Tazzie!

Hi Sea Fans!

I've wanted to see Tasmania for a while now, all the photos that I've seen look so amazing...nature, nature and more nature!  So, guess what...I went there!  Thanks to Pam Elliot, my host, I got to see more than just Tasmanian nature, I got to see Woodbridge Island Marine Discovery Centre and what the staff and kids there get up to.  (Woodbridge Island is the most southern Marine Discovery Centre!!)

Checking out their seahorses.

I helped to clean the marine pond, checked out the touch tank, 

attended staff meetings, 

taught students about the impact of plastic on seabirds, 

Plastic debris from only ONE seabird stomach!

and explored the unique D’Entrecasteaux Channel. One of the highlights of my trip was taking some secondary students out on the research vessel the Penghana. 

Me doing my bit by teaching the kids.

It wasn't all work, some fun and games were had too.
Here I am doing the Titanic : )

Tasmania has an incredibly high marine biodiversity and a recent study has found an amazing 90% endemicity (belonging to a particular country). They also have some areas off the east coast where the sea surface temperatures are changing 3 times faster than the global average!! Together with the close proximity to the Southern Ocean and Antarctica this makes it a very interesting marine environment – and an exciting one to show students. 

So how about a visit to Tazzie Sea Fans?  I'd recommend it!  Thanks Pam for a great visit.

Have a fantastic week and chat soon.

Cheers

Abby

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