Dear Friend
Welcome to your October edition for 2020.
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Day on the Bay - the first of many to come!
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Almost 150 guests joined TMBF for a Day on the Bay recently. Hosted by Board Chair Rob Siganto, the day commenced for some with a trip across the Bay in classic Moreton Bay Cruisers South Pacific 2 and Bali Hai.
Guests were treated to a tour of the Moreton Bay Research Station, a moving Welcome to Country by Quandamooka man Josh Walker and a sumptuous lunch of sustainably harvested local seafood. The perfect weather and wonderful location provided the ideal backdrop to share information and knowledge about the importance of ensuring a sustainable future for Moreton Bay - the core purpose of The Moreton Bay Foundation.
From cultural heritage and sustainable seafood, to TMBF funded research projects, the value of oyster reef restoration and the Bay through the eyes of renowned artist Ralph Wilson, enthusiasm abounded. The Day on the Bay is set to be a feature in the calendar annually.
A definite highlight of the day was innovative introductions to the migratory birds of Moreton Bay - the Bar Tailed Godwits and Eastern Curlews made a few new fans. Our thanks are extended to all who attended and contributed, and for the generous donations and support received for a Brighter Future for Moreton Bay.
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Ampol Australia team makes a difference
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As part of their Staff Contribution Day, the newly branded Ampol Lytton Refinery, Terminal and Lubricant teams worked alongside TMBF and Ozfish to clean up local waterways and contribute to habitat restoration.
The teams headed out in boats to Bulimba Creek and Lota Creek to clean up the area and came back with around 300 kilograms of rubbish, while others made and washed more than 210 cages full of oyster shells that will be repurposed for regeneration of the shellfish population in Moreton Bay.
A big thank you to the Ampol team for making a positive contribution to a brighter future for Moreton Bay!
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New contaminant study finds Brisbane River estuary contamination levels higher than Melbourne and Sydney By A/Prof Ian Tibbetts
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Emerging contaminants are compounds that can enter the environment and potentially affect public health. A recent study measured pharmaceuticals and pesticides in three Australian estuaries.
Pesticides that are used to improve crop yields, and medicines that protect human and animal health are entering our estuaries. Pesticides can enter either from surface run-off or via wastewater treatment plants, and diuron, the main herbicide found in Great Barrier Reef waters, is also an antifouling agent used on boats that frequent our estuaries. Medicines can leach from landfill sites; however, their main pathway is from sewage, which carries medicines that have not been completely metabolized and are not removed by wastewater treatment plants.
In a preliminary study of the three Australian estuaries, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, the concentrations of 25 medicines and 53 pesticides were measured. Carbamazepine, a medicine used to treat epilepsy and neuropathic pain was detected in all water samples in all three estuaries. Other dominant pharmaceuticals measured were gabapentin, iopromide, venlafaxine and tramadol. Similarly, the current-use pesticides; atrazine, diuron, metolachlor and simazine were prevalent in all three estuaries. Generally, contamination was higher in the Brisbane River estuary than Sydney and Melbourne.
The Brisbane River is the major freshwater system that enters Moreton Bay. The river flows through agricultural, commercial and industrial areas before emptying into the Bay, so it is important to monitor pollutants that are entering the Bay. Unfortunately, the concentrations of emerging contaminants entering Moreton Bay is likely to rise due to the rapidly increasing human population and the accompanying demand for medicines and farm produce. Thus, the ongoing research on these contaminants will be important as we search for ways to reduce the amount that enters the Bay, and understand their impacts on Bay ecosystems.
Dr Alfred Kwablah Anim (PhD), Queensland University of Technology
Prof Jochen Muller, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland
Anim AK, Thompson K, Duodu GO, Tscharke B, Birch G, Goonetilleke A, Ayoko GA, Mueller JF. (2020) Pharmaceuticals, personal care products, food additive and pesticides in surface waters from three Australian east coast estuaries (Sydney, Yarra and Brisbane), Marine Pollution Bulletin, 153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111014.
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Cicada film festival
It's back!
The Moreton Bay Foundation is proud to be a sponsor of this great initiative helping young people have a voice about the environment.
Click here to check out the amazing 2020 films online now!
Every view between now and 28th of October will decide the 2020 Viewers choice award!  
Then tune into the awards night live stream Friday the 30th of October at 6.30pm to see the winners!
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Science Under Sail - Moreton Bay
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Velella - Science Under Sail
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Do you know of any budding young marine researchers keen to participate in a scientific expedition? Science Under Sail provides a unique opportunity to participate in a research project and conduct seagrass surveys in Moreton Bay under the guidance and mentoring of marine scientists.
Participants will learn how to conduct habitat surveys and organise the data, get hands-on experience in snorkelling, sailing, life on a catamaran and encounter some amazing marine creatures and have a lot of fun. The program is designed for senior high school and university students - what a great way to spend the summer break!
The Moreton Bay program runs Dec 13-29, Jan 10-16 and Jan 17-23 - check it out here.
For more information email info@scienceundersail.com.au
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Tracking the Ocean during COVID -19
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What’s happening in coastal communities, along coastlines, and in the oceans as humans respond to COVID-19 is unprecedented. Tourism, fishing, recreational uses, have all changed dramatically. It is expected this event will have widespread and long-term impacts on humans and nature. The project aims to track these patterns along coastlines and across the ocean around the world in real-time, and you can help!
Participants around the world will use the eOceans mobile app to track their daily ocean activities and sightings to document the parts of the ocean that matter to them.
Read more and download the app here:
https://www.eoceans.co/project-covid19
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Would you like to make a difference too?
You can become a member, donate, or get in touch regarding partnering and sponsorship opportunities.
We'd love to hear from you!
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