Coffs Coast observers place third in Great Southern BioBlitz Coffs Coast Coffs Coast - popup ad Coffs Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - October 18, 2024 Spotted in Coffs Harbour, a Spiny Leaf Insect (extaetosoma tiaratum). Photo: Nick Lambert. THE fifth instalment of the Great Southern BioBlitz (GSBB) citizen science survey has come to an end and once again the Coffs Harbour region has performed well. Coffs placed third for total species recorded with 2438 (2305 last year) and sixth for the total of observations with 9101 (8244 last year). Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au “Another top three finish for the number of species found is a fantastic achievement for our 81 observers, especially when you compare us to the winning region, Greater Melbourne, who were able to muster 865 participants,” said Coffs Coast region GSBB champion Nick Lambert. More than 8500 participants from 200 regions around the Southern Hemisphere took part this year, reaching a total of 260,000+ sightings of 26,000+ different species that have been identified so far. There were many new participants joining this year’s BioBlitz, some contributing an impressive number of sightings, as well as some regular naturalists, several of whom were taking part for the fourth or fifth consecutive year. “In our region we had everything from backyard sightings to underwater surveys resulting in a wide range of environments covered,” Nick told News Of The Area. “There was a large amount of night-time surveying taking place this year, with spotlighting, mothing and invertebrate surveys yielding a high number of insect and nocturnal animal sightings.” The snapshot study took place from 20-23 September. Recorded on the iNaturalist app, the observations can be used by local environmental groups, government departments, students, and other organisations, to increase biodiversity awareness, protect habitat, determine species distribution, increase scientific literacy, climate change research, and inform policy. The North Coast Regional Botanic Garden supported the local GSBB efforts by running free tutorials on the iNaturalist app. “We not only trained many new iNaturalist users, but we had several new tutors this year as well,” Friends of the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden President Graham Tupper told NOTA. “The Botanic Garden is an ideal place for beginners as we have cultivated plants, but also a lot of native vegetation, which attracts many insects and birds.” iNaturalist tutor Cheryl Cooper said, “I was thrilled by the number of more mature people coming to learn how to use the app. “You’re never too old to enjoy the technology and this app is very easy to use. “I know, before I used it, I would look at a plant or insect and wonder ‘what is that?’, but now I can know the answer quickly and easily.” By Andrea FERRARI A Tiger Pipefish (filicampus tigris). Photo: Dr Matt Nimbs. A Little Pied Cormorant. Photo: Shaun Bamford An Evan’s Sea Spider (anoplodactylus evansi). Photo: Steve Smith.
