#temperatereef

An early morning Goat stop with all the usual suspects. Everyone was a lil sleepy except for the Snapperazzi, who were all up in my face as per usual (*rolls eyes!). But the light was beautiful.

It may look like a coral reef but don’t be fooled, this is actually a cool water ecosystem part of Australia’s #GreatSouthernReef. Have you heard of it? This week we have been filming the waters around Governor Island Marine Reserve our from #Bicheno, about 2.5h from Hobart or Launceston. The area was one of the first marine reserves established in Tasmania in 1991 and we can say without a doubt this place is absolutely teeming with life. The intertidal areas are dominated by wave tolerant bull kelp while the shallow waters support a variety of brown algae. In the deeper waters (below about 20m), where insufficient light prevents algal growth, massive granite boulders are covered in a vibrant patchwork of invertebrates, including sponges, sea whips, sea fans, sea tulips, zoanthids, anemones, bryozoans and hydroids. We’re here right now because winter provides the best visibility – up to an astounding 30m similar to what we had today. The sponge garden in this picture is known as the “hairy wall” and is just a small section of a huge granite cliff face which meets a sandy bottom at around 35m. #Tasmania, as part of the #GreatSouthernReed has one of the most biologically diverse and unique marine environments in the world, but these waters often go unrecognised and under appreciated. We’re on a mission to change that as part of our assignment with @insidenatgeo to raise the public profile of this interconnected system by telling stories of the passionate individuals and teams that call this reef home. If you’re one of them, we’d love to hear your story. Send us a message and get in touch. In the meantime stay tuned for some exciting content coming soon. #thisisnotacoralreef #GovenorIsland @Tasmania #marinepark #marinereserve #DiscoverTasmania #TassieStyle #Australia #Instatassie #tassiepics #Tasmania #seeAustralia #Australiagram #ig_australia #temperatereef #spongegarden, #invertebrates, #sponges, #seawhips, #seafans, #seatulips, #zoanthids, #anemones, #bryozoans, #hydroids. (at Bicheno, Tasmania)

@tasmania is really turning it on for us as we film for our #GreatSouthernReef project. Today we dived the stunning reefs of #EagleHawkNeck on the #TasmanPeninsula, which support a diverse range of colourful marine life. Pictured here is a school of Butterfly Perch which feed on plankton on this rocky reef slope during the day and shelter in crevices and caves at night.⁣ ⁣ #DiscoverTasmania #TassieStyle #Australia #Instatassie #tassiepics #Tasmania #seeAustralia #Australiagram #ig_australia #underwater #scuba #temperatereef #kelpforest (at Deep Glen Bay)

Skeleton shrimps, sometimes known as ghost shrimps (Family: Caprellidae) have slender bodies which allow them to virtually disappear among the fine filaments of seaweed. ⁣ ⁣ Aggressive encounters between individuals are common; they grapple each other with their enlarged claw-like appendages known as gnathopods which are held in a praying mantis-like way. They also use these to grab particles of food from the passing water as well as ambushing prey. Their other appendages are smaller and used for clasping objects that these animals fast themselves upon.⁣ ⁣ During a recent dive at Crayfish Point near Hobart, Tasmania we observed seaweed stands completely covered in these tiny Caprellids. ⁣ ⁣ #skeletonshrimp #amphipod #ghostshrimp #supermacro #underwater #temperatereef #kelpforest #DiscoverTasmania #TassieStyle #Australia #Instatassie #tassiepics #Tasmania #seeAustralia #Australiagram #ig_australia #marinebiology #marinescience #underwatermacro #macrogram (at Crayfish Point)

The southern bobtail squid lives in shallow coastal waters of Australia’s #GreatSouthernReef. They can be found in seagrass beds or areas with silty bottoms which they use to hurt themselves in to hide from predators. ⁣ ⁣ These cute cephalopods only live for between 5 and 8 months growing to a maximum of around 7cm. ⁣ ⁣ #underwater #scuba #temperatereef #seeAustralia #Australiagram #ig_australia #marinebiology #portphillipbay #blairgowrie #marinelife #marinebiology #macrophotography @visitvictoria #nature #visitmelbourne @melbourne #portphillipbay @victoriavisitor #explorevictoria (at Port Phillip Bay) https://www.instagram.com/p/BoDP7HtFYKC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=185elusfjk320

The draughtboard shark is a species of catfish endemic to the #GreatSouthernReef. It is commonly found on or near the bottom amongst rocky reefs or seaweed beds and feeds on small crustaceans, cephalopods, and fishes. #underwater #scuba #temperatereef #kelpforest #DiscoverTasmania #TassieStyle #Australia #Instatassie #tassiepics #Tasmania #seeAustralia #Australiagram #ig_australia #marinebiology (at Maria Island)