Scotch College beach walk

On September 3 a group of Scotch College Year 9 students met up with Cottesloe Coastcare volunteers to collect rubbish at South Cottesloe and learn about marine life washed up on the beach.








We identified sea grass and many different sea weeds ( red, green and brown algae). We found lots of decomposed sponges, many cuttlebones, barnacles, various shells and sea urchins - just to mention a few finds!






Here you can see some of the boys holding a somewhat smelly fish, a dead crab and a cuttlefish bone.






In this photo Julie is telling us all about Curtin Uni's studies concerning marine pollution from anti-fouling agents used on boats. She told us that female marine snails developed male sex organs (imposex) as a result of exposure to toxic tributylin (TBT). TBT has been banned in WA since 1991. Recent studies at Fremantle's South Mole and at Garden Island have shown that the rate of imposex is now dropping considerably.




Thanks to Scotch College's Daniel Quinlivan and the Year 9's for their interest in CCA's work and thanks for the rubbish collection. We learnt together about the rich marine biodiversity in the ocean by studying some of the flotsam that comes ashore each winter.

If you want to learn more about what can be experienced on a beach walk go to:

www.cottesloecoastcare.org/flotsam.html