A difficult first day in the field, with substantial bleaching and mortality at some of our sites :( #marineexplorer Sydney Science

Last night on the mainland before we head in to the southern Great Barrier Reef for a month of fieldwork #marineexplorer Sydney Science Dr Steph Gardner
flic.kr/p/2pJinzD

Two octopuses under the same jetty, one out and the other in... #marineexplorer #wildsydneyharbour #marinelife #marinelife photography #cephalopod

White's seahorse in the Carijoa - can you see it? #marineexplorer

Brown sabre-tooth blenny #marineexplorer One's home is one's castle. Clifton Gardens flic.kr/p/2pHjC9d

Red rock crab under the jetty #marineexplorer Clifton Gardens, Sydney Harbour. Exploring the capabilities of my new Samyang 12 mm behind dome port. flic.kr/p/2pHaqy5

Bryozoan anemones - natural starbursts #marineexplorer #flickr flic.kr/p/2pG4aaL

Curious wrasse drawn to bubble pocket #marineexplorer When we survey under overhangs our bubbles can form pockets of air on the underside of the rock. This crimson banded wrasse was most interested in the bubble formation. Jervis Bay RLS. flic.kr/p/2pGanjb

Tasselsnout flathead - can you see me? #marineexplorer
Thysanophrys cirronasa. Jervis Bay Reef Life Survey flic.kr/p/2pF1sBH

Blue devil fish P. bleekeri #marineexplorer #flickr flic.kr/p/2pEX9h9
One of my favourite fishes, especially when it comes out of its cave on transect. Jervis Bay RLS

Nice to see that despite warm water temps this summer, the #corals in #sydneyharbour at Fairlight remain unbleached... and there was plenty of diversity on our @reeflifesurvey :) W Josh, Ari and Ana. #marinescience #marineexplorer

A few more pics from yesterday's @reeflifesurvey, this time from Oak Park, Cronulla #marineexplorer #citizenscience #marinescience #sydneyaustralia #wildlifephotography #porthacking #underwaterphotography

Two great Reef Life Survey dives in #porthacking this morning; highlights were pineapplefish and sessile growth on the wall at #Shiprock #marineexplorer

Pregnant male H. whitei #seahorse #marineexplorer #flickr flic.kr/p/2pB9Kyw
This dark brown dad on a net in #SydneyHarbour looks fit to burst with a couple of hundred baby seahorses... Wildsydneyharbour

Hippocampus whitei seahorse in the kelp #marineexplorer #flickr flic.kr/p/2pBuZwW

Another White's #seahorse in the same location in Sydney Harbour, but this time among the kelp and hence, well, kelp-coloured!

Tiny tot - Hippocampus whitei seahorse #marineexplorer #flickr flic.kr/p/2pBuZxc
This tiny juvenile seahorse is clinging to a swim enclosure net in Sydney Harbour... beautifully camouflaged!

Terrific to record quite a few individuals of the endangered White's #seahorse on our surveys in #sydneyharbour today #marineexplorer

Surprisingly good conditions despite recent rain for our double Reef Life Survey at Camp Cove today. #citizenscience #marinescience #sydneyharbour