<< Peninsula New 07 August 2006 - Marine CD-ROM unveiled >>

Marine CD-ROM unveiled

Member for Robertson Mr Jim Lloyd has "unveiled" an educational CD-ROM at Umina Beach rock platform on July 24.

Local marine conservation group Ocean & Coastal Care Initiatives (OCCI) has been working for the past three years on the project designed to educate Central Coast school children about the marine environment.

The project was based on knowledge gathered from local shell collector and owner of Ettalong's "Nature's Harlequin's Shell Museum" Mr Roy Gifford.

Mr Gifford, 77, has been collecting shells and studying the marine environment since the age of four when he lived on Magnetic Island, Queensland.

Since moving to the Central Coast in 1962, he has studied the marine life of the local inlets, beaches and rock platforms, as well as being actively involved with the Australian Museum, and cone shell research for the American Navy.

The intensive work and research of OCCI volunteers has now been implemented with the production of the CD-ROM, entitled "The Mollusc Man".

The project was made possible by the grant of $3250 from the Federal Government Envirofund scheme, and contributions from local businesses Precision Data Systems, Peter Adderley Multimedia and Hop To It Graphics.

All Central Coast schools are set to receive copies of the CD.

Press release, August 3 Ocean and Coastal Care Initiatives (OCCI)