Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre

Introduction

The Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre is a vision of Eden's future. It is a community backed project to develop and build a public Marine Education and Research Centre.

Following many years of dedicated hard work, research and planning, the Centre is poised to become a reality with the provision of a Grant for $1.4 million through the Australian Government Securing our Fishing Future Fishing Community Assistance Program. The Grant will enable the Marine Centre to purchase a large building in the Snug Cove wharf area of Eden which contains large areas of vacant space in which the Visitor Centre, Research Facility and Education Centre will be developed.

A Discovery Centre will be the keystone attraction for the Centre which will also incorporate research facilities and possibly a commercial aquaculture venture. A Centre of this nature will have obvious educational and economic benefits for the local community and beyond. Now that we have acquired a building to work with, we will require continuing support from the local community and all levels of Government to bring the building – and the Centre - to life.

As a Deductible Gift Recipient, all donations towards the Marine Centre are fully tax deductible.

Following the acquisition of the building and an initial settling in period, we intend to launch our Membership program offering many incentives for even more community members to become involved with this exciting venture.

Click here to email us if you would like to help make the Centre a reality!

SPECIAL REPORTS:

Local Weather: click here

Sea Scenes Newsletter now available!
We are pleased to attach the Autumn 2006 Edition of 'SeaScenes' - the Newsletter of the Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre. Many thanks to Grant Webster for yet another professionally produced Edition. Click on the issue listed below to download.....

Autumn 2006 (812k PDF File)
Summer 05/06 (800k PDF File)
Winter 2005 (521k PDF File)

Blue Pool Survey results
‘See our Seas’ coastal explorers workshop conducted a species survey of the famous Blue Pool at Bermagui on March 12th 2005. Thanks to the work of many volunteers we are able to make available the results of the survey. Download Species List here (240k PDF file)

Volunteers undertake Species Survey of Wallagoot Lake. The Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre has once again attracted a large number of interested volunteers to participate in a marine species survey – this time at Wallagoot Lake in Bournda National Park on Saturday 27th August, 2005. Read more...

Report: Cetacean trips with David Donnelly. Over the weekend of 21st and 22nd May, our friend and colleague David Donnelly, Aquarist at Melbourne Aquarium, kindly allowed a number of lucky Marine Centre supporters and volunteers to join his research group on True Blue for some fantastic cetacean watching trips. Read the trip report here!

Read our newsletter: 2005 Issue 2. Go to newsletter...

NEWS UPDATES : (updated July 4, 2008)

Recent changes to Marine Centre Board

This is the new line up for our Marine Centre Board. We thank them all for their commitment.

Kerry Pfeiffer (Chair)
John Tanner (Treasurer/Company Secretary)
Anne Felton
Allan Broadhurst
Tony Esplin
Ann Montague

FILM PREMIERE - 'See Our Seas'

We are proud to present the premiere of 'See Our Seas', a magnificent film by Pete Constable of The Natural Picture Company. Created specially to promote the Sapphire Coast and raise funds for the Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre.
Special Guest and keynote speaker for the evening is Ian Keirnan AO, founder of Clean Up Australia Day.

This is one event you do not want to miss! Book now.

Where: Pambula-Merimbula Golf Club
When: Saturday 29th March
Bookings: Call Alan Hepburn 6495 9175
Cost: $50pp and includes a 2 course dinner and film premiere

EUROPEAN GREEN CRAB PROJECT - Update!
(This project was made possible by a Grant through the Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority)

Under the guidance of Associate Professor Ron West from the University of Wollongong and with the help of a team of volunteers and Marine Education Officer Luke Brown, SCMDC is helping to control and reduce numbers of the introduced pest species known as Carcinus Maenus (European Green crab) in Twofold Bay.Beginning in February 2007 at Fisheries Beach (Google Earth Placemark), south of Eden, the work involves the monthly setting of traps to monitor the numbers and gender of these pests.

Anyone interested in helping out can contact SCMDC Marine Education Officer Luke Brown on 6494 4143 or you can leave a message on the office phone 02 6496 1699. . Read more...

WHAT'S THE LATEST WITH OUR MOBILE MARINE LABORATORY?

(Our mobile marine laboratory and the employment of Luke Brown, our Marine Education Officer, was made possible through a Grant from the NSW Environmental Trust.)
Since its launch in March 2007, our Mobile Marine Laboratory has been involved with a number of exciting educational and research programs up and down the Sapphire Coast. Luke Brown has worked closely with regional schools – both State and private and involving all ages – to develop educational programs that mean we can help deliver the most up-to-date information on marine research on our own environment.
The Mobile Lab has featured in a number of regional community events such as the Bermagui Seaside Fair, the Eden Whale Festival and Pambula Markets and has been spotted a number of times near both Merimbula and Wallagoot Lakes where its equipment has helped with species survey work.
For more information, call the office on 02 6496 1699.

weather radar

lightning tracker