Full Record

Shirley Slack-Smith : [Field notebook] : P.N.G - Melbourne [26/08/1982-13/09/1982]
Record no:
Call no:
FN318
Author:
Year:
[26/08/1982-13/09/1982]
Description:
[89] p. ; 21 cm.
Subject:
Notes:
[Contains loose receipts, plane tickets]
Second fieldbook covering expedition to PNG and eastern Australia. Specifically covering observation and collecting of molluscs, primarily oysters at Cairns and Townsville, as well as specimens at the Australian Museum and the National Museum of Victoria.
Type:
Archives
Abstract:

[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/

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Contents:
[Contains loose receipts, plane tickets]
Second fieldbook covering expedition to PNG and eastern Australia. Specifically covering observation and collecting of molluscs, primarily oysters at Cairns and Townsville, as well as specimens at the Australian
Museum and the National Museum of Victoria.
more...
Item availability
{ 1 } items found
Result
Links
Location
Library
Shelf no
Status
Year
Volume
Copy
Archives room
Western Australian Museum
FN318
On Shelf
1982