[Abridged summary of dates, locales and specimens observed/collected follows]
26-VIII-82
[spoke with colleagues, travelled to Yorky's Knob, Cairns]
Raining when I arrived - strong wind from SE so went around to N side of knob. [Sketch of oyster zones at Yorky's Knob]
Photos->E to Knob. C1 - Rocks exposed (S. cucc), C2 - Rocks more sheltered (S. cucc S. ech.). C3 - Rocks beside ramp - S. ech. + ?S?comm. [C1-C3] to E of ramp. (PHOTO looking to N from bay E of ramp). C4 - Rocks adjacent to beach. S comm. & S. ech. (close ups & looking N). Abrupt change between rocks relatively unaffected by sand &/or FW runoff ie on side of ramp as against those presumably were affected ie immediately on W side of ramp & round corner on boulder slope supporting parking area. Mangal - behind beach - emerging at SE end & at creek 1/2 way along.
C5 - No oysters seen in depths of mangal but for S? comm. at S end on edge adjacent to beach & supporting bank of parking area - on prop roots of Rhizophora. Pendant fleshy leaved plants & orchids in mangrove trees & white wax creeper (like pink one at home) on trees on low dunes. Photo of E side of Yorkey's Knob near campng area & bus stop looking S to Holloways Bch, Machans Beach, Cairns & N to Knob & islands & also breakwater with S. cucc growing on cliffs of Knob but only S. comm on beach side of breakwater (presumably because of sand tolerance). Caught 1pm back to motel. 3 spp littorinids on weeks E of launching ramp on W side of Knob.
27-VIII-82
[Flight from Cairns to Townsville]
28-VIII-82
[Sketch of Townsville Harbour]
Stn #1: End of beach, no large oysters, abundant spatfall, many dead. Few dead cuccullata high on couple of boulders not sure of in natural position. Below these fawn & whitestriped barnacles overlapping c v small spat of S. comm. & lower down S. ech. [Sketch of distribution] in sheltered position shielded from direct wave action & shaded fro most of time, largest oyster of S. comm. & S. ech. are 2cm greatest diameter. What I taketo be S. comm. of a [?] lighter in colour - more red - tan, some scaled &/or with short open curved spines. Photos of juveniles. What I take to be S. echinata are much darker purple black c scales &/or c longer thinner spines. N oysters on flatter rocks which are oartially embedded in & probably periodically covered by sand. These are thick with barnacles. - Those extending up from sand with higher vertical surfaces are covered c barnacles & oysters mostly if not all S. comm. However with a bit more protection from sand S. ech. is at lower level & S. comm. at higher level but overlaps. Only one predator present - Thaid down low in sheltered position. Few Nerites (1 or 2 spp?). Littorinids - many (1sp). Limpets (1 sp). patellid ?, no siphonarians, & barnacles in many (1 spp?). Collected v few dead shells on beach (cuttlebones, arcids (2 spp Anadora) & mesodematid?).
Stn #2: Almost at E end of beach. (Photo back along beach to Stn#1). Large boulders - basal ones embedded in sand, others stacked. Striped barnacle, also flat barnacle, large barnacle. S. cuccullata & S echinata (some large down low - but on sides of rocks also [?] sea) & drupes 0 many - eating barnacles nerites. Slightly further along beach where sand gives way to rubble. (Photo?). Thaids (same as #1) reappear oysters particularly S echinata more numerous. Oysters & rocks covered c fine reddish silt & filmentous weed - increasingly to the E. Also to the east where sand is covered at LW/today. S. echinata can't be intolerant of sand & certainly not of salt - must be wave action or perhaps bombardment with eaves carrying sand. There are more S. echinata higher up where waves reach.
Stn#3: No oysters appear to survive nor do any appear to have survived beyond 1cm diam. on semi exposed surfaces of boulders nor beyond abt 3cm diam in deep recesses between & under boulders - plwnty of thaids & drupes.
Stn#4: Exposed on SE side of SE breakwater 0 boulders. (PHOTO looking NE along breakwater -c ferry & Magnetic I). spp littorinids, patellids, plenty of drupes or thaids (2spp?). Oysters only S. ech - why no cuccullata?
Stn#5: Sheltered NW facing side of breakwater jutting N into harbour. S echinata.
Stn#6: Outside on SE facing side of breakwater jutting N into harbour - opposite #5 - NE of #4 - concrete. Exposed & wave washed S. cuccullata - at LWL - strongly grooved, large barnacles. 2 spp littorinids, drupe, thaid. [Sketch map of station localities at Townsville Harbour]
Stn#7: (PHOTO+ A number of photos of juveniles - starting with photo of jetty piles & prawn booth). At SW end of big ships harbour - on old jetty (wharf) piles. S. echinata (S, comm - juvenile). 1 sp littorinid.
Sun 29-VIII-82
[Morning activities, packing/processing etc]
Decided to go around to the Strand & the beach below it. Sea flat calm- arrived about 10:00, LW at about 12 noon.
Station #8: Extreme SE end of beach on wall forming "N" breakwater of harbour & rocks, metal & other rubble below. [Sketch of station localities]
Very similar in essence to Stn#1 yesterday. S. echinata higher up or in situations protected from too much sand &/or wave action. ?S? commercialis lower down where sand would be churned up. However spat difficult to distinguish on silt covered rocks etc & so didn't get a clear picture of zonation of these 2 spp (if there are indeed 2). Collected specimens from down near sand - there broken seen to be S. ? comm. Collected a couple of recognisable S. echinata from flat horizontal surface. Drupe, Thaid, 1 sp littorinid, 1 sp nerite.
Stn#9: On N (& NE facing wall of 'tank' which juts out from Public Baths onto beach) [Sketch of oyster zonation] ?S? commercialish extends further landward at a low level & low density S. echinata first appears higher up & further seaward, & then descends to zone of S. comm where it merges with it so that there is a zone of overlap. & then S. comm only persists overlapping in S. ech zone. S. comm only small - distinguished by lighter more reddish & tan colours & shorter more open tubules. S. echinata grows to larger size, always darker, c more slender, more upright spines. [ Commentary on weather & sketch of Stn 9 zonation]
Stn#10: No S. comm only S. echinata.
Stn#11: increasing S. comm going towards #9 interpolated between S. echinata (juv.) above & below (larger) on N side. echinata give out below & only S. comm spat & juv. persist. S. commercialis possibly reaches medium size at base of S. echinata/S. comm overlap zone (#11)- eroded & c algal growth - crowded by one another & by barnacles.
[Returned to accommodation]
Mon 30-VIII-82
[Processed specimens, travelled to AIMS (Australian Institute of Marine Sciences)]
Station #12: Bay just to the NE of jetty on rocky point. (Photo (1) boulders -> N (2) Rhizophores). S. echinata, S. cuccullata, 2 nerites, 3 littorinids, 1 patellid, 1 acmeid, 1 or 2 siphonarians, small isognomonid (black), small mussel v few. S. echinata with spines & with strongly raised thin flange, when growth unimpeded usually no spines in that case. S. cuccullata - strong ribbed dark.
Station #13: S of jetty (Photo c sheds) granite? boulders (large grain) & sand. much fine detritus. S. echinata c upraised flange-like lip pendant (photo) from horizontal surface under large boulders & on vertical surfaces facing away from sea [sketch]. On vertical surfaces facing at H. angles to sea where [sketch] waves would rush along at high tide, tubes present & larger specs (photo) with strong undulations -> ribs on upstanding PV, V & AV lips. Where crowded on these vertical surfaces at vt angle to sea the S. echinata show wide upstanding lips c tubes. Lower down near sand - less outstanding sculpture (not so crowded) & V lip of LV is often black only on extreme edge & white within - this showing when RV fully closed. Lots of fragile tellins & Pinguitellina washed up on beach. Beach v wide at low tide - shallow for some distance offshore & fine sand with large detritus content. Photo looking back to jetty ie: looking E. Photo looking W to Station 14.
Station #14: Mangroves fringing beach & tidal creek. On rocks heavy encrustation of oysters - S echinata - ribbed no tubes. On Rhizophora prop roots flanged pinkish oysters ?S, ech. probably same as on rocks below (some of these later with 2 white rays, no tubes).
#14A: lower more muddy drainage creek fro mangal. white rims.
#15: Further up tidal creek, mangrove seen[?] on edge of mangal Rhizophora, prop roots & Avicennia roots (tree almost uprooted) S, echinata ?S. commercialis lower (paler)
[Processed material, personal activities]
Tues 31-VIII-82
[Traveled to Sydney, processed material]
Wed 1-IX-82
[Process material from Qld & PNG all day]
Thurs. 2-IX-82
[Worked in Pat's Lab. Listing of Pat's results -Lab analyses of oysters?]
Fri 3-IX-82
[Listing of specimens from Australian Museum, with IDs, localities and some descriptions, species mentioned follow]
Ostreidae: O. edulis, O. gryphoides, Ostrea sinuata, O. angasi, O. virescens, Ostrea lurida, O. iridescens, O. angelica, O. equestris
D. folium, L. frans, Ostrea bresia, Saxostrea amasa, Ostrea cornucopia, Ostrea nomades, Ostrea procles, Gryphaidae Hyotissa - probably H. numisma, Ostrea quirites, H. Hyotis, Ostrea sedea, Saxostrea commercialis dactylena, Ostrea ordensis, Saxostrea gravida, Lopha hyotis, Alectryonella, Ostrea tuberculata, Lopha cristagalli, Dendostrea.
Mon 13-IX-82
[Listing of specimens from National Museum of Victoria, with IDs, localities and some descriptions, species mentioned follow]
O. angassi, Ostrea sinuata, Ostrea virescens, Dendostrea sp., D. folium, Lopha cristigalli, Ostrea chiloensis, Ostrea charlottea, O purpurea, O. denticulata, O. iridescens, Saccostrea commecialis, S. cuccullata, O tuberculata, Hyotissa hyotis/
more...