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Page 1: ContentsKEY TO MAPS 1,2,3,4-- --- DrainOutlets Coastal Vegetation Car Park Sandy Beach Shore Platforms and Rocks Defined Reef Diffuse Reef I,/, /,V Sea Grass Beos
Page 2: ContentsKEY TO MAPS 1,2,3,4-- --- DrainOutlets Coastal Vegetation Car Park Sandy Beach Shore Platforms and Rocks Defined Reef Diffuse Reef I,/, /,V Sea Grass Beos

ContentsPage

Introduction 1

When to Explore. . . . . .1

Plat forms and Reefs . . . . . . . . .2

Seaweeds . . . . . .7

Animals:

Sponges . . . .10

Anemones and Jel lyf ish . . . .12

Seastars and Sea Urchins. . . . . . . .14

Shel l f ish . . . .17

Crabs, Shrimps and Barnacles. . . .23

Other Animals. . . . . . . . . . . .26

Care of the Marine Environment . . . . .28

h,4r,l*w.M., Further Reading,

;;;,;, Acknowledgements

. . . Inside

Back Cover

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lntroductionThe nearshore reefs of the Sandringham Coast are a valuable natural

asset. Such reefs are one of the richest habitats for living things, in bothnumbers of organisms and variety of s.pecies. Some of the species are thedescendants of forms that first evolved four or five hundred million yearsago.

This booklet describes the location and nature of the more commonmarine life between Picnic Point (Hampton) and Beaumaris Bay. lt isaddressed to interested readers, excursion leaders, and skin divers. Thosewho experience the marine world at first hand iayariably find it stimulating.Skin diving should not be considered a difficult or dangerous sport,therefore in calm weather it requires only elementary skills, and is suitablefor people of all ages.

Unfortunately our coastal fringe has been subject to some damage andpollution, but as more people come to appreciate and enjoy it, it is hopedthat this process will be reversed.

(

When to ExploreTime your outings wisely. Explore at low tide, which is shown

together with the weather map in the daily papers. Use theWilliamstown Tide Predictions. (Tide tables give the predictedrange of each tide: Low spring tides are a good time to explore thenearshore area).

Also, consider wind. Go skin diving when there is no wind, orwhen it is blowing offshore, that is, from the north or east. South-westerly winds (onshore) stir up the sediment - often reducingvisibility to less than one metre. Good conditions are often presentas the latter part of an anticyclone (a high pressure cell) passesthrough.

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Platforms and ReefsThe marine life of the coastal fringe is largely confined to rocky habitats,

the location of which is shown in the accompanying maps. The first mapindicates the position of four sequences of the Sandringham coastline;enlargements of each are presented on the following pages.

These maps highlight points of particular interest to the naturalist andskin diver, but discoveries may be made on any rocky outcrop along theshore, or in the nearshore area.

Green.Point

iir HAMPTON

Picnic

\ l

PointISANDRINGHAM

)\*onoon uu'

1{ eucr RocK

\ Qulel'Corner

)BEAUMARISPORTPHILLIPBAY 'r,rlrlri 4

PointI

1 Watkins- Table I'- -Bay - - Rock _t

0123r l l l

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Kilometres

Sandringham Municipality Coastline,showing positions of segment maps.

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KEY TOMAPS 1,2,3,4

- - - - - DrainOut lets

Coastal Vegetation

Car Park

Sandy Beach

Shore Platformsand Rocks

Defined Reef

Diffuse Reef

I,/, /,V Sea Grass Beos..

\g

AccessibleSnorkell ing Areas

Metres'

-Aerial photography on which segment maps are based renders them subject toslight variation of scale.

MAP l. The rocky foreshore at Picnic Point (A) offers a variety ofseaweeds and sea floor animals such as worms, crabs, and shellfish. Waterover the reef about 300m offshole{B) is remarkably shallow at low springtide (when the moon is new or full). This is a steep-sided reef , supporting anabundance of plant and animal life, including fish such as snapper.

The modest shore reef at the foot of Abbott Street (C) bears close inspec-tion. Much of it is covered with the tube worm Galeolaria, whilst many col-ourful animals shelter beneath its ledges.

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ceneenus.d='' (E) I

.t'." $i:r

Ar1atinga Cres'

MAP 2. Red Bluff Cliffs(D). Whi le not a highly pro-ductive area for naturalhistory, the boulder-likeoutcrops carcy unusualunderwater reef com-munit ies. The rare, ex-quis i te f eather dusterworm can be seen in thisarea.

Half Moon Bay (E). Colourful sponges, can befound beneath the jetty,and sea grass meadowsl ie immediately to thewest. The more ven-turesome will also find richbeds around the Cerberus.the hull of which is heavilyencrusted with marine life.

Black Rock Point (F).The snorkel l ing beginnermay start safely from thesandy bottom here (X). Oncalm days the colourfullyadorned vert ical outeredge of the shore platformmay be seen. Offshore,rocky outcrops abound,and can be easily exploredat low tide.

Shore plattorm atBlack Rock Point.

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t "aMccREGOR.rfROCK a{}

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MAP 3. McGregorRock - Quiet Corner (G).Because of the diversity ofl i fe surrounding the reef, adive around McGregorRock is highly recom-mended. Sea grassmeadows occupy the san-dy bottom on the landwardside; dense, tall seaweedsgrow to the east side;cavernous undercutledges border the deeperwater off the south side,and well-covered reef isfound to the west. Thearea supports a widerange of animal l i fe.Coastal birds often preenthemselves on McGregorRock.

Divers enter at MccregorRock, Quiet Corner.

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MAP 4.

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MAP 4. Rickett's Point(H). This is a favourablelocat ion for natural istsbecause large areas ofshallow reef , particularly tothe south of the poinl, areexposed at low tide, andare well covered with plantand animal l i fe. The area isalso a favoured location forSi lver and Pacif ic Gul ls,Cormorants and Terns.

Table Rock Point (l). Atlow tide a variety of crabs,anemones, shel l f ish, f in-ger l ing f ish, seastars,seaworms and seaweedscan be found here, especi-al ly in the pools andcrevices. The smoothshore platform gives wayabruptly to a craggy under-water garden, supportingand hiding many sea f looranimals. Shrimp and blen-nies, as well as schools ofyoung garfish and whitingare common. The reefs ofBeaumaris Bay (J) are lessrich but stil l interesting.

Table Rock Point at (above)high tide and (below) low tide.

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seaweeds adorn the reefs with an incredibly rich variety of shape andcolour. Generally speaking, they are sparser towards sahoringndm andmore profuse t-gwalds Beaumar_is, especially around McGregor R-ock (euietCorner) and off Table Rock Point.

GREEN SEAWEED

1. Codium (6-8cm) teft:Deep green, soft, foundjust below low tide level.

2. Sea Lettuce, Ulvaspecies (6-8cm) r ight :Midgreen, sleek feel lng,not unlike young gardehlettuce. A favorite food ofseastars. Common alongrock platforms.

This little 'spider crab'allows seaweeds

to grow on itsback for camouflage.

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Neptune's Necklace, Hormosira banksiiwith grape-like beads about 1cmacross. Named after Sir Joseph Banks of Capt. Cook's expedition.

Left: Kelp, Ecklonia radiata,grows up to 40cm in length. Thisshining leathery, l ight brown kelpis attached to the rocks by a strongholdfast . Common in watersdeeper than 2m.

Below: Bubble Weed, Colpom-enia sinuosa (3cm). Groups ofthese l ight brown bubbles inhabitsheltered places in shallow water;seen here beside two plumsponges.

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Blue Glow Weed *.

r ight, grows to 5-1Ocm inlength, found in shal lowwater. Brown and ragged,it glows with flashes ofblue-green l ight whichdisappear when it is takenfrom the water.

" ldenti f icat ion uncertain.

Coralline algae grow to4-6cm in length. Thedel icately branchedmauve seaweed, left, isoften nibbled by shel l f ish.Its lime coating bleacheswhite when i t dies.

lc ing Seaweed f orms amauve, pink or red covering onrocks and shel ls. The f ine si lkythreads of these seaweeds growwithin an ' ic ing' of l imestone,seen here on the rocks. left andbelow.

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. SEAWEED providesfood, oxygen and protec-tion for the animals of thereef, and adds colour andbeauty. lt also absorbs thecarbon dioxide producedby plant. and animalrespiration.

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Sponges areliving animals, sosimple that, when

broken up, eachpiece can grow

into a new animal.

Our shores are richly endowed with colourful sponges, particularlybetween Beaumaris Bay and Half Moon Bay. Sponges can be bulbous inshape, or may consist of perforated tissue, conforming closely with theshape of the rock they cover. ln some species the surface appears smoothand is slimy; some are soft whilst others are leathery. Some have holeswhich resemble miniature volcanoes. lt would not be difficult to discoverhalf a dozen species under the jetty at Half Moon Bay (above) and twicethat number at Table Rock Point.

SPONGES WITH SILICA SKELETONSThese sponges are often bulbous masses. Some are soft, others have a

tough leathery surface. Little crabs, worms and shellfish may be foundsheltering inside them.

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AnemonesandJellyfish

The sedentary anemones and their cousins the mobile jellyfish, consist ofa tube open at one end and surrounded by a cone of stinging tentacles.These.microscopic stings enable the animal to paralyse tinffish, while thetentacles catch organic particles drifting by.

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stinging "-

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Mouth -

BodY Cavity

Tentac/*

atng,ns cu//"

Anemone Jel lyf ish

The design of jellyfish and anemones are similar,but one is an inversion of the other.

Anemone

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Some anemones, left,cover themselves withsand and broken shells,leaving only the tentaclesshowing. They are oftenfound in sandy gullies bet-ween rocks. Al l localanemones are harmless.

'Bloo&red Anemone' Actinia tene-brosa, 4-5cm, right. This 'sea flower' isdistinguished by bright red tentacles ex-tending from a dull red body. The illusionof a plant is quickly dispelled by placing asmall piece of shellfish near the tip of oneof the tentacles. lt will be rapidly consum-ed. Common in pools and platformcrevices at low tide level.

'The Blue-Domed Jellyfish' Catostylusmosaicus, right. The 'blue-domed' jellyfishconsists of a large (20cm) translucent blue,half-spherical dome with 8 multi-noduled,thick tentacles tapering down from its manyt iny mouths. These are st icky with mucus,and have stinging cells to catch tiny prey,perhaps copepods. Washed up specimenssoon disappear because about 960/o of theirbody weight is water.

'The Striped Anemone' Anthothoe albocinc-ta, left. Colonies of small (2cm) smooth, whiteanemones occupy rock faces and crags justbelow low tide level. The column, which hasorange or green stripes, is topped by manydozens of smallwhite tentacles. When disturb-ed, the Striped Anemone ejects a sticky whitethread through openings in the column wall.

( . .^ . ,

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Lgnr 1!de at the reef by the Hatf Moon Bay Car park. $;ai:i.ffi{i$i

Just below the low tide line are the rough-skinned seastars and theircousins, the sea urchins.

Their body design resembles a spoked wheel. They move on hundreds oftiny tubed feet, operated by water pressure. seastars have a variablenumber of arms - usual ly 5 or 10. l f one of these arms, together with asnippet of the centre sect ion, is cut of f i t wi l l grow into a complete animal.Another cur ious feature is that the anus is on top and the mouth central lyplaced underneath.

ln the diagrams below, the simi lar i ty of 'stars and 'urchins is indicated byfollowing the dashed lines which link equivalent structures. Left: cutawayview of a seastar. Right: cross sectional view of a sea urchin.

-- ' - - - - /

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Sea Urchins look l ike pincushions. Their spines wi l l not hurt ,provided they are handled gently. lfyou let one si t on your hand under-water you will see the tube feet ex-tend out beyond the forest of spines.The spines wi l l then start moving intheir turrets like anti-aircraft guns.They have five enamel-like teethwhich are harmless, and are used tograze seaweeds.

Seastars

Li t t le Biscui t , Tosiaaustralis (4cm) right. Asfirm as plywood, usually onebright colour yel low,orange, red or brown.

The Purple Sea Urchin, Helioci-daris erythrogramma above, hasr ich purple, pink and ol ive greenshades. By day it rests in crevices,under rocks and ledges, or in holesin the rock which exactly fit each oc-cupant. How this happens is notknown. The reefs are not oflimestone, which can be dissolved,but consist of insoluble sandstone.Perhaps sea urchins wear the rockaway with their spines, as theygrow. Left: sea urchin case.

Common Seastar, Pati-riella calcar (Scm) left. Thisstar comes in a variety ofcolours, each with an indivi-dual pattern.

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The Eleven-Arm, Coscin-asterias calamaria (20-25cm) right. Grey-bluish orgreen; 7 to 11 arms which ituses to open mussels. Likeall local seastars, it isharmless.

li

Seasfars may be found on plattorms atlow tide. Mask and snorkel will beneeded to observe sea urchins in

crevices and under rcck ledges just oftshore.

Petricia, Petricia vermi-cina (1Ocm) left. Thesehave become scarce. Theyare fair ly r ig id, s l ippery,deep red in colour and havevery tiny tube feet.

The Little Seastar, A//o-stichaster polyplax, in thisillustration left, shows thegrowth of new arms afterreproduction by division intotwo halves. Stars which losearms also grow new ones.The larger seastar isUniophora granifera (8cm),commonly a uniform purpleor violet .

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ShellfishShel l f ish belong to a group of marineanimals cal led mol luscs. There are fourmain classes:

. 1. Chitons; 2. Single Shetts;3. Hinged Shel ls;

': '. , 4. The Octopus Group.

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Remember that all shellfish are protected by law,but you may collect the empty shells.

1. CHITONS (pronounced Ky-tons). These animals have a flexibleshell made up of eight overlapping plates. They are often coated witha furry seaweed, and are found in sheltered positions such as guttersand under rocks.

The Chiton Plaxiphora albida (Scm), below, with plates shown in-dividually. This species is common locally and may be found up tohigh tide level. The girdle is usually dark green with lighter bars, butfurry growths of seaweed give it a brownish grey appearance.

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2. SINGLE SHELLS (Gasteropods). Most in this class have a coiledshell and graze on seaweeds, but some use a sand-papery tongue tobore a hole through the shell of one of their cousins and suck out itsflesh. Some single shells do not have coils. These are the limpets,which look l ike a Chinaman's hat.

Two views of the DogWinkle Thais orbita. Theseshells are quite large (6cm),and found below low tidelevel.

The Green TurbanTurbo undulatus (4cm).

Sand Snail Polinices(3cm).

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The Whelk- l ike Lepsiettavinosa (2cm).

The False WhelkCominella lineolata (3cm).

The Dog Whelk Nassariuspyrrhus (2cm).

melanostomum (2cm)

The Hermit Crab, Paguristesfrontalis, often occupies anempty Turban Shell.

19

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Top Shell Austrocochleaodontis, below (1.5cm).

Top Shell Austrocochleaconstricta, above (2cm).

The Black-Lip Abalone, Haliotis rubra. This edible shellfishmay be collected only if over 10cm in size. lt has little black' feelers ' around the base of the shel l , each of which has t inyeye-spots on the end. Found sub-tidally under rocks and increvices. Common butbecoming depleted.

20

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4. Notoacmea flammea (3cm5. Tall-ribbed Limpet Patelloida

alticostata (4cm).

LIMPETS1. Collisella granulosa (2cm).2. Siphonaria diemenensis (2cm) air

breathing; not a true limpet.3. Colourful Limpet Cellana

tramoserica (4cm).

3. HINGED SHELLS (Bivalves), leftand below.

1 . Eumarcia fumigata. Common insandy areas. Young shells showprettier markings than the creamyfawn adult (3cm).

2. Fulvia tenuicostata, showingfine radiating fluting (Scm).

Edible Mussel, Mytilus planulatus,(5-10cm). Bluish black (young arebrownish), common on jet ty pi lesand rocks.

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4. OCTOPUS GROUP (Cephalopods)Two octopi are locally common - the larger Octopus australis (20cm)

and the smal ler Blue-Ringed octopus (1Ocm). Both are found below low t idein rocky areas.

Octopus australis. Brown body with a lighter underside.

The Blue-Ringed Octopus, Hapalochlaena maculosa below, yellowish orbuff coloured, but displaying electr ic purple-blue r ings when distressed.Found under rocks and in shel ls, bott les and cans. Common from BlackRock to Beaumaris. WARNING: Deaths have occurred after handling thisanimal out of the water. There are however, no reports of it ever havingbitten a man in the water. The mode of attack is to squirt its poison near alarge crab, then wait a little way off for thecrab to become paralysed. lt is a rathert imid animal and character ist ical ly retreatswhen approached by a skin diver, but i tshould not be handled.

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Crabs, Shrimps and Barnacles

(Crustaceans)

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Crustaceans are animals with a hard crust, four antennae and a numberof jointed limbs. They include crayfish, lobsters, prawns, sand hoppers andsea slaters, as wel l as the local ly common crabs, shr imps and barnacles.

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lmmobilize. Grip carapace behind claws.

In order to defend themselves, crabs are either naturally camouflaged oracquire living sponges and seaweeds on their limbs and back. Their eyeson stalks enable them to spot predators, and their eight limbs carry themsideways with surprising speed to a rock crevice in which they are virtuallyimpregnable. Should they be attacked, they have two fore-limbs with power-ful claws, plus a sturdy body case, the carapace. lf they are caught by alimb, that limb can amputate itself by muscular action at its base, thereby af-fording escape. Later a new limb will grow.

Mating rituals, reproductive and moulting stages, feeding and breathingtechniques are equally fascinating. Some carry an anemone around on aclaw to paralyse fish, and then share the catch.

In addition they are important ecologically, as they scavenge and cleanthe sea bed of dead animals, and themselves provide a large food source(despite their defence mechanisms) for al l manner of birds, f ish and octopi.

23

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'Small Claws' Brachynotus sprnosus(1.5cm) above, inhabits quiet areas be-tween high and low t ide; rock pools arefavoured places; green and brown in colour;common.

The European Crab Carcinus maenas (Scm)above. has now become common here. Inhabitsseagrass and weed-covered rock; dark greygreen. Note the four distinct notches each side ofthe eyes.

The Hiding Crab Helograpsus haswellianus(3cm) centre left, slips under rocks, or if abovethe t ide mark burrows in f irm mud or debris; onenotch only; l ight brown, dark brown or ol ive.

The Hairy Crab Pilumnopeus serratifrons(2cm) lower left. This small crab is easy to missamong the seaweed or under stones. lt has anotch between the eyes, stout hair on the legsand short hairs around the bodv: brownish-purple with black pincers.

Other CrustaceansThe Rock Pool Shrimp Palaemon

serenus (4cm) is transparent with ared band on its body and secondpair of legs. Found in pools andabove craggy, seaweed-coveredrock. As with crabs, it is easily at-tracted by dangling meat.

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The Purple Crab Nectocarcinus in-tegrifrons (7cm) above. Very common undernearshore rocks in water a metre deep ormore. Note the swimming paddles on its rearlegs. Becomes docile after capture, as domost crabs.

The Hermit Crab Paguristes frontatisbelow, is not found anywhere in Port PhillipBay other than in Sandringham waters. lt oc-cupies empty shells - especially TurbanShells (see third photo, page 9). Body tengthup to 8cm; uses its large left claw to blockshell entrance; retreats with a snap whendisturbed, reappearing only with muchcaution.

The Barnacle Elminius modestus (0.5cm)left, looks l ike a shel l f ish, but is actual ly acrablike animal which lives inside these fourarmour plates. Note the slits at the top - theplates slide open during feeding. Pale grey,they are found on rocks, pylons, mussels andother shellfish (see below); common.

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Other AnimalsMost common of the other animals likely to be found are the worms and

tunicates. Both groups have species which are attractive, and specieswhich are not.

WORMSVarious species of worms can be found in mud and sand, among

seaweed when the tide is out, on and under rocks, in sponges, and swimm-ing around in rock pools.

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The Tube Worm Galeolaria above, is a Segmented worm. lt buildsmasses of white limestone tubes on rocks. When covered by the incomingtide their tentacle-covered heads emerge to feed.

The Feather Duster WormSabellastarte indica (Scm)

left, with its featherytentacles extended to catch

tiny food particles. Thisdelicate structure retracts

into its tube at any sign ofdanger. Found on rock

faces below low tide.

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TUNICATESTunicates are so called because they have a stout leathery tunic. They

encrust rocks and pylons from deep water up to mid-tide level. They are inthe same animal group as man (Phylum Chordata).

Sea squirts or Cunjevol (3-4cm)right, are stubby, light brown, andoften covered with hairy brownseaweed. They appear in massesand can shoot out a strong jet ofwater; good fish bait; common.

An Ascidian, below, whose body resembles a folded, ribbed wall a fewcent imetres high; l ight orange at the base, merging to a str ik ing red on theupper edge; colonies cover 10-30cm. Not very common but easi ly seen;usually wefl below low tide level; seen here with a green soft coral ottemperate waters.

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t-- Care of the Marine Environment _-l

The popular i ty of mask and snorkel has opened up possibi l i t ies forpleasurable explorat ion, but has also meant that animals which were oncerelatively safe are now accessible and therefore extremely vulnerable.

We are the fortunate custodians of a rich community of marine life, andneed to be aware of the dangers which threaten it.

Litter is as unpleasant under water as anywhere else. Storm water drainsbring f ine sediments which may have a long term detr imental ef fect onmarine organisms, as may oi l or other chemical pol lutants. By far themost obvious threat results from people, who disobey the law by collectingshellfish. lt is il legatto collect these live animals from the shore platformand underneath rocks. Abalones, which a decade ago were abundant, arenow becoming scarce. One sees isolated mussels where beds of thousandsonce flourished, and Sea Urchins only in deeper water, or in more secretholes and ledges. Fewer periwinkles are found on the shore platforms. TheFisheries and Wildlife Division of the Conservation Department has longbeen aware of these depletions, and now polices such activities as the tak-ing of shellfish. For example, Abalone may only be collected if they are atleast 1Ocm (about 4 inches) in length. So do not take any animals from thereef , and be sure to replace rocks as you found them. There may be tens orhundreds of creatures living on the underside of a rock. Many will die if it isleft upturned.

The Sandringham coast l ine offers a mult i tude of interest in plant andanimal l i fe. which needs our constant care.

il ffi

Clitt and platform at Table Rock Point.

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FURTHER READINGDakin W. J. Australian Seashores (Angus and Robertson)Child J. Australian Seashore Life (Lanldowne press)Child J. Austratian Sea Sheils leeiiwint<te)Lamb G. F. The How and why wonder Book of the seashore(Transworld)Gould League of Victoria Coastal SurvivalZim H. & Krantz L. Crabs (Wortd's Work Ltd.)Macpherson s. H. & Gabriet c. J, Marine Moliuscs of victoria (Melbourne

University Press)Marine Research Group of Victoria Marine Invertebrates of victoria

(Marine Research Group of Victoria in association with the Museum ofVictoria)Pope E. c. & McDonald p. M. Exploring Between Tidemarks (Australian

Museum)

ACKilOWLEDOEMEI{TS

, rF author is. grateful for the valuable assistance given in producing thisbooklet, in particular to the following:Members of the Natural Environment panel for their critical commentaryduring preparation;Members of the Natural History Department of the Museum of Victoria -Ms.sue Boyd (Mollu.scs), DJ. Gary poore (crustaceans), and Mrs Dorissinkora of the National Herbariirm for their expert 'juioince in theclassification of plants and animals.

Other Sandringham Environment Series:No.1. Common Birds by.paut ine Rei l ty (1g7Z.3rd Edit ion 1984).No. 2. Geoloqy and Landforms of eea-cri park. An Excursion Guide,

Eric Bird (1981. 2nd Edit ion 1983).No.3. List of local nat ive ptants edited by J. H. Wil t is (1979).No. 4. Signature Plants by phit ip S. Bachelor (1981).No. 5. Weather and Ctimate by Frank Woodcock lrSeey.

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