It may look like a coral reef but don’t be fooled, this is actually a cool water ecosystem part of Australia’s #GreatSouthernReef. Have you heard of it? This week we have been filming the waters around Governor Island Marine Reserve our from #Bicheno, about 2.5h from Hobart or Launceston. The area was one of the first marine reserves established in Tasmania in 1991 and we can say without a doubt this place is absolutely teeming with life. The intertidal areas are dominated by wave tolerant bull kelp while the shallow waters support a variety of brown algae. In the deeper waters (below about 20m), where insufficient light prevents algal growth, massive granite boulders are covered in a vibrant patchwork of invertebrates, including sponges, sea whips, sea fans, sea tulips, zoanthids, anemones, bryozoans and hydroids. We’re here right now because winter provides the best visibility – up to an astounding 30m similar to what we had today. The sponge garden in this picture is known as the “hairy wall” and is just a small section of a huge granite cliff face which meets a sandy bottom at around 35m. #Tasmania, as part of the #GreatSouthernReed has one of the most biologically diverse and unique marine environments in the world, but these waters often go unrecognised and under appreciated. We’re on a mission to change that as part of our assignment with @insidenatgeo to raise the public profile of this interconnected system by telling stories of the passionate individuals and teams that call this reef home. If you’re one of them, we’d love to hear your story. Send us a message and get in touch. In the meantime stay tuned for some exciting content coming soon. #thisisnotacoralreef #GovenorIsland @Tasmania #marinepark #marinereserve #DiscoverTasmania #TassieStyle #Australia #Instatassie #tassiepics #Tasmania #seeAustralia #Australiagram #ig_australia #temperatereef #spongegarden, #invertebrates, #sponges, #seawhips, #seafans, #seatulips, #zoanthids, #anemones, #bryozoans, #hydroids. (at Bicheno, Tasmania)
