Welcome to the team!

We are always excited to welcome new members to the Redmap Team so everyone give a big welcome to our newest members Tyson and Daniel.

Image: Tyson Johnson (above) & Daniel Easton (below)

Closer and closer towards the poles

If you take a plunge in the sea this spring you might notice it’s warmer than you expect. And if you’re fishing off Sydney and catch a tropical coral trout, you might wonder what’s going on? The reason is simple: hotter water.

For marine species that live within a narrow temperature range, this increase in temperature means that habitat further south becomes suitable – warm enough for them to survive in. In Australia, at least 200 marine species have shifted distributions since 2003, with 87% heading south.  So, the next time you go fishing, diving, or beach combing, keep your cameras and eyes ready to glimpse for yourself the changes happening beneath the surface.

Discover 8 species on the move in our Australian waters - and why marine species are being pushed towards the poles.

The Gloomy octopus (Octopus tetricus) also known as the common Sydney octopus. Image: Niki Hubbard, Wikimedia

What's in your pot? Know the difference!

Eastern Rock Lobster (Sagmariasus verreauxi) are on the move! Do you know how to tell them apart from the common Southern Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii)? Help Redmap Australia track the southern expansion of the Eastern Rock Lobster by logging it if you spot one in Tasmania or South Australia!

Use this article as a guide to help identify your catch!

Sea Slug Census

2023 Eureka Prize Finalist in the Innovation in Citizen Science, The Sea Slug Census, is an exciting and fun initiative that uses citizen science to bring awareness to the changing distribution of Australia’s sea slugs.

Here is the video on the Sea Slug Census!

If you snap a photo of a sea slug anywhere in Australian waters make sure to submit your image to the Sea Slug Census project through iNaturalist. Here is a guide if you want to know more about iNaturalist and how to upload photos, and of course, if you think it might be a range extending species send it to us too!

Want to also learn how you can be more involved in other citizen science programs? Here is a great list of fantastic initiatives that you can join!

Fisheries Climate Briefing

Marine heatwaves are periods of above average temperatures. This schematic shows the classification defining categories of events. Schematic: CSIRO

Alistair Hobday (CSIRO) and Claire Spillman (BOM) are presenting Fisheries Climate Outlook briefings from July to September 2023, discussing a range of topics from changes in physical trends, seasonal forecasting, marine heat waves and more.

If you would like to participate in future briefings please contact -  frdc@frdc.com.au to register.

A future briefing will be held on;

8th December 2023 2–3 pm

Important websites where you can check updated information in between briefings;

• Ocean Temperature Outlooks (bom.gov.au)
• Long-range forecasts and climate drivers, Bureau of Meteorology (bom.gov.au);
• Marine Heatwaves – Ocean & Coastal Research (csiro.au)

Marine heatwaves are periods of above average temperatures. This schematic shows the classification defining categories of events. Schematic: CSIRO

What's happening with Flatties in Tasmania?

Sand Flathead (Platycephalus bassensis) is Tasmania's favourite recreational fishing species, but over the past decade fishers are noticing it’s harder to catch legal-sized Sand flatheads in many parts of Tasmania, especially around the south east to east coasts. To address the decline, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania is working with researchers from the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), recreational fishers and the community in the Flathead for the Future project.

Length data of Sand Flathead from annual surveys conducted by IMAS across Tasmania is now available on the Tasmanian Wild Fisheries Assessments website. 

The Sand Flathead size limit has recently changed from 32cm to 35cm until the 31st of October 2023.

Learn more about the stock status, and what we can do to help recover the fishery

• Flathead for the Future
• IMAS Sand Flathead Survey and other survey data
• Sand Flathead Whats Happening in the Fishery
• Scientific Advice on Sand Flathead Management Scenarios

Image: Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies

Interview with David Maynard, one of Redmap's first ever observer!

David first joined Redmap in 2011. The out-of-range species sightings he has logged since then have made our database broader and more comprehensive, helping us determine what’s happening in Australian waters!

Here is a short interview we did with Dave to dive deeper into his life as an ocean enthusiast and the path he his taken as a marine scientist, including his role as a FRDC extension officer and his connections to Redmap.

Image: David Maynard (an old underwater selfie in the Tamar – diving was one of two ways that David learned what species lived where)