Mangroves from the Water is now on YouTube!
Please follow our channel, and see some beautiful and informative videos of the United Arab Emirates and Australian mangroves.
Artist meet-up
We are lucky to have our ‘office’ in the middle of Mother Nature!
Artist meet-ups are so much fun…
Victoria (Australia) Mangrove information kit
We are happy to share this information kit, detailing the mangroves and explaining the threats to the natural habitat, as well as ideas on how to protect it. Please follow this link to download the infokit:
Schedule of events
Here is the schedule of talks, events and performances during our exhibition:
Mangroves from the water
Gordon Gallery, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
26 July – 15 August
The exhibition will provide viewers with a range of media to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. The artists also hope to see discussions occurring throughout the exhibition in a series of colloquia.
The artists are:
Alexis Gambis, Nicola Cerini, Enrico Santucci, Deb Taylor, Richard Collopy, Jacqui Dreessens, Stephanie Neville, Geraldine Chansard, Peter & Helen Martin, and Zahidah Zeytoun Millie.
The exhibition event will open on International Mangroves Day, 26 July, and end on 15 August 2020 during National Science Week (15-23 August). Workshops on weaving, printing and painting will run during the multimedia exhibition and guest speakers will present related talks on mangroves and the Barwon region.
Guest speakers:
| Date/Time | Guest Speaker | Location | Title |
| 15 Aug,
1000-1100 |
Oskar Serrano | Deakin University | Coastal wetlands as weapons for climate change mitigation and time capsules of the human past |
| 15 Aug, 1100-1200 | Peter Martin | Deakin University | For the Beauty of the Earth |
Workshops schedule:
| Date/Time | Presenter | Workshop | Location | Materials |
| 31 Jul,
1000-1200 14 Aug, 1000-1200 7 Aug, 1000-1200 |
Zahidah Zeytoun Millie | Kayaking/water colour sketching. | Barwon River, Barwon Heads
Hovells Creek |
Water colours, sketch book, kayak (self provided) |
| 1 Aug, 1000-1600 | Helen Martin | Eco printing | Point Lonsdale | |
| 2 Aug,
1000-1200
|
Deb Taylor | 2 hour collage
and paint workshop |
Project Space Gallery | |
| 26 Jul,
1400-1500
8 Aug, 1400-6500
22 Aug, 1400-6500 |
Jacqueline Dreessens | Environmental Dance Interpretation | The Project Space Gallery
Hovells Creek School theatre TBC |
|
| 15 Aug,
0930-1230 |
Nicola Cerini | Interpreting the mangroves: printing on plywood | The School of Lost Arts |
Live Performances
| Date/Time | Presenter | Performance | Location | ||
| Live music | Project Space Gallery | ||||
| 26 July
1400-1500 |
Jacqueline Dreessens | Environmental Dance Interpretation | The Project Space Gallery | ||
How do mangroves help us?
Information researched from the Australian Marine Environment Protection Association
Did you know that both the habitat and the trees that live in the sea are called mangroves.
Mangroves live in the area where the tide moves in and out along the coasts, estuaries and rivers. This area is called the intertidal zone. The tides move in and out twice each day. Depending on the position of the moon and sun along with seasons and storms affects the time and height of the tides.
Did you know that Australia has about 20% of the world’s mangrove forests.
These forests are far more important to us than we realise:
- Mangroves are fish nurseries
Big fish eat little fish. When fish eggs hatch the tiny fish are easy prey for larger fish. Many newly hatched fish get protection by living among mangroves. These tiny fish can feed in the warm shallow water. They are small enough to avoid being eaten by birds. Large fish won’t swim in very shallow water because the many fish eating birds will quickly catch them as they are large targets. Mangroves are a very rich source of food. The mud is full of nutrients where microscopic bacteria, algae and small creatures thrive. It is packed with life for tiny fish to feed on.
Did you know that about two thirds of the marine fish eaten by Australian’s spent part of their life in mangroves. Without mangroves there would be fewer fish to catch and eat.
- Mangroves reduces storm damage
Mangroves live in the shallow intertidal zone and are most common around mudflats and protected coasts, estuaries and rivers. All coasts will be affected by storms and cyclones in tropical zones. During storms and cyclones, seawater can rise even higher than the tides and there are powerful waves. The sea can surge and cover low lying land. When powerful waves strike a mangrove, the mangroves absorb the energy from the waves and break them up. A dense forest of mangroves will stop the waves from reaching land.
Did you know that mangroves reduce the surge of seawater during storms and cyclones. In these conditions, coasts with mangroves will have less flooding from the sea.
- Mangroves are a carbon sink
A carbon sink is something that stores carbon in the environment. It stops the carbon from becoming carbon dioxide gas and escaping into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a greenhouse gas leading to higher temperatures. Mangroves usually grow on mudflats and help to build up the mud. Leaves and other dead material trapped in the mud decompose very slowly or not at all.
Did you know that in a mangrove, carbon is stored in the wood and roots of the trees and also the millions of dead leaves in the mud. There is between two and four times more carbon stored in an area of a mangrove forest compared with a rainforest.
- Mangroves clean storm water
Nearly all the pollution in the sea has come from the land. When it rains litter, chemicals, oil, dirt, leaves and soil can be washed into the sea. When the rain is very heavy the sea around the mouths of rivers becomes highly polluted. Even soil washed into the sea can affect coral reefs because these reefs need perfectly clear water. Mangrove can trap litter preventing it from being eaten by turtles and whales. Much of the dirt, soil and oil will be trapped in the mud. By slowing the movement of water out to sea, some of the chemicals such as fertiliser will have a chance to be used by bacteria or broken down before they reach sensitive places such as coral reefs. However ,too much fertiliser affects the health of mangroves.
Did you know mangroves act as a filter, helping prevent human waste entering the oceans.
Sourced from: Australian Marine Environment Protection Association, 22 March 2020, at: https://www.ausmepa.org.au/educators/middle-year/mangroves/mangroves-help-us/
The mangrove animal life
Text and images sourced from the Australian Marine Environment Protection Association
Mangroves are the supermarkets of the sea. The fertile mud is the original source of most of the mangrove’s food. The fertility of the mud comes from the falling mangrove leaves.
Some animals live in the mangrove canopy and never step on the water or mud. This includes small birds, bats and most of the insects and spiders. For all the other mangroves animals they will be adapted for high tide feeding or low tide feeding. At high tide the fish move in and many of the small animals will be hiding from the fish. At low tide nearly all the fish move out and many animals come out of the mud to feed, but they need to watch out for birds.
Crabs and shrimp
At low tide hundreds of mud borrows cover the exposed mud. If you wait quietly you will see small crabs scavenging for small pieces of dead plants and animals. There are dozens of species of crabs of all shapes and sizes. Fiddler crabs feed near their burrow. The male fiddler crab uses his large colourful claw to attract females. Mud shrimps also build burrows. Their burrows have a chimney. Prawns are strong swimmers. Young prawns will feed around mangroves. They feed at high tide. The millions of crabs and shrimps living in mangroves are an important source of food for fish and birds.
Shellfish
Mud whelks are a type of snail with a long thick spiral shells. They eat plants and dead material that have fallen onto the mud. They can be seen crawling along the mud and will climb up the trunks of mangroves. Whelks were eaten by Aboriginals and the empty shells can be used by hermit crabs. Many other types of snail live in mangroves.
Some shellfish have two shells hinged on one side. The shells protect the soft body inside. These are called bivalves. These bivalve shellfish pump water into the shells so their gills can get oxygen and the filters inside gather food from the water. They hide below the mud or attach themselves to solid objects. . Birds with long beaks probe the mud to find them. When they die their empty shells are washed up
Mudskipper
Mudskippers are fish that use their fins to walk and skip on the mud at low tide. They breathe through their skin and the surface of their mouth when out of the water but they must remain damp. They store water in their large gill chambers on their neck. They will fight other mudskippers over their territory. When the tide comes in, they find protection from other fish by living in a burrow in the soft mud. Their burrow has a chimney built on top and they create an air pocket in the chamber below. The eyes on the top of their head allow them to swim with their eyes above the surface so they see predators from all directions.
Insects and spiders
The easiest to find insects in mangroves are the butterflies visiting the flowers for their nectar. While drinking the nectar, they are covered in pollen and help to transport the pollen to other flowers. At certain times of the year, mosquitoes and biting midges can make a visit to some mangroves unpleasant. Some species of ants, termites, wasps, moths, bugs and flies also make the mangroves their home.
Where there are insects, there are hungry spiders waiting to feed on them. Orb weavers spin their large webs between branches. Huntsman spiders hide under bark when they are not hunting. Leaf curing spiders make their home by using their silk to roll up a leaf where they can hide inside.
Birds
Birds that hunt for insects and spiders or find food in the flowers can be active all day long. Some of the birds like the mangrove whistler prefer living in mangroves, but many common birds like robins and honeyeaters will also feed in mangroves.
When the tide is out many wading and other wetland birds have a feast on crabs, marine worms, shellfish and any fish that have been left stranded. Herons and egrets are grabbing large items of food from shallow water or the muddy surface. Ibis and smaller wading birds can also probe the mud for the life hiding below. Many of the wading birds migrate to the northern hemisphere to breed.
Crocodiles
Saltwater crocodiles are often found at both low and high tides in mangrove swamps. They will find an open dry area where they can warm themselves in the sun. They will effortlessly swim around the mangrove hunting at high tide. At low tide they can only crawl leaving behind their large trail. They will feed on fish and large crabs. They will quickly clean up any dead animals.
Australia has two species of crocodile. The large saltwater crocodile lives in both salt and freshwater and are dangerous to humans. The freshwater crocodile lives in rivers and eats fish and are not normally a danger. The only thing people can do to protect themselves from saltwater crocodiles is to never swim in their habitat.
Please visit the AUSMEPA website for more information:
https://www.ausmepa.org.au/educators/middle-year/mangroves/mangrove-animals/
Did you know…?
Did you know…. these interesting facts about mangroves?
Two thirds of the fish we eat spend part of their life in mangroves.
Mangroves are trees or shrubs that live in seawater. They occur in the area between high and low tide along the coast, estuaries and up rivers.
Only two counties, Indonesia and Brazil have more mangroves than Australia.
Australian mangroves cover nearly 12,000 square kilometres.
Mangroves cover 18% of the Australian coastline.
Mangroves help protect the land from the sea during cyclones and storms.
Mangrove habitats store more carbon than rainforests. Much of the carbon is in the mud.
Sourced from: Australian Marine Environment Protection Association, 21 March 2020, at: https://www.ausmepa.org.au/educators/middle-year/mangroves/mangrove-amazing-facts/
Appreciating nature’s beauty – Helen Martin
During this universally uncertain period, it helps to take time for reflection and appreciation.
Being in isolation doesn’t mean one can’t still enjoy nature’s beauty. Helen Martin sent us these pictures from her visit to Warneet, Victoria, taken at the top of the bay where the Rutherford Creek flows into Western Port. (Photo taken by Helen Martin, with IPad).
Introducing Malcolm Gardiner
We are proud to collaborate with Malcolm Gardiner, the president of the Land and Water Resources Otway Catchment (LAWROC).
Posted
Malcolm Gardiner at Big Swamp, a former wetland that was turned into an acid soil wasteland.
Photo courtesy of ABC South West Vic: Matt Neal Available at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-12/malcolm-gardiner-at-big-swamp/11682278
LAWROC is a Landcare group which is actively involved in Barwon fighting for the protection on the Victorian Wetlands, specifically rivers and creeks in part of the Otways, south of Colac.
The desire to leave this world in a better shape than it has been found has been my major driving force. A lack of truth, honesty and integrity from those authorities left with the task of looking after the world of the future has also been a driving force behind trying to look after at least one small area of the planet. – Malcolm Gardiner
Malcolm recently appeared on The Sustainable Hour and you can listen to the interview here: https://climatesafety.info/thesustainablehour303/.
He will participate in the Mangroves from the Water exhibition in Geelong, by displaying his books and hosting special talks. More information will be shared soon!
Why protect the mangroves?
Mangroves and Marshes are key in the climate change battle!
Here are some factual information, sourced from The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) ‘s website (posted 2 Feb 2017)
With the advent of green technologies, it is easy to view the battle against climate change as one for the tech world. A lesser-known but increasingly recognised solution lies in nature. According to a new scientific paper, the wetland ecosystems lying along the coasts of our oceans are particularly good at sequestering and storing carbon – and the world’s governments should take full advantage of this potential through carbon finance and policy, writes IUCN’s Dorothée Herr, the paper’s co-author, on World Wetlands Day.
Recent scientific advances have demonstrated that coastal wetlands – mangrove forests, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows – are incredible long-term carbon sinks, storing carbon in the plants themselves but more importantly in the soils below for hundreds to thousands of years. In fact, the same area of coastal wetlands can be more efficient as a carbon sink than most terrestrial forests. Every year more policy and decision makers invest in ‘coastal blue carbon’ by using wetland conservation and restoration as a natural solution to meet international greenhouse gas commitments.
The carbon sequestration potential of coastal wetlands sparked interest in whether other coastal and marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, kelp forests, phytoplankton, and marine wildlife, can similarly help in climate change mitigation. Do these marine ecosystems serve as long-term carbon sinks, and should they be considered in climate mitigation strategies?
It appears that the answer is no. Coastal wetlands are truly unique among marine and coastal ecosystems in their ability to mitigate climate change – that is the conclusion of an analysis we published yesterday in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. Based on our understanding of how carbon moves through kelp forests, marine life and other marine ecosystems, it seems they cannot help us mitigate climate change. Kelp and marine wildlife are not long-term carbon sinks, only holding carbon for their lifespan which may be weeks to decades. Phytoplankton do represent a long-term carbon sink due to the sheer abundance of these small photosynthesising plants, but our ability to impact the amount of carbon they remove from the atmosphere is limited. And, as phytoplankton and marine wildlife are found in the open ocean, they are not easy for national governments to manage.
But we must not forget that these marine ecosystems play a vital role in the carbon cycle of the ocean overall. They also provide many other ecosystem services to people, including coastal protection, habitat, food security, biodiversity and tourism income and we must protect them.
Our findings confirm that the climate change mitigation efforts of national governments should focus on coastal ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems, which provide critical and manageable carbon sinks under existing climate policies and mechanisms. Policy makers should continue to access carbon finance and policies to better manage coastal blue carbon.
Every year, extensive areas of coastal wetlands are lost. When they are converted to other uses or degraded, these ecosystems turn from net carbon sinks into sources of carbon, and much of the carbon stored in the soils beneath them is released back into the atmosphere and ocean.
This is why conserving, restoring and sustainably using coastal wetlands is crucial in the battle against climate change. On World Wetlands Day and beyond, it is in our interest to protect and restore them.
The paper, “Clarifying the role of coastal and marine systems in climate mitigation”, included contributions from the University of Maryland, Conservation International, IUCN, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Nature Conservancy, and Restore America’s Estuaries. This work was supported by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
( this post also appeared in The Huffington Post).
World Wetlands Day is February 2nd.
World Mangroves Day is July 26th.
Mangroves from the Water (MFTW) 