John Turnbull PhD

Bare Island July 2025 A short set of clips from today's dive; testing lighting and camera settings. Lots of planktivores about... but 15 C water temp was a bit cool

A short set of clips from today's dive at Bare Island; testing lighting and camera settings. Lots of planktivores about... but 15 C water temp was a bit cool. 🦑 vimeo.com/1104838811

mosaic of six photographs of seahorses on nets

Nice to see substantial populations of Hippocampus whitei #seahorses on our surveys of two sites in #sydneyharbour today #marinescience #threatenedspecies 🧪🦑

@arcsaef.bsky.social

@arcsaef.bsky.social

@arcsaef.bsky.social

Pics of several fishers, a diver doing surveys and a current logger

In our final week of fieldwork at One Tree Island and we have almost completed surveys on 26 sites, with current loggers and microhabitat studies on many of them. A massive thanks to all concerned! 🧪🦑 #SAEF_ARC #SydneyUni #marineexplorer

Damaged corals with some live patches

Whilst there is more dead coral than live, there are signs of growth throughout; small patches of live coral on broken reef, live tips on dead branches. The challenge of course will be when the next heatwave comes. For close ups: www.flickr.com/photos/johnw... #SAEF_ARC #marineexplorer

Inforgraphic showing how marine life hase changed from the 1960s to the 2010s

Our latest paper highlights changes in the marine community at Shiprock in Sydney over half a century. #sydney_science #SAEF_ARC #marineexplorer 🧪🦑
Open access: doi.org/10.1071/MF24...

Goby with shrimp, squid, nudibranch, damsel fish and hermit crab

Wonderful diversity of critters on our surveys today at the Labyrinth, #onetreeisland #sydneyuni #SAEF_ARC #marineexplorer 🧪🦑

some live corals with fish and a diver

Despite extensive damage from the recent cyclone and 2024 bleaching, there are some signs of recovery in the southern GBR #onetreeisland #universityofsydney #SAEF_ARC #marineexplorer 🧪🦑

The photogrammetry stage of our field trip is now well underway, capturing reef complexity and biodiversity in great detail #one_tree_island #sydney_science #marineexplorer #saef_arc 🧪🦑

Cameras on bench

View of lagoon

Getting ready for a day in the field #SAEF_ARC #Universityofsydney ##marineexplorer #@OneTreeIslandRS 🧪🦑

Marine protected areas stage of establishment and level of protection are good predictors of their conservation outcomes Global targets should track MPA quality and quantity. This is the first study using a new science-based framework across 123 MPAs and tying levels of protection and stages of establishment directly to...

Highly protected, actively managed MPAs with evidence of monitoring and enforcement have more positive ecological outcomes.
Cell Reports Sustainability: Cell Reports Sustainability 🧪🦑 www.cell.com/cell-reports...

Series of images of reef fishes, diver surveying and hermit crab

Day 5 of our University of Sydney research trip to One Tree Island, and we have refined our methods and completed 8 biodiversity surveys. Tomorrow we put out flow meters to measure lagoon currents, then start our microhabitat study in earnest. #marineexplorer 🦑 🧪

Ha ha yes, I wasn't sure how to direct the effort; perhaps "the big camouflaged animal" without actually calling out Cephalopods :)

Can you see the animal? Jervis Bay RLS

Can you see the animal? flic.kr/p/2qRYAN7 🦑

Orectolobus halei Jervis Bay RLS

Wobby in a cave, Jervis Bay. #reeflifesurvey #marineexplorer flic.kr/p/2qRMhJd 🦑

Bulseyes, urchins and divers doing surveys

Day 1 of #reeflifesurvey in JB; lovely warm, calm conditions for our first two sites 🦑 🧪

A few fishy faces (ok, two are invertebrates) from this morning's #reeflifesurvey at Camp Cove in #sydneyharbour. If you want to see the flathead (looks like just sand and paddleweed until you zoom in) see www.flickr.com/photos/johnw... 🦑 🧪

ah yes, sorry, can I add it now?

Several endangered White's #seahorses on the nets in #SydneyHarbour during our surveys last weekend... and more red cuttlefish (A. mestus) than we normally see #marinescience #marineexplorer 🦑 🧪

As we cross from the Coral Sea back into the GBR we have favourable winds and a nice big incoming tide; smiles all around! A few more sites in the GBR over the next few days before we wrap up #reeflifesurvey #marineexplorer 🦑 🧪

Day 12 of #reeflifesurvey in the GBR and Coral Sea, and we are at Marion reefs around 400 km offshore. Some terrific sea life today particularly on our big bommie site. #marineexplorer 🦑 🧪

After 10 days of good weather we have completed #reeflifesurvey in the Capricorn Bunkers, Swains, Saumarez and Frederick reefs. The water is a beautiful blue in the Coral Sea but fish IDs are a challenge! Next: Marion reefs then back to GBR. Pics: www.flickr.com/photos/johnw... #marineexplorer 🦑 🧪

Day 3 and we've been surveying around the Keppel Islands. Conditions were calm last night for our transit to the Capricorn Bunker group. #reeflifesurvey #marineexplorer #marinescience 🦑 🧪

A few critters from today's #reeflifesurvey in the GBR, including a coral lobster and a couple of colourful nudis. www.flickr.com/photos/johnw... #marineexplorer 🦑 🧪

I never tire of #sunrise at sea #marineexplorer #reeflifesurvey

Day 1 of 3 weeks of #reeflifesurvey in the GBR and Coral Sea #marineexplorer

Baby Port Jackson shark drawing Heterodontus portusjacksoni

Another #artwork attempt, this time stippling (pen dots... no solid lines) :) flic.kr/p/W8RwnH #shark #marineexplorer 🦑

Anglerfish antics.mp4 Watch as this young striate anglerfish (Antennarius striatus) goes fishing and generally turns on the charm for the camera.

Hairy anglerfish (Antennarius striatus) angling, yawning and walking 🦑 vimeo.com/660839395