National Marine Science Centre in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales | Higher education

National Marine Science Centre

Locality: Coffs Harbour, New South Wales

Phone: +61 2 6659 8100

Address: 2 Bay Drive, Charlesworth Bay 2450 Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.scu.edu.au/nmsc

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20.02.2022 Did you know that Southern Cross University's Careers & Employability team have a Facebook page? Here is the link - https://www.facebook.com/SouthernCrossUniversityCareersandEmployability so please feel free to check it out and ‘like’

12.02.2022 Finds included a new record for Australia, a small, colourful species (Hypselodoris bertschi), only previously recorded from Hawaii, Japan and French Polynesia!

25.01.2022 Last week, NSW Minister for Water, Property and Housing and MP for Oxley, Melinda Pavey, inspected the progress of the Cooperative Research Centre-Project (CRC-P) Plastic Resource Recovery initiative for remote and regional communities. Accompanied by the Founder/CEO of Plastic Collective, Louise Hardman, Ms Pavey visited a number of sites between Bonville and the Nambucca River catchment. The project sites included the engineering workshop, the pilot site for the establishme...nt of the first Shruder Recycling Station and, guided by NMSC’s Professor Steve Smith, the mangrove habitats in which monitoring has been established to document the effects of resource recovery on environmental litter. The project, which attracted funding of $2.49 Million from the Federal Government early this year, has the target to recycle close to 100% of waste plastics in remote and Indigenous communities and is a unique collaboration between Southern Cross University, Plastic Collective, South Pole and Emalte Engineering. See more

25.01.2022 *** UPDATE TODAY *** WHEN authorities arrived at Patchs Beach at South Ballina to continue a post-mortem on a huge sperm whale, they made a grim discovery. Someone - or several people - had been there overnight and the massive jaw of the 17m long whale was missing. *** Original Story *** CROWN Land and NSW Parks will attempt to remove the 54-tonne carcass of an adult male sperm whale from Patchs Beach, South Ballina, this morning. ... Byron Shire News and The Northern Star report that vet Duan March and officer Keiran Marshall, from Dolphin Marine Rescue, travelled from Coffs Harbour to Ballina on Saturday to conduct a post mortem on the whale. Mr March said the animal was an adult male sperm whale, and its death was "still a mystery". "(This) is definitely not regular, definitely unusual, and it's in a very good condition, there is no obvious sign of shark attacks, so at the moment the cause of death is still a mystery," he said. ABC North Coast: https://www.facebook.com/ABCNorthCoast/posts/3503774912977045

25.01.2022 PhD student, Nicola Fraser's research - in a video! Presented during RISE, a within-faculty conference at Southern Cross University. A bit like the 3-minute thesis with moving parts https://www.facebook.com/nicola.fraser.16/videos/10214664238079279

25.01.2022 Ever wanted to get involved in a local marine citizen science project? Well here's your chance! Read more about this project at https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au//get-in/nsw-turtlewatch

24.01.2022 Hundreds of whales are dead after a tragic mass stranding on Tasmania's west coast. PhD candidate James Tucker from the University's National Marine Science Ce...ntre has spent a lot of time on the scenes of whale carcass disposals. He explains the challenges in disposing of pilot whales carcasses to ABC News, including a change in the behaviour of sharks. "We know that large sharks including white sharks do frequently scavenge on whale carcasses, it's a big source of food for those species," he said "Some of our latest research has shown that when there's a stranded whale carcass on the beach they tend to hang around the area a bit more so that could potentially increase the risk of their being an interaction between a human being in the water and a shark," he added. Continue reading: https://www.abc.net.au//west-coast-pilot-whale-st/12691020

24.01.2022 A collaborative project has been underway since 2019 involving Southern Cross University and NSW DPI Fisheries to help the recovery of the cauliflower soft coral Dendronephthya australis. PhD candidate Meryl Larkin and Professor Steve Smith (Southern Cross University), and Fisheries scientists Dr David Harasti and Dr Tom Davis are growing these corals in aquaria and transplanting them back into the wild, which provides habitat for a variety of fish and invertebrates, including the endangered White’s seahorse (Hippocampus whitei) and juvenile snapper. https://www.marine.nsw.gov.au//latest-n/saving-soft-coral Photo credit: David Harasti (DPI Fisheries)

23.01.2022 Researchers have called for better management of on-farm fertiliser use after finding almost two-thirds of creeks on the New South Wales Coffs Coast have nutrient levels above recommended guidelines. The report, by Southern Cross University's National Marine Science Centre, found agriculture intensification and rainfall were the major drivers in the amount of nutrients found in 11 creeks from Corindi to Pine Creek. "We were looking to have a few creeks that were pristine, or ...forest catchments a few creeks that were dominated by horticulture and a few creeks that were dominated by urban areas or mixed-use catchments," report co-author Shane White said. "We found that areas with horticulture, or urban areas, are much more susceptible to having high nutrient loads than areas with just forest." The study, which was commissioned under Coffs Harbour City Council's Environmental Levy Grants Program found 65 per cent and 66 per cent of total samples collected from peri-urban and agricultural creeks were above nitrate + nitrite (NOx) ANZECC guidelines. Nitrates are commonly found in fertilisers used in agriculture. Read full story online at ABC Coffs Coast: https://www.abc.net.au//dire-warnings-from-coffs/12600704

23.01.2022 NSW Shark Smart has announced Surf Life Saving NSW has closed many beaches today after a "shark interaction" at Ballina was detected by SLS drone, as well as another shark spotted at Byron Bay. The best way to check if the beaches are open is to go to the SLS Beachsafe website https://beachsafe.org.au/

21.01.2022 Southern Cross University research is guiding decisions on whether trochus shells could be the next big export prospect for Samoa. A new article in the journal Restoration Ecology shows that the introduced marine snail has colonised reefs to an extent that they could now be harvested for export of the shell. https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/74066

21.01.2022 FREE virtual International conference on Marine Science and Technology, with Southern Cross University speakers. Register here http://bit.ly/MICMST2regform https://www.facebook.com/gino.vakentino/posts/2724280574497689

20.01.2022 Having recently completed his Southern Cross University PhD degree, Andrew Colefax has been busy working on his new business venture Sci-eye, and this open access journal 'Operational Protocols for the Use of Drones in Marine Animal Research' - MDPI. https://www.linkedin.com//urn:li:activity:671669193721626/

19.01.2022 Congratulations to Coffs Harbour City Council for winning an Excellence in the Environment Award Local Government NSW for innovative water quality work in collaboration with NMSC academics and students! Check out this video explaining the award and the collaboration with Southern Cross University researchers Shane White, Praktan Wadnerkar, Stephen Conrad, Christian Sanders and Isaac Santos. https://www.lgnsw.org.au//Excellence-in-the-Environment-Aw

18.01.2022 This is a 'must watch'!

16.01.2022 Looking for something to do this weekend? Coffs Harbour City Council is partnering with Surfing NSW to deliver their second ever Eco Surf Fest a sustainability-themed community event celebrating our beautiful, natural environment all it gives to us and all we can give back in return. https://www.ourlivingcoast.com.au//coffs-coast-eco-surf-f/

15.01.2022 Hearty congratulations to NMSC student, Bec Lipscombe, who was conferred in September with First Class Honours, and here she is with her first academic paper out too!

14.01.2022 The Whitsundays is piloting a tourism-led restoration of the Great Barrier Reef, working alongside Southern Cross University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science to scale-up Coral IVF. Read full article here: https://www.scu.edu.au//whitsundays-tourism-industry-onboa

12.01.2022 Two PhD scholarships - investigating methods to reduce coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef We are seeking high performing PhD candidates for research projects which investigate various technologies with potential to reduce bleaching stress on corals during marine heatwaves. The candidates will be supervised by Dr Daniel Harrison (Southern Cross University) and depending on the project, co-supervised either within Southern Cross University and/or by researchers at The Un...iversity of Sydney, QUT (Queensland University of Technology), Sydney Institute of Marine Science, The University of Melbourne, CSIRO, Monash University, or The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Closing date: 18 October, 2020 Contact: Dr Daniel Harrison Email: [email protected] For full details check out online https://www.scu.edu.au/graduate-school/scholarships/

12.01.2022 What an amazingly beautiful photograph! Wildlife Photographer of the Year https://www.facebook.com//a.608727629181/3301374106583282/

12.01.2022 AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship applications are open! This scholarship from Agriculture Australia is a collaboration between many of the Research and Development Corporations (RDC’s) and provides eligible university students with a $10,000 bursary over two years. It also offers students annual industry work placements, access to industry leaders, professional development assistance and opportunities to network and gain knowledge at a range of industry events. Students ent...ering their final two years of an undergraduate degree who are passionate about the future of Australian rural industries are encouraged to apply. To be eligible to apply students must: Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident Be studying an undergraduate degree at an Australian university Be entering the final two years of their degree in 2021 For more information and to apply visit www.agrifutures.com.au/horizon

10.01.2022 Interesting .......

10.01.2022 John Holliday Student conservation Award - Value $3,000 NSW Department of Primary Industries offers this award to encourage research students to share their research findings on topics of interest to the Department. The winning entrant will receive a cash award of $3,000. The Award is named in honour of the late Dr John Holliday, a former Senior Conservation Manager who pioneered the Department’s involvement in aquaculture and fish conservation issues. The award is open to re...search students who were enrolled at an Australian University during the year of Award and who undertook fisheries-orientated research work in NSW. To be considered, the applicant must have completed, or be completing, research/studies relevant to the Award Program and administered through an Australian University. Entries must be submitted by 19 October 2020. Full info: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au//research-develop/john-holliday Picture credit (NSW DPI): Left to right Dr Natalie Moltschaniwskyj (Director Fisheries Research), Giulia Ferretto awarded the 2019 John Holliday Student Conservation Award, Sue Holliday (wife of late John Holliday).

10.01.2022 2020 Understatement: It's been an unusual year. Antidote: Join Southern Cross University to celebrate SCU students and their 2020 achievements (FREE & ONLINE) Thursday, 26 November 7pm -9pm (NSW)... The Orientation and Induction team are hosting an online extravaganza and would love to have staff join the event to celebrate the Connect Quest finale and the Student Excellence Awards announcements - includes a performance by WHARVES, the indie-rock band and Triple J unearthed winners whose members met and formed the band while studying at SCU. More details and to register - https://mailchi.mp/scu.edu.au/big-meet-up

09.01.2022 Southern Cross University PhD Scholarship for project on coral reef restoration and adaptation: an exciting opportunity exists for a motivated student to work on a project within the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP, https://gbrrestoration.org/). RRAP is the world’s largest collaborative research and development program to assess and test interventions designed to help with protection, restoration, and adaptation of corals in the Great Barrier Reef. To apply: Ple...ase prepare a single pdf document with a statement of interest in the position (1 page), a brief CV with names and contact details of 2 referees (2 pages maximum), and an academic transcript. Applications and questions can be sent to [email protected]. Deadline for applications is 7 November 2020. More information: https://www.scu.edu.au/graduate-school/scholarships/

09.01.2022 Congratulations to Dr. James Tucker for completing his PhD entitled Whale carcass management on beaches: public perceptions, groundwater contamination, and shark attraction. James has published 4 scientific papers working on an interdisciplinary problem and has influenced public policy. He will start working for the NSW Environmental Protection Agency in January. We are so proud of James’ achievements and wish him the best in his future endeavours! Check out his latest paper... here https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1cDLA3RKK-nkhd See more

08.01.2022 CONGRATUATIONS! Southern Cross University collaborator Louise Hardman from Plastic Collective has been nominated for the 'NSW Local Hero' category in the 2021 NSW Australian of the Year Awards! https://www.plasticcollective.co/coffs-coasts-louise-hard/

07.01.2022 Join Southern Cross University's Dr Mandy Beasley, a marine scientist, on Sat 3rd October for Sawtell beach clean up. Great opportunity to learn first-hand about ocean conservation and be part of ongoing research data collection! Email [email protected] to register - limited spots! https://www.facebook.com/Sistasandsalt/posts/1037250630065086

06.01.2022 Update from PRIME7 News North Coast regarding Dolphin Marine Conservation Park's proposed dolphin santuary at the Coffs Jetty - https://www.facebook.com/Prime7NewsNorthCoast/videos/825525588194184

06.01.2022 Southern Cross University researchers have been working for a while now examining 11 of the local Coffs Coast rivers. We are excited to announce that our research, which discusses agricultural intensification and how episodic rainfall events are major drivers of nitrogen loads in Subtropical Rivers, has been published in the well-respected journal, Science of the Total Environment (STOTEN). Stable isotopes and Radon indicated fertilizers are the main sources of nitrate in ag...riculture catchments whereas one of the creeks has fingerprinted with the mix of recirculated greywater and nitrogen fertilizers. Here is the link for the full journal online: https://www.sciencedirect.com//arti/pii/S0048969720372004

05.01.2022 Scientist Dr Paul Butcher from NSW DPI Fisheries / Southern Cross University adjunct talks to The Project about his research with smart drum lines and discusses why shark attacks might have increased along eastern Australia this year: https://www.facebook.com/TheProjectTV/videos/422314422478206

03.01.2022 Have you checked out this video yet? https://youtu.be/gCecnBZeZ6E

02.01.2022 Understanding and conserving our marine environment is vital to a sustainable future. In case you missed or want to re-watch last night’s Marine Science and Management Live Q&A Session you can find it here, along with Southern Cross University’s other course options - https://discover.scu.edu.au/live-Q-A/event-details/87 Another great new feature is a virtual tour of the #NationalMarineScienceCentre, which is now live at https://scu.vthosting.net/nmsc/

01.01.2022 Worried about what might be under the surface when you jump in the ocean? Southern Cross University has spearheaded a technology-based marine study in develop...ing drones for shark surveillance in collaboration with the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), which may prove to be a life saver this summer. Dr Andrew Colefax from the University's National Marine Science Centre is collaborating with astrophysicists to develop non-destructive shark-bite mitigation. 'Sci-eye' is a new artificial intelligence software which would allow drones to detect sharks in real-time without requiring a ‘line-of-sight’ operator. This collaboration is an extension from a partnership between Macquarie University and the NSW DPI that utilised the data from the drone trials which were part of Dr Colefax’s PhD with Southern Cross University. Read more: https://bit.ly/33SILs8

01.01.2022 This is a 'must watch'! Now available on iview if you missed it, or want to watch it all again :D https://iview.abc.net.au/show/reef-live

01.01.2022 Just a reminder about this Thursdays Marine Discovery Series Water quality and nutrient sources in Coffs Coast creeks 18:30-19:30 https://scuonline.zoom.us/j/99226087251 This presentation will explain the most recent findings of SCU research on water quality on the Coffs Coast. The work compared nitrogen and phosphorus levels in 11 creeks from Corindi in the North to Pine Creek in the South and also used fingerprinting techniques to quantify the contribution of fertilizers ...and greywater to nutrient levels. Join SCU PhD candidates, Shane and Praktan, as they discuss the results and outcomes of this important research. Due to the current social distancing restrictions, this MDS lecture will be held VIRTUALLY. Please click the following link at the scheduled time to join the webinar from your home: https://scuonline.zoom.us/j/99226087251 note: Zoom Webinar is a one-way platform so you will not be seen during this lecture - you will only see the presenter. Solitary Islands Aquarium School of Environment, Science and Engineering Southern Cross University Southern Cross University