What a scorcher this Sunday was! Great conditions for the 25th Ocean Care Day on Manly’s beachfront
The theme this year was ‘The Reef in our Backyard‘ and we had a fair few entries for our marine quiz, but only 3 that were 100% correct. One of these, and our winner of the bamboo cutlery and straw set, is: Issy Blair! Congratulations, Issy, please come to the Co-Op to pick up your win.
A big thank you to our volunteers who made this day possible: Chloe, Colin, Laura, Libby, Ulrike and especially Keelah! We could not have done it without you!
We had great conversations about recycling, sustainable living and our upcoming move. It was so great to be part of the community on a day celebrating our beautiful ocean surroundings. 🙂
And here is the quiz together with the correct answers. Would you have gotten these answers correct?
Q: How many species of fish have been recorded in Sydney?
- 100-200
- 500-800
- 1000+
A: (B) 500-800. There are approximately 600 species of fish recorded in and around Sydney. This is more than the UK or the whole of the Mediterranean Sea! Species include: Sea Turtles, Little Penguins, Weedy Seadragons and Humpback Whales.
Q: The world’s smallest penguin species lives in our backyard – Manly Cove – true/false?
Bonus: What is the species of penguin?
A: True. Little penguins’ scientific name is Eudyptula minor which means “good little diver”. They often are referred to as fairy penguins. Manly is home to the only NSW mainland breeding pairs of little penguins, which is why they have been declared as an endangered species.
Q: What percentage of Sydney’s waters are protected?
(a) 1%
(b) 10%
(c) 50%
A: (a) Only 1% of Sydney’s waters are protected. Protected Marine Parks mean secure sanctuaries for us to play in, for our kids to learn in and marine life to thrive in.
Q: What is the silent killer wreaking havoc on our marine life?
(a) Noiseless sharks
(b) Boat collisions
(c) Plastic pollution
A: (c) Throughout our world’s oceans plastic is the silent killer of marine life. More than 268,940 tonnes of litter is estimated to be floating in the Earth’s oceans – that’s the incredible weight of over 1,300 Blue Whales! 80% of this plastic on our coast and in our waters, is being generated from land. Litter is often lost or blown from inland, comes through stormwater drains or thoughtlessly dropped.
Q: What can you do to help reduce plastic entering our beautiful ocean?
A: Any answer referring to reducing waste, plastic, volunteering, being more conscious etc. is correct for this answer.
We are looking forward to the next Ocean Care Day event in 2019!
