The following diagram (representing the same area as the aerial photo above) had locations A to H marked and, listening to the commentary, students had to identify the types of landuse activities from the key below.
KEY: 1 = factories/industry 2 = residential (housing) 3 = water sports/clubs 4 = open spaces /parks 5 = natural vegetation 6 = boat moorings 7 = landing ramp/wharf
Answers: A=4, 7 B=6 C=4 D=2 E=2, 4, 7 F=1 G=5 H=3
We learnt:
- that there are 235 different organisms in the water!
- that sea grass is the estuary supermarket being home to many of these organisms.
- that the catchment area for George's River is 960 square kilometres (which is a lot of stormwater run off)
- there is a 50km stretch of saltwater before the weir at Liverpool
Environmental issues include:
- stormwater drains emptying into the river, many without gross pollutant traps (GPTs)
- unnatural edges around most of the Bay prevent saltmarsh plants and mangroves from growing
- pollution from sewerage leaks, chemicals from boat washing get into the river
- Kogarah Council collected 113 tonnes of litter from one GPT in one year!
- litter from waterside picnic areas (particularly plastic bags which are eaten by birds mistaking them for jellyfish)
Environment solutions include:
- the use of boom nets to contain pollution (for eg at waterside building sites)
- installation of more GPTs
- fines for polluting practices
- establishment of "no wash" zones (eg Sylvania Waters)
During the cruise, water samples were taken for studying back at base.
See Study of Plankton for the results.
See also Fish dissection.
The excursion required certain roles to be played by the students. They were:
biologist
ecologist
water quality chemist
environmental scientist
to be continued...
