A film night will be held in Ocean Grove next week to explore the importance of kelp and the issue of urchins in Australian waters.
Ocean Grove Coastcare will host its annual Winter Film Night at Shell Road Pavilion on Wednesday, August 27, from 6.45pm to 8.30pm, with a special film screening of White Rock.
President Margot Busch said the night would explore the impacts urchins have on kelp across the region’s oceans while providing potential solutions.
“The urchins are able to spread further south, where they once lived in the more northern part of our water, so they’re expanding in population,” she said.
“What we would like people to get out of it is a bit of knowledge and understanding that there is an issue of kelp loss and that urchins are creating a lot of that kelp loss.
“They are eating all the kelp necessary for life in the ocean, and our life too, for that matter, as kelp produces a lot of the oxygen that we breathe, not just the trees on land.
“After the film we’ll have a quick chat about how people can assist, and we’ll also have presentations by student researchers at Deakin Uni who will present on both urchins and kelp.”
The film will be accompanied by presentations from two researchers from Deakin University’s Marine Science Centre in Queenscliff about their work on kelp restoration and urchin management.
Along with tea or coffee and light refreshments offered throughout the event, Ms Busch said people would also be treated to a culinary surprise.
Visit trybooking.com/events/landing/1445650 for more information and to reserve a spot during the night.
