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2002 (c) Peninsula Community Access Newspaper Inc

 

Marine group holds coastal tour

 

Local marine conservation group, Ocean and Coastal Care Initiatives (OCCI), is planning a seminar and tour, with information about our local waterways, for Saturday, June 8.

Eight guest speakers are lined up for the day, some speaking at the seminar to be held at the Ourimbah Campus.

Others will take part in the coastal tour segment of the day.

Of significance to the Peninsula area will be a look at the importance of seagrasses, mangrove forests and salt marshes - three common environments to be found around the Woy Woy waterways, said OCCI president Ms Jeannie Lawson.

"Seagrass is not a true sea-weed as the rest of the coastal algaes are.

"It has a reproductive cycle like any land plant, including underwater flowers and seeds."

Roberta Dixon, formerly of Oceanwatch, will discuss the ecological significance of the seagrasses of Brisbane Waters, with a tour to a local Peninsula site to observe some of the features of these fascinating underwater plants.

Alan Morris, Organiser of the Central Coast branch of Birding NSW, will take a tour through the mangrove forests to learn of the many species of plants, invertebrates, birds and fish that depend on this environment for their survival.

Cost of the seminar and tour is $20, with lunch $5 extra, and bookings can be made by phoning Jeannie Lawson, on 4341 4291.

Press release, April 30