Great Southern Reef - Central Coast

01/09/2026

31/08/2026

28/08/2026

BREAKING: A common dolphin found dead near Goolwa, South Australia has been confirmed to have died from H5 bird flu. This is the second native marine mammal species that has been confirmed to have the virus.

This death comes just one day after the federal government announced its H5 bird flu response: $125 million for biosecurity, with a mere $20 million set aside for wildlife resilience. $20 million isn't good enough. It's just 10% of what's needed if we're serious about preventing extinctions and ensuring our wildlife can survive this.

We cannot afford to wait. The government must urgently act to protect our iconic Australian wildlife.

Add your name here: https://www.marineconservation.org.au/actions/bird-flu/

26/08/2026

We’re working in collaboration with other jurisdictions and the Australian Government on the bird flu response, but you can also do your bit.

If you see sick or dead wild birds, please:
🚫 AVOID contact – do not touch
📷 RECORD by taking photos or video and note the location
📲 REPORT immediately to the Emergency Animal Disease (EAD) Hotline on 1800 675 888

For more information, go to: bit.ly/AvianInfluenza-NSW

23/08/2026

23/08/2026

21/08/2026

Giant cuttlefish numbers off South Australia’s coast have dropped to a record low.

The state government has completed underwater surveys along the Upper Spencer Gulf which estimated this year’s cuttlefish numbers are around 1,800.

Professor Mike Steer from the state’s Research and Development Institute said it was a “significant reduction” compared to last year’s population, which came in at around 63,000.

He said that the population had “likely been impacted by the algal bloom".

“As someone who has studied giant Australian cuttlefish for much of my career, it is disheartening to see numbers this low," he said.

“While this is the lowest population estimate we have recorded, we know from the past that this population has the capacity to recover when conditions are favourable."

A previous low of 13,500 was recorded in 2013.

18/08/2026

📑 NEW STUDY: Mamo et al. explored a marine park to see how no-take protection benefits a critically endangered shark and their fish prey.

🐟 Species studied

Grey Nurse Shark (Carcharias ta**us)

🌏 Location

Cod Grounds Marine Park, off New South Wales

🤔 The issue

No-take Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are widely used to conserve biodiversity and rebuild fish populations, but their ecological benefits can vary among locations and habitats.

Cod Grounds Marine Park protects a key aggregation site for the critically endangered grey nurse shark, providing an opportunity to assess whether no-take protection is associated with enhanced fish assemblages and prey availability.

👩🏽‍🔬 What did the researchers do?

The team from Southern Cross University and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority surveyed fish communities using baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVs) at protected and nearby fished reefs across seven sampling periods between 2015 and 2018.

💡 What did they find?

Protected reefs supported different assemblages, as well as approximately 9% more species and 50% greater fish abundance than fished reefs.

Species identified as potential grey nurse shark prey were approximately 55% more abundant inside the reserve, and grey nurse sharks were recorded exclusively within the marine park.

In contrast, water temperature and variation in compliance effort explained little variation in fish assemblage metrics.

👍 Any recommendations?

These findings highlight the ecological value of protecting key aggregation habitat for grey nurse sharks by supporting richer reef fish communities and greater prey availability.