MINUTES TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING

10 May 2018

Contents Administrative Matters ...... 1 Update on SCCG Activities and Projects ...... 3 Member Council Roundtable ...... 5 General Business...... 8 Presentations ...... 9

1. Administrative Matters

1.1 Opening - Welcome

BA welcomed TC delegates to the meeting.

1.2 Attendance and Apologies

Attendance and apologies are listed in the table below.

Representative Council Attended Apology Ms Judith Betts (JB) Bayside Council  Ms Jean Brennan (JBr) Council  Ms Victoria Adair (VA) Northern Beaches Council  Ms Ruby Ardren (RA) Northern Beaches Council  Ms Jodie Crawford (JC) Northern Beaches Council  Ms Niki Carey (NC) North Council  Ms Bronwyn Englaro (BE) Randwick Council  Ms Beth Noel (BN) Sutherland Shire Council  Ms Jaime Hogan (JH) Waverley Council  Mr Sam McGuinness (SMc) Waverley Council  Mr Andrew Reefman (AR) Willoughby Council  Ms Micaela Hopkins (MH) Woollahra Council  Mr Geoff Withycombe (GW) SCCG  Ms Belinda Atkins (BA) SCCG  Ms Molly O’Halloran (MO) SCCG  Mr Peter Steinberg SIMS (Guest Presenter) 

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1.3 Confirmation of Minutes

Minutes of the Technical Committee meeting held on 22 February 2018 were distributed in electronic form to TC delegates. The Minutes were confirmed at the meeting.

1.4 Business Arising

BA directed TC delegates to the update on actions for the Business Arising from the 22 February 2018 meeting, provided in the ‘Summary of Resolutions, Actions, and Outcomes Table’ in the 10 May 2018 Technical Committee Meeting Agenda.

BA noted that three Councils had responded to the letter to member councils re: Coastsnap Program (Northern Beaches, Waverley and Woollahra Councils). BA to follow up with MH (Bayside Council), and contact Mitchell Harley (WRL) re: meeting with other interested councils (e.g. Randwick).

BA advised that SCCG had received correspondence from DPI Fisheries regarding the SCCG letter advocating for a review of the applicable spearfishing areas (20m within each end of the beach) to address safety concerns.

JB (Bayside Council) advised that the action to provide SCCG with legal advice received by Bayside Council, pertaining to coastal hazards, was currently with the Governance department.

1.5 Meetings

The next Technical Committee Meeting is: Thursday 23 August 2018.

The proposed meeting dates for the remainder of 2018 are provided below. Please put these dates in your diaries.

• Thursday 29 November 2018

Actions: (a) The next TC Meeting will be held on Thursday 23 August 2018. (b) The next meeting to be hosted by (pending confirmation). (c) The Minutes of the TC Meeting held on 22 February 2018 were confirmed. (d) BA to follow up with Mitchell Harley and Bayside Council (MH) re: CoastSnap Program (e) Representatives to suggest agenda items for the next Technical Committee meeting at least four weeks prior to the next meeting.

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Summary of Actions – 10 May 2018

Actions Lead Due date Status Administrative Matters Confirmation of Minutes Confirmed • Minutes of Technical Committee meeting held 22 February 2018 - - were confirmed. Business Arising BA 17/05/18 • BA to follow up with Bayside Council (MH) re: interest in

CoastSnap program • BA to contact Mitchell Harley (WRL) re: interested councils and BA 17/05/18 potential for individual council meetings.

Administration SEC 18/05/18 Completed • Thank you letters to be sent to Presenter and Randwick Council

Next meetings

• The next TC meeting to be held on Thursday 23 August 2018.

• Inner West Council to confirm availability of meeting room to host JB / 12/07/18 next meeting. BA

Update on SCCG Activities and Projects • BA to contact AUSMAP to suggest the Coal Loader as a potential BA 15/5/18 Completed ‘hub’ for the community.

• BA to send around the draft submission on the Flying-fox Code of BA 15/5/18 Completed Practice

• JH to provide contact details/information on the group action for JH 15/5/18 Completed higher performance targets for BASIX.

General Business

• TC delegates to follow up on 18/19 membership invoices and All 21/5/18 advise whether their council will be paying the invoice prior to June 30 or in the new financial year.

2. Update on SCCG Activities and Projects

2.1 Collaboration

BA advised that SCCG are a project partner for AUSMAP and will be sitting on the project steering committee. AUSMAP is a citizen science program monitoring microplastics, being run by Total Environment Centre and Macquarie University, partnering with the Department of Education (EZECS), Take 3, Australian Association of Environmental Educators, SCCG, and other NGO’s and government departments.

It was noted that a microplastics methodology was being developed for citizen science (schools and community) and train the trainer programs will be run. At this stage there will be approximately 10 hubs which will hold the AUSMAP kits which can be borrowed. Each kit can be used by 5-6 people and cost around $400. There are 5 kits per hub that can be borrowed. There is potential for SCCG to purchase a kit for member council use if required. Page 3 of 10

SCCG will engage with member councils on this program during the next 12 months and a microplastics program will form part of SCCG’s plastic plan underneath the new business strategy.

BA will update the committee with the progress of the program.

2.1.1 Get the Site Right

BA noted that the Get the Site Right Program was being run for a second time jointly by all the catchment groups with Willoughby, Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick and Northern Beaches participating. The Blitz day was held on 16th May.

2.1.2 Regional Flying Fox Approach

BA noted that SCCG were working with OEH on the regional approach to Flying-fox management. Two actions are being undertaken, including; i) the development of a map to be provided to councils for use in Grey-headed Flying-fox planning (e.g. LEP, DCP, Biodiversity Strategy, Management Plans); and ii) the development of a training workshop for council staff and community volunteers on the flying-fox count methodology to enable councils top undertake counts in between the current quarterly census.

Council expressed interest in councillor education program. Currently waiting for LGNSW who received an Environmental Trust grant regarding training. Timeframes unknown at this stage. If this doesn’t go ahead SCCG will formulate a plan for a potential education / training program.

2.2 Capacity Building

2.2.1 Adapting Priority Coastal Recreational Infrastructure for Climate Change

The assessment method and decision framework for priority recreational coastal infrastructure assets has been developed and trialed using nominated case studies from Member Councils including Northern Beaches and Sutherland Council. The Assessment Tool will be made available to Councils once the project has been launched (approx. July/August). The final report is being prepared. The tool is also applicable to estuaries.

2.2.2 SPLASH

BA noted that SCCG has signed up as an in-kind member of SPLASH. As an in-kind member SCCG will work with SPLASH to provide various capacity building workshops around integrated water management; and climate change in relation to coastal management and water sensitive cities. BA will attend the first meeting on 26 June and report back to members.

2.3 Advocacy

2.3.1 SCCG Submissions / Reform Updates

BA noted that the draft Code of Practice Authorising Flying-fox Camp Management Actions 2018 has been released for comment. SCCG has put together a brief submission document. Submission close 24 May 2018.

BA noted that SCCG was hosting a workshop on Monday 14 May on ‘Implementing the Coastal Management Reforms’, including presentations from Bruce Thom, Santina Camroux and Bruce

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Coates followed by member council workshops. The workshop is designed to help define where councils are in the process and collate this information to determine what SCCG can do to assist.

2.4 Research

2.4.1 Grant Applications

It was noted that SCCG had supported various grant applications for the Environmental Research grants. GW advised that the application with University of Sydney on risk of antibiotic resistant gene pollution was unsuccessful. Waiting to hear whether other applications have been successful, including the application that SCCG put in with the Rand Corporation on ‘Sensing the Coast: Evaluating the Value of Emerging Technologies for Coastal Management and Protection’.

3. Member Councils Roundtable

Delegates discussed their updates and relevant issues and needs.

PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES REPORT

• Developing an Integrated Water Management Strategy / approach • Large corporate day at St Joseph Banks Park • 12 bushfires affected areas of bush regeneration. • Draft Inner West Community Strategic Plan on public exhibition till 27 May 2018. Page 17 refers to the strategic direction that most aligns with SCCG. It was a win to have ‘ecological sustainability’ written into the Plan. • Recommendations of the Inner West Waterways report to Council on 24 April adopted with 2 additional recommendations being to lobby the State Government to increase the Stormwater Charge, and to increase frequency of stormwater pits cleaning and increase permeable surfaces. • Development of the draft Greenway Master Plan including for ‘missing links’ - construction $24 million • Implementation of projects from the Parklands plans of management - $4 million • Parks renewal and upgrade program, including seawall and wharf renewal and integration with Council urban ecology and sustainability programs - $9 million • Council adoption of Estuarine Planning Levels Study on 24 April with modelling of coastal impacts along the River foreshore region of the Leichhardt LGA • Council adoption on 24 April of Leichhardt Flood Study (May 2015), Leichhardt Flood Risk Management Study and Plan (November 2017), Marrickville Valley Flood Risk Management Study and Plan (September 2017) • Marrickville West Eco Water Garden opened by Inner West Mayor, Darcy Byrne, State Member for Summer Hill, Jo Haylen MP, and Principal of Marrickville West Primary School, Ruth Bradfield-Ling on 3 April • Construction of a wetland and harvesting scheme has commenced adjacent to Blackmore Oval along Hawthorne Canal • Playing fields at Waterfront Drive are being regraded and the surface levels raised to reduce impact of the foreshore • Designs are being prepared for three GPTs along the Parramatta River foreshore to be constructed as funding allows. • Bell Environmental - clean-up of GPT’s as educational experience for schools. • JBr to send estuary planning levels to GW.

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• • A number of actions to improve the understanding and condition of our estuarine environments continued this period. The estuary monitoring program (which commenced in 2013/14, providing long term data to assist with decision making and management of the coastal lagoons), and now includes and . • Bush regeneration activities continued for coastal dunes, creeks and lagoon riparian areas, as well as groundwater monitoring and bird surveys, and removal of litter from and lagoons. • Council continued to work with the Department of Industry and residents to allow coastal protection works on Crown Land at Collaroy- Beach to be approved. • Council has completed a Review of Environmental Factors to undertake environmental sediment removal in Burnt Bridge Creek at Balgowlah. • BRCC funded the grant project ‘Building Resilience into Infrastructure Assets ‘and partnered with IPWEA. This will be presented at the NCCARF Conference in Melbourne with the Practice Note 12.1 Climate Change Impacts on the Useful Life of Infrastructure launched the following week at the IPWEA Sustainability in Public Works Conference in Sydney 14-15 May. • Council recently finished its 2017-18 estuary monitoring program which included Pittwater for the first time. Condition grades expected around September. • Council recently completed a comprehensive sediment nutrient flux project on all LGA Lagoons. This was a collaborative project between NSW OEH, Council, Macquarie University and UNSW. Results will help identify internal nutrient loading for each lagoon and feed into an annual nutrient budget to be developed in the future. • The Northern Beaches Council engaged Ramboll to customise their Community Building Assessment (ComBAT) tool to include sea level rise and coastal storm risks associated with climate change and was tested with a small Northern Beaches Council team on Bungan Beach SLSC clubhouse. A workshop was held by Ramboll Australia to trial the tool with property, asset managers and sustainability officers on the Freshwater SLSC clubhouse building. • The Coal Loader Platform, which adjoins the Centre for Sustainability was officially opened on Saturday, 24 March. The day drew a crowd of over 1000 people and featured live music, art exhibitions and classes, family activities, guided tours, gardening advice and a special appearance from ABC TV’s Costa Georgiadis. • Council hosted a sell-out “Smart Energy Future Expo”, launched by the Mayor Gilly Gibson, on April 12, 2018. The event outlined opportunities and the challenges residents have in adopting renewable energy technologies and included products and solutions. • A 10-kW solar electric rooftop system has been installed on the Coal Loader Café. This is the first commercial application of a rental set up where the benefits of solar electricity flow to both to the landlord (Council) and the tenant (the cafe). • On 27th February 64 volunteers from 17 companies based in North Sydney participated in Business Clean Up at Berries Bay. 720 litres of waste was collected from the foreshore and harbour over 2 hours. 79% of the litter collected was plastic. • 2019 GreenSchool grants program opened - up to $3000 per grant available for child care, preschool, primary/high school to fund school based environmental project. • NSC Bushland Team will once again partner with other land management agencies to participate in the coordinated Sydney North Regional Fox Baiting Program. This program has been running for over 18 years and has been influential in the return of several iconic native species, including Bandicoots, Swamp Wallabies and Lyre Birds, to the North Sydney LGA. • North Sydney’s strategic bushland rehabilitation plans that will guide our bushland management practices at the reserve-level over the next decade are nearing completion and will be placed on public exhibition mid-year. Page 6 of 10

• In the twelve months that the North Sydney Community Recycling Centre has been officially opened, it has collected over 190.0t of household problem wastes and approximately 100t of e-waste. The Centre is a joint venture between North Sydney and Willoughby Councils. Fact sheets are available on both websites. • Brigidine College has become Randwick’s first Solar My School installation as part of our 3-Council regional environment program with Waverley and Woollahra Councils. Launched at a full school assembly Brigidine College celebrated the new 56 kilowatts of solar panels. • Feasibility study on financial mechanisms for solar power (currently 30-40 installations per month) • Working with CRC Low Carbon Living – project on energy consumption/efficiency of pool pumps – Randwick council are engaging 10- 20 households to take part in the trial project. • Earth Hour shifted focus this year, with a ‘Celebrating Biodiversity’ event at our Community Nursery in Kingsford, with free $5 voucher for native plants. • Council’s Strategic Waste team recently completed Randwick Council’s Waste Management Strategy to 2030, planning for how Council will tackle waste issues. • Environmental grants program for schools launching • Plastics day at Coogee Beach - worked with Responsible cafes/businesses on a program to reduce plastics. Starter kits provided. • World Environment Day – invite community groups to take part in a networking event over trivia. Please let groups who might be interested know. • Marine Coastal Program run three times a year – next one is in October. This involves rockpool rambles, sea kayaking, etc. any suggestions for presenters or providers are welcome. • Bike path and foreshore walk protecting shore birds by reconstructing a degraded heritage wharf they were roosting on and the creation of an island refuge for migratory shore birds whilst making the foreshore more accessible to the community. http://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/Council/News/The-Missing-Link-of- the-Woolooware-Bay-Shared-Pathway-officially-opens-revealing-a- transformation-of-the-Botany-Bay-foreshore • A cycle to school project successful in the Sutherland Shire. The aims were to reduce car dependency and increase activity rates in primary school children. http://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/Council/News/Media-Release- %E2%80%99Cycle-to-School%E2%80%99-Project-A-Huge-Success • Building Futures – Launching program to help 10 large strata buildings in Bondi Junction reduce common area energy use, improve waste management and generally improve environmental performance of their building, by providing support from assessment to implementation stages. • Solar my School – Helping Eastern Suburbs schools install solar by providing support from start to finish. Recent installations: Moriah College (100kW), Bronte public (30kW), Brigidine College (56kW). Over 35 (of 64) schools are involved to date with 6 more installs scheduled to happen before end May. Visit: www.solarmyschool.org.au • Plastic Free July - 8 local community groups on our Plastic Free July initiatives. These will be targeted to families and people in the 25 to 40 age range. The purpose will be to raise awareness of issues related to single-use plastic items and encourage participants to reduce/avoid the consumption of these items. • have committed to fixing the outfall/issues at Diamond Bay – however this will be done overtime due to cost. Launching a working group regarding effluent being released into Diamond Bay. • Higher Sustainability Performance Targets – with Randwick, Woollahra, City of Sydney, Parramatta and North Sydney so far, to collect all of our data and thinking together and rally for increased BASIX minimums.

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Councils interested in being a part of this discussion can contact Jamie Hogan

• Upgrading 3 GPTs which had deteriorated over time to improve litter collection capacity. • Investigating potential sites for micro-plastic recovery. • Sand movement from Northbridge Baths – there is currently a drift from one end of the baths to the other. Potentially heavy metals in the sand sediment. • Pursuing RMS to clean out 5 GPTs and 4 water quality ponds along the Gore Hill Freeway • Monitoring flows in Flat Rock Creek for possible future stormwater harvesting • Addressing issues with existing stormwater harvesting systems • Implementing water efficiency measures and installing water meter monitoring on playing fields. • Workshops run over last few months include Dream Home, Cooking with Local & Seasonal Produce & Going Solar • Movie Screening for Fashion Revolution Week (True Cost) run jointly with Hornsby, Ku-ring-gai, Hunters Hill & Willoughby Councils attracted 120 attendees • World Fair Trade Day Market to be held in Chatswood on 12 May • Council hosted the second Rose Bay Working Party meeting to discuss action to improve water quality at Rose Bay. An action plan is being developed including actions for RMS, Council, Sydney Water and OEH. RMS have been cooperative. • Council is looking at partnering with CVA to do some marine debris clean-ups • MHL has completed a sand survey of Rose Bay to investigate the cause of continued rapid sand movement in this area. Awaiting the results of the survey. • Seagrass has decreased, causing sand to drift. There is a pattern of long shore drift, with sand building up against private residences. Management complexities as some of the beach belongs to Woollahra Council, some to RMS, some is private. • The Woollahra Environmental Schools Sculpture Prize will be running over the next couple of months, with the theme ‘threatened species in Woollahra’. • Environment Community Grants will be awarded soon (applications have just closed).

4. General Business

4.1.1 Conferences

BA provide a brief overview of the Coast to Coast Conference, noting that it was a good mix of themes and presentations covering planning and policy, coastal and marine science, climate change, aboriginal heritage (land and sea country), and coastal connections. A session was included on developing and adopting ten principles for coastal managers within a ‘Coastal Management Guarantee’. BA noted that her presentation on the Summerama Program was well received.

GW provided a brief overview of the NCCARF Conference, and the presentation of the Adapting Priority coastal Recreational Infrastructure for Climate Change Project. GW noted that the tone of the conference had shifted from adaptation toward sustainability.

4.1.2 Business Plan

BA provided an update on the adoption and implementation of the Business Plan. It was noted that SCCG were hosting a workshop on 14 May regarding implementation of the coastal management reforms.

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BA also noted that she had met with Taronga Zoo staff regarding their Litter free oceans project which will target schools and businesses in particular. Councils may potentially be able to jointly brand resources developed to engage with businesses.

4.1.3 SCCG Staffing / Hosting

BA noted that SCCG is still negotiating a new hosting arrangement. SCCG is currently in discussion with Northern Beaches Council.

BA asked member councils to advise SCCG whether they will be paying 2018/19 membership invoices this financial year or next financial year. Councils to follow up internally.

BA informed the delegates that Molly O’Halloran (Support Officer) had tendered her resignation to take up a new job opportunity, with her last day being 1 June. The position will be advertised during May/June.

BA noted GW’s resignation and on behalf of the group thanked GW for his achievements at the helm of SCCG for 20+ years, the assistance he has provided to member councils and the Technical Committee, and his contributions to coastal management more broadly.

BE (Randwick) provided a cake as a thank you for GW.

4.2 Upcoming Awards, Events and Grants

Taken as read as per the agenda.

4.3 Other Information / Resources

BA noted that she was approached by CitySmart, which was originally created by Brisbane City Council. CitySmart offers two programs to local councils, including ‘Live for Less’ which assists households to reduce their footprint and cost of living; and ‘Reduce your Juice’ which is an energy reduction program for households.

If you are interested in these programs more information can be found at https://www.citysmart.com.au/about/ or contact Troy McGrath at [email protected]

5. Guest Presentation

Professor Peter Steinberg, Director, Sydney Institute of Marine Science – Operation Crayweed

Peter provided a presentation on the Operation Crayweed Project. Notes are below, and the presentation will be attached to the Minutes.

• Crayweed was once a dominant seaweed throughout Sydney, providing important habitat for economically significant cray species. • Kelp is the largest 3D marine biological system and are a foundation species - contributing billions to the economy. • Believed that sewage discharge/overflows into Sydney Harbour and along the Sydney coast impacted on crayweed and caused its decline during the 1970’s. Even though water quality has improved, the crayweed did not return. • Populations from North and South Coast were transplanted in Sydney sites. Within 3 months cray weed reproduced and juveniles grew next to and apart from adults. There are now 10 sites. Long Bay has established up to a 300m area.

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• Can disperse and recruit to find better habitat e.g. Little Bay – reproduced then died at original transplant site. ‘Craybies’ were able to move to a new site close by. • Have shown to reproduce within 3 months of transplant • It was noted that a site at South Head has been selected. • Noted that gradual temperature rises as well as sudden spikes can cause harm to marine plants. • The next push for the Operation Crayweed team will be tackling sea urchins on Sydney’s coast.

JBr (Inner West) noted that she could provide Peter with the study done on water quality using macrophytes as an indicator (Cooks River Alliance).

JB (Bayside) questioned where councils could find latest research on climate change. Peter noted that he was happy for JB to e-mail him regarding key research publications he has been involved in. It was noted that SCCG could provide these resources on its website.

GW (SCCG) suggested resource sharing by introducing SIMS and Ocean Watch.

6. Site Visit

Malabar Headland National Park – the western walking track was reopened to the public for the first time in 100 years. The TC enjoyed a walk along the track which was completed by Randwick Council.

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Restoring underwater forests

Peter Steinberg

Director, Sydney Institute of Marine Science Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, UNSW SCELSE, NTU, Singapore

Photo: J. Turnbull Operation crayweed: the team

Dr Ziggy Marzinelli Dr Alex Campbell Dr Adriana Vergés Prof Peter Steinberg UNSW & SIMS USC UNSW & SIMS SIMS & UNSW

Dr Melinda Coleman A/Prof Brendan Kelaher Georgina Wood Lana Kajlich NSW DPI SCU PhD Candidate PhD Candidate hqwallbase.pw Kelps - large brown seaweeds Largest 3D marine biogenic habitats Dominate shallow rocky coasts in cooler waters “Foundation species” Blue carbon $$$

J. Patterson Australia’s “other” reef

> 8,000 km of coastline where 70% of population live (c. 71,000 km2 [0-30m depth])

Kelp-dominated 65 t biomass per ha per yr (16x higher than wheat-fields)

Biodiversity ‘hotspot’ High endemism

A$ 10 billion per yr

Less funding A$ 4M vs 55M GBR (5 yrs) Global declines - Multiple stressors Can we fix it? Phyllospora comosa • Food • Habitat

“Cray-weed” Gone from Sydney metro region since 1980s

Coleman et al. (2008) J. Phycol. Onshore sewage discharge in Sydney until the 1990’s

Direct or indirect effects on Phyllospora? “Stipe rot”: survivorship of healthy and infected Phyllospora

Calcofluor Standard white light micro. Water quality along Sydney Beaches has improved!

Before 1990’s

Implementation of deepwater ocean outfalls for sewage discharge

Now Should we attempt to restore Phyllospora ?

Does it support different biodiversity than similar, co-occurring algae?

? =

Crayweed Phyllospora comosa Kelp Ecklonia radiata Should we attempt to restore Phyllospora ?

Does it support different biodiversity than similar, co-occurring algae?

Yes Epifauna1 Phyllospora ≠ Ecklonia or Sargassum

Abalone2 Phyllospora >> Ecklonia or other habitats

Sediment macroinvertebrates3 Phyllospora ≠ Ecklonia or Sargassum

1Marzinelli et al. (2016) Restoration Ecol.; 2Marzinelli et al. (2014) J. Appl. Phycol.; 3Bishop et al. (2010) Oecol. Transplant experiments into Sydney Disturbed Translocated ‘D’ (n = 10) ‘TL’ (n = 10) Donor Site 1 to Sydney s1

North Sydney 1 South Undisturbed Transplanted ‘U’ (n = 20) ‘TP’ (n = 20)

Translocated Disturbed Donor ‘TL’ (n = 10) ‘D’ (n = 10) Site 2 to Sydney s2

North Sydney 2 South Transplanted Undisturbed ‘TP’ (n = 20) ‘U’ (n = 20)

Survival (same for other measures of performance)

Campbell & Marzinelli et al. (2014) PLOS ONE Recruitment (Craybies !!!) Recruits in ‘restored’ vs “control” reference sites

Campbell & Marzinelli et al. (2014) PLOS ONE

Restored patch (~3 mo) Recruitment

>100 m

Little Bay Scaling up transplantation of adults or seeding (yellow) Embraced by the media And the community

@crayweedcrew Citizen-science Bondi Beach, October 2016

1

Photo: J. Turnbull

School workshops

@crayweedcrew www.OperationCrayweed.com #OperationCrayweed #OceanOptimism

Lim-Sutton John T Reid