appreciated. More hands make light work!
You should wear a long-sleeved shirt, light long pants (or wet weather overpants) and appropriate footwear for walking around in mangroves. If you have gumboots they would...
Wednesday 6th - 7:00pm
The next SURG social meeting will feature Kate Shaw, long term SURG member, who will tell you all about her diving holiday with Ian Shaw to Lord Howe Island. It's set to be a great night with a lot of fascinating information and glorious photos of Lord Howe Island, both below and above the surface!
Make sure you bring some change for the raffle and join us for a tea/coffee and a chat following the meeting.
May 2018
Friday 4th - 12:00pm to Monday 7th - 12:00pm
Last year SURG members enjoyed an activity filled weekend at Hat Head so this year the club has decided to return to this popular choice.
Hat Head is located east of Kempsey so it's an easy one and a half hour drive from Coffs Harbour. The Hat Head campground is nestled between an delightful estuary and an exceptional surfing beach. The area offers great range of activities including paddle boarding, kayaking, bushwalking, surfing and fishing.
You can book online at the...
Wednesday 2nd - 7:00pm
PhD candidate Stephen Conrad will tell us about his work at Hearnes Lake.
For a bit of background: A team of researchers at SCU was employed by the Coffs council to investigate pollution history in Hearnes Lake, Woolgoolga.
Hearnes Lake is a unique study location because it is an intermittently open-closed lake or lagoon (ICOLL) meaning there can be long periods of deposition in the lake basin between the lake draining. This area is of special concern because the small...
April 2018
Wednesday 4th - 7:00pm
Salomé Gonzales, a researcher at the National Marine Science Centre, will talk about her research into coral skeletons and past environments. Skeletons of massive corals can provide valuable archives of the environment where they live. Analysis of growth features and chemical elements incorporated into their skeletons has provide evidence of changes in the use of land and increases in nutrient inputs to coral reefs. Through her thesis, Salomé has explored the use of nitrogen isotopes to...
March 2018
Saturday 10th to Sunday 11th
As part of our current 'Estuarine Resilience' project, SURG is planning to carry out remediation works along Corindi River on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th March. We will be working along the bank down stream from the Red Rock boat ramp, where we will be installing coir logs and matting to retain the river bank in the short term. We will need approximately 12 helpers to move/carry coir logs, matting, soil, rocks and wooden stakes to the site that will be placed along the strand line....