In March this year, a team of marine ecologists set out on a 12-day expedition along the remote south coast of Tasmania to Port Davey in the State’s remote southwest. The goal: to document reef biodiversity at the southernmost point of the Australian continent – the last climate refuge for species of the Great Southern Reef.
Onboard were Co-founder Sarah Gittoes (pictured right) and Global Brand Director Matt Lennon from the conceptual fine jewellery studio, Sarah & Sebastian. At first glance, they may seem to be unusual passengers on a scientific expedition, but there’s more to the story.
Sarah & Sebastian funded the expedition through their philanthropic initiative, the Xanthe Project, a decade-long commitment to ocean conservation. For a brand deeply inspired by the sea, supporting vital research and awareness campaigns is at the heart of protecting the environments that shape their identity.
“We created a film to raise awareness of the Great Southern Reef, and this expedition was a natural extension of that mission,” said Sarah, who is the Co-founder and Creative Director of Sarah & Sebastian.
“From our previous experiences filming in Tasmania and New South Wales, we’ve seen firsthand how vulnerable our kelp forests are. It was important for us to partner with IMAS to support research that will help us better understand and protect these irreplaceable environments.”
Dr Scott Bennett led the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) expedition and said the generous funding from Sarah & Sebastian made this expedition possible.
“Sarah and Matt’s contributions on the trip were also invaluable, including dive surveys, kelp biobanking and seaweed pressing – and it will help advance the study and preservation of this remarkable region,” he said.
Dr Bennett said the expedition was a huge success, thanks to favourable weather conditions and the team’s clear focus on:
- surveying reef biodiversity at remote and previously unsurveyed reefs off southern Tasmania, including Pedra Branca and Mewstone Rock
- surveying some of the last remnant giant kelp forests in Tasmania, including at Maatsuyker Island, to record reference conditions for kelp forest restoration work underway across eastern Tasmania, and
- revisiting historical sites within the marine protected area in Port Davey, to monitor long term trends in reef health.
“The surveys at Pedra Branca and Mewstone reefs were highlights of the trip,” Dr Bennett said.
“Those reefs are immensely productive, with enormous forests of bull kelp down to 25 metre depths, and huge biomasses of bait fish, endemic reef fish and seals.
“It was remarkable to see such a wide range of species living on these offshore islands that we just don’t see elsewhere, even off mainland Tasmania.”
However, the team was concerned to see the range-extending Long-spined sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii,at Pedra Branca.
“It was the first observation of that urchin species this far south, and literally at the southernmost point that this species can reach in Australia,” Dr Bennett said.
The data collected by the team will contribute to the global Reef Life Survey database, which is helping researchers around the world address critical environmental challenges.
“Surveys from southern Tasmania provide critical information about what reef species are doing at the coolest edge of their distribution – and it’s a vital reference point that will equip us to better understand how climate change is affecting reef species in Australia,” Dr Bennett said.
Beyond its scientific value, this mission also represents a meaningful investment in the next generation of marine scientists.
For two IMAS PhD candidates, Hunter Forbes and Lizzi Oh, the trip will provide critical data to inform their research into the macroecology of kelp forests and seaweed communities across Australia.
“This expedition was an incredible opportunity to be part of an inspiring team and collect important scientific data,” Hunter said.
“It was so valuable to visit these remote places, both personally and intellectually, and to get unique field experience. I have no doubt that the knowledge and experiences from this expedition will stay with me for my whole career and really contribute to our ability to understand and conserve these systems.”
Sarah said it was a privilege to take part in the expedition. “Matt and I were excited to dive and conduct reef surveys with the team, to see science in action, and to see firsthand the conservation of our precious reefs, marine life and oceans.
“It was more than just a dive trip, it really was the experience of a lifetime and we look forward to supporting more field trips in the future.”
Dive deeper: Watch Now You See Me: The Great Southern Reef – a Sarah & Sebastian short film.
Banner: giant kelp at Maatsuyker
Island. Photo: Scott Bennett IMAS