Year 12 Biology students at the Estuary 19.9.18

Thirty six, Year 12, Biology students from the Australian Science and Maths School came to the Estuary to undertake a field study, visiting:

• Inner Harbour
• Snowden’s north
• Mutton Cove Conservation Reserve and
• Cruising Yacht Club (CYC)

In the Inner Harbour the students learnt a little about local Kaurna history re shellfish, climate related flooding risks, our native oyster trials and our proposed shellfish reef trial. They observed the shellfish on the pontoon by Folklore Café and undertook water quality measures.

At Snowden’s north the students took further water quality measures and learnt about our impending seagrass restoration trial there.

Mutton Cove Conservation Reserve showed the students a landscape in transition. Initially a mangrove ‘forest’, which was cut down for industrial development that never happened, it was then landscaped with a tidal creek, fed by pipes from the River, with extensive samphire. Following the breach of the seawall in May 2016, the area is now reverting to mangroves.

At the CYC the students measured and weighed our adult oysters and counted how many of our spat have survived. They took more water quality measures, to compare to the Port River samples.

Peter Hunt helps students to identify the shellfish on the pontoon, next to Folklore Cafe.