light of company archives, ship journals, and Dutch texts on shipbuilding of this period....

The wrecks of the two ships were discovered in March 2008 and their subsequent underwater exploration has shed light on the events that took place during and after the battle. This report was presented to the HMAS Sydney II Commission of Inquiry by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and the Australian Division of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) in January 2009....

Thursday 6 March
#DI1[...]Decided to investigate more sheltered area off N end of Dorre I. [Sketch of area showing location of #DI1] Anchored on coral bombiw in sndy area between reefs. The sandy area had a few rocky outcrops with & without coral. No sea grasses in sand. The reef to the west was algal covered with plenty of variety of corals - hard & soft. Mostly Montipora, plenty Pocillopora of a variety of Turbinaria & Acropora. Some Cyphastrea, Favia, Favites, Cyphastrea (coarse brain coral) (No Fungia, no Labophylla, no Echinaster no Galaxia etc). Variety of corals increased nearer to tip of reef & way from sand. Sea grasses (Halophylla & Halodule?) in sand in sheltered areas. Variety of algae - mostly reds. Lot of Asparagopsis & some Caulerpa (scalpelliformis & tabulata? - globular not tabulate) - some iridescent red0gold dichotomous or tabulate form in sheltered overhang position. Some black & some brown holothurians, no starfish, variety of soft corals, almost no bivalves - one dead venerid - some Ovula ovium eating soft corals. 1 dead juvenile bailer, 1 dead Amaria. Saw 2 large turtles. Saw few large blue spotted rays. Clay found small Pinctada (?maxima) on W side. Went over to reef on E side of Point. Corals much as before. Larger fish - sea snake - yellowish c grey brown bands. Coralliophilids (white) in Acropora colony. Clay found small Hyotissa hyotis )Hyotissa hyotis - no commensals - Lithophagas Peanut[?] & bristle worm on shell, otherwise same as on other (upper) side. Few Tridacna macima. [short Description of Hyotissa sample found by Clay given]
#BI1 (approx 1km N of C. Couture on E side of island) [...] Then went up E side of Bernier I for about 1 mile - entered small bay with narrow sandy beach & sandy cliffs behind it. - no oysters on boulders on beach - too sandy? Oysters (S cuccullata only) on rocky reefs offshore. These rocky reefs were surrounded by coral reefs & then by sand, coral reefs approx. 20-30% being coral - rest was dead coral covered with about 40% lithothamnion & 60% leafy algae. Some very large coral colonies - Montipora, faviids. Variety of coral present - many small colonies but many large ones - few large tabular Acropora but quite a few dead colonies. Many Tridacna maxima of all sizes. Cypraea helvola, C. clandestina & C. hirundo(?) under dead tabular Acropora. Also 2 spp of Columbellids - Pyrene spp, 2 spp of Clanculus, small Pinctada sp (?P. maxima), larger P. ?albina. Small lamellariid found on dead Spondylus shell. Small eroded Chama sp found live Haliotis varia under dead coral, live Trochus ?maculatus small under dead coral. Plenty of Agnesia, Septifer, some Turbo ?cidaris under stones. No sea grasses except for detached wiry stem ? antarttcus [sketch given]. Some Halimeda, some jointed coralline, much Codium (massive), little globular Caulerpa. much Laurencia. Variety of soft corals - branched & massive.
Friday 7 March
[morning precollecting activities detailed]
#DI2 0.5->1km S C. Boulanger W coast of Dorre I.; [..] Collected some small oysters (S. cuccullata) in rock pool at about HWL. These were unusual in most were comspletely devoid of ribs until about 2cm deep - only small fine prickles were present on some. Those on open coast just below were normal  - adults heavily eroded but with ribbing developing v. early. Those  in the pool were also more pinkish than on the rocks below. No large dive oysters were present though plenty of lower valves - strongly ribbed - were attached. Collected some shells from beach drift. Corditid, Arcid (Barbatia fusca), Trapeziid, Venerid (Periglypta ? resticulata), a cellanid, another Venerid (red-brown spotted) & some shells - apparently long dead - of Marmarostoma pulcher. Opercula apparently of this species were found high up - some appear to be fossils - Clay found one in red conglomerate bearing fossil Bothriembryon. Looked hard for fossils - found plenty of Bothriembryon ridei in good condition - also larger shells - are these the same species? Photos of cliffs on W side. Fossiliferous layer about 4-6' thick - with occasional fissures filled in (estimate still <<1% but patching). Found a few fossil camaenids - Clay took some photographs of one  in situ but after it had been chipped away from rock - found some more in situ & other weathered out at the base of cliffs. Found a small Bothriembryon is this a different species again or is it the juvenile of the elongate larger form. [Moving to net location saw dead mammal and 2 large sea eagles]
DI3; In afternoon I expored Disaster Cove. Clay went photographing general underwater habitats -within limits imposed by strong wave action & turbidity. Mike collected coral specimens, I looke at general sublittoral scene from survey point of view. Most of Cove is sany floored with few rocky otcrops, mostly covered with algae but with some soft & hard corals. Corals are more abundant & colonies are larger on sides of ba both to N & S of Entrance [Sketch of Cove given] I collected algae. Few molluscs. Dicathais, Tectus, Oyster under Turbinaria. near entrance to Bay - sublittoral to 10', 10-50% rock in sand, of benthos on rock, 10-20% hard corals, 10% soft corals, including Palythoa, branching forms (heavy & light) also Xenia on small patches. However -> 80% of coral cover nearer entrance <<5% purple-black sponge. Of the hard corals, 30% Turbinaria spp, 30% Montipora, 30% Faviids (Favia Favities). also Platygyra?, Symphylia, Pocillopora etc. Of the algae (algae 70%) about 5% crustose corallines og the 95% leafy algae; 50% reds - (50% Asparagopsis, 30% fine reds, 20% Laurencia etc), 30% greens (80% Codium  (massive), vl Halimeda, vl Caulerpa) 20% brown - Dictyota. Molluscs; Tectus pyramis, Tridacna maxima, vf Septifer, one oyster(?) taken under Turbinaria colony. Echinometra only urchin. On sides of boulders on N & NE side of bay & reef forming E side of bay were large expanses of corals (Montipora) & soft coral (Palythoa) & some large colonies of Turbinaria. On N side of bay were some large patches of Caulerpa. In sand among boulders on N side were sea grass (Halophila) but over sandy bottom of bay no grasses or algae grew - sand deep and shifting.
DI3/2 (Oyster Zone Disaster Cove); 
Oyster clumps ytaken from N side of bay (boulders) & broken up to extract animals boring within crevices. Oyster zone on SE & E side of Bay (rocky reef) examined oyster xone about 2' wide - not very thick on SE & E side - thicker outside bay on same reef & on N & NE side - oysters wqere sculptured though eroded as adults. Large semo-spined chiton, small greenish granular chiton, few ellobiid, small brown & yellowish starfish (noth on rock & on oysters), limpets large (Patellid?), small 1 sp on ?1 sp off oysters, ribbed mussels, Septifer, Peanut worms, Lithophagids, Leptonids (many), Fossarids (few), mid-sized grey fine-ribbed barnacle only where water rough, Sihponarians on rocks (small), Stomatellids dark deep, Isognomonids, Pinnothaerid crab inside oyster.
DI3/1? - Intertidal above oysters; Melaraphe above splash zone of blue green algae. Nodilittorina (granosa?) in blue green algal zone. Large semipspined chiton - few small greensih granular chiton, especially low down & in depressions. vv few ellobiids (brown c yellowish stripe - small - on rock) vv few Nerita atrata, small Siphonarians.
Saturday 8-ii-80
BI2 [...] Red Cliff Point, Bernier I. [...]
I dived with Mike - after anchoring in lee of Point. Shifting sand with large patches of Amphibolus which appear to become continous well offshore outside of Bay - though these banks might be Posidonia or mixture of Amphibolus/Posidonia judging from beach drift which is mostly Posidonia. These sea grass beds in bay were 1-2m deep (some to 3m & sand between generally deeper). As epiphyte was a great deal of a fragile looking jointed coralline which was attached to Amphibolus stem in large long clumps. There was little else epiphytic - a very occasional sea-squirt - brown & shrivelled looking - few shells among beds alive. Aulicina hivosa, cerithiids, Phasionella, trochids & few trochids & columbellids on sea grass stems & leaves. [sketch map of location]. Rocky reef continued N from N corner of Red Cliff Point at about 2+ to 3+m (mid tide). 90-95% algal covered rock & dead coral (all leafy), <5% Hard coral, <5% soft corals , << sponges (black [sketch] or orange [sketch] & v few khaki [sketch). Of hard corals; Turbinaria 2 spp?, Faviids approx. 4 or 5 spp., Pavona?, & Solitary corals. Of Algae; 90% red (cf green Laurencia-type is included), 10% brown, <1% green - Halimeda, Codium -massive.
Molluscs; Pinctada albina, Tectus, Tridacma maxima (4-10'), under stones columbellids 2 spp, Clanculus, Echinometra only urchin seen. 
Reef 3+-4+m Of plants; 10% sea grasses (Halophila spp?), 90% algae. Of algae 80% Brown - Zonaria & branched Zonaria type, Dictyota. <10% green; Halimeda, Codium - massive (little), Codium - branched (2 sizes), Caulerpa 3 spp little. <10% red; Asparagopsis, Laurencia, vvl red gelatinous sausages, vvl red coralline bunches. 
Clay found molluscs, Nudibranch (darid?), abalone (H. squamata), dead venerid Periglypta.
BI3. Walked across island to W coast - large blow out millons of Bothriembryon & some camaenid shells (B. ridei, Camaenid) (photo), found fossiliferous conglomerate (coarser & narrower) on W cliffs collect some dry shells from drift. Only seemd to be 1 sp of Camaenid on plateau, collected series of fossils & extant dead shells.
Sunday 9-iii-80
[...]#BI4/1; Beach 0.5km N of C. Couture. Bernier I. above oyster zone; On what looks something like beachrock but which is probably a layer of the sedimentary rock forming the island. In the splash zone on the this rock the blue-green algal cover was dense but arranged in small patches. Melaraphe (small individuals) were sparse above this blue-green algal zone; but within the algal zone were siphonarians (mainly in shallow depressions, fissures or near small rides in the rock. In crevises were littorinids of 2 species ?Nodilittorina pyramidalis or N. granosa (all fairly small individuals). Also in the crevises were small blackish-brown ribbed mussels - not very common. 
#BI4/2 Oyster zone on beach about 0.5km B of C. Couture, Bernier I.; Took a photo looking S towards Cape & #BI6. The rock in this zone was a lot more uneven than in the zone above. The oysters were on the tops of the pinnacles & ridges - & on their sides too - & the gutters between were smooth. On the oysters - all S. cuccullata are red anemones (in the crevises & hollows of the oyster clumps & a speckled green anemone on rock). On the rock were palellids - particularly low down in the zone & acmeids on the oysters, particularly low down Siphonarians were extremely abundant all over the rock and the oysters. Om the oyters and on the rock were many of the med-large grey barnacle and on some oysters were what appeared to be the juveniles of a smaller more strangely ribbed barnacle - though no large specimens were seen. Among the oysters were the leptonids (white c red) and very fre Dicathais & very few & small Nerita atrata were seen among the oysters. On Drupa? (black-purple) was taken which was in the process of boring into an oyster at the anterior lip about 1/2 way from D to V.
#BI5/#2; (Between BI4 & Cape) About 0.5km N of C. Couture, Bernier I. - intertidal rocks; (photo looking S towards Middle Rocks Doore I & C. Couture). Oysters only numerous (not really abundant) on the (NW) lee sides of rocks & in the rock pools. Melaraphe (large) quite high  but few - apparently high splash zone. Nodilittorina abundant & large. A variety of weeds. - Ulva, ?Euteromorpha (but stiff) & filamentous reds on outer exposed faces of rocks. Blue green algal cover quite thick. Oysters larger than at BI4 but sparser. Nerita atrata few but large. Chitons (large granular). Patellids/acmeids few. Siphonarians abundant - mostly larger than at BI4. On way back, in Melaraphe zone, found large black & white nerite out crawling - tide coming on to full. I then walked out to end of Cape Couture - the plateau forms a ridgeback at this point and below is a platform of the red conglomerate fossiliferous rock. This platform is well above HWL & splash zone. On it are a couple of Sea eagle nests & a colony of about 500 (pied?) cormorants - which smell. Rocks contains Bothryiembryon ridei but no camaenids seen  - though not searched for. 
#BI6 On West side of C. Couture, Bernier I. Low to midtidal rock platforms, Intertidal; This lies about 506 feet below level of "platform". Though it receives constant wash from waves which break on SW corner of island it is not really exposed. I examined (at this time) only small area od SE corner of this platform (rest examined next day). Sublittoraly (just) were many colonies of coral - mainly Acropora & many Tridacna maxima. Oyster Zone & above were essentially same as BI5/1&2 but there were fewer littorinds -Melaraphe being most common pprobably because of virtual lackof splash zone. On the platform were many dead T. maxima, and also found were dead Turbo agyrostoma Spondylus sp, Tectus pyramis, large limpet (none found alive then or later) & a whales earbone (I think). The oyster zone lies at the base of the "cliff" & also on pinnacle & ridges over rocky intertidal platform which this lies at low-mid intertidal level.
[sketch map fo C. Couture area showing locations of BI4-BI7] 
Peculiar type of gelatinous "sponge" on sides of some rock pools - mid brown. 
#BI7 S end of C. Couture, Bernier I. WA - high intertidal rock platform; Though this recieves waves from both SE & SW it height above LWL nears that of the main force of the waves is broken. Oysters were present on the low cliff & fewer over the reef flat - not many considering that the level of the platform was at the oyster zone level. But probably wave action too great & algal growth too lush. Alagal cover mostly reds, with some green ____ ____ present only as stunted form in rock pools & then only sparsely; vv little Caulerpa in rock pools, some Sargassum on E side of platform where waves were not breaking but runoff is fairly constant. On "cliff" many littorinds with tlarge Melaraphe coming well down into bl-green algal zone & intermixing with N. granosa type (N. pyramidalis type not very obvious). Littorinids were mostly large - only a few small-sized individuals. Grey fine-ribbed barnacle above & through oyster zone - grown abundantly on oysters on rock platform & on edges of terraces over which water cascades - these edges were usually raised a little. No Balanus seen though one dead shell found in rock pool. No large limpets seen (though plenty of dead shells on rock platform). A great deal of Xenia in rock pools & depresssions particularly in run-off area. Many Echinometra (no other urchins seen) particularly in run-off area in hollows. Lithophagids in coral rock on pool (small-medium) but large aperture seen in reef. Lithophagid, Tectus-Patellids, acmeids. trochid (?Calliostoma) dead in pool. Agneusia, Dicathais, Turbo (which species?), juvenile Tectus in pools. Russoinids[?] columbellinids (Pyrene scrypta) in pools. Vermetids on platform - most large ones dead.
Clay & Mike went to collect intertidaly on the W side of Cape Boullanger, on the N end of Dorre I.
#DI4; Among other species Clay collected a small dark brown achitectonicid which was crawling over rock not on a soft coral. 
In the afternoon we wnt again up to the bay about 1km N of C. Couture on E coast of Bernier I (#BI8); We dived around the reed on th N side of he headland. The sand bottom at 10-15' is apparently quite barren here. I collected some more pearlshell & Clay took some photographs of others. I collected some of he small purplemouthed columbellid under stones. Most of the collection was of coral samples. Found a species of what I think is Moseleya (Spelling?) - with more elongate & smaller polyps than the Abrolhos species. It was in about 10-12' water on outer edge of reef.Saw >20 goats on way home.
Monday
10-iii-80
[...]#DI5 N side of Smith Point, Dorre Island. sublittoral-rock & coral reef -> 5m in sand; This reef forms the NE boundary of a small bay with Snith Point forming the S boundary.
[Small sketch map of DI5 location]
The coral reef lies offshore from a rocky high intertidal & supratidal ridge running N/S parallel to the coast. It is a really lovely reef with large boulders forming deep fissures & caverns, & coral growth lush in most places. Near the coral towards the S end of reef the sand is silty but towards the N end offshore from the reef it is coarser sand. Saw some more of the Moseleya sp. found on Bernier I. but didn't collect. Most of the coral was Turbinaria various species, & large & small colonies of Acropora & Montipora & there was also Favia Favites Echinopora Meandrina, (?)Symphilia. A lot of the Acropora was dead. There were some sponges on the outer edge of the reef - massive blacks & small mushroom shaped khaki jobs [sketch of sponge]. There wasn't much soft coral - mostly Polythoa. Of the molluscs there were some quite sizeable Pinctada margaritifera & some P. albina quite a few Tridacna maxima, Spondylus, Chama, variety of arcids (mostly Barbatia fusca), few small white isgnomonids, few montacutids(?). There were very many Tectus, a small buccinid(?) was found under a stone as well as a fasciolariid, plenty Clanculus (black), some (?)Monilea (red & white trochids) some Turbo (what species?), plenty of columbellids (slender Pyrene scrypta), mitrids (brown & yellow), Haliotis varia & H. squamata (with crabs in mantle cavity of each taken) Trochus(?) maculatus under stones, some large pale brown, white & black Clanculus most dead many crushed, 1 live one taken under rock. Out on the sand there was a variety of dead shells - some tellins (3 or 4 spp) & lucinids & a live Myadora(?) on sand surface. I found a dead shell of Hyotissa hyotis but no sign of living gryphaeids. Found some small oysters under stones - resemble Lamarck's Ostrea haliotoidea perhaps. Clay found some larger oysters (?O. folium) & he also found a juvenile Pinna & some dark Malleus sp. The two colour forms of Chromodoris (westraliensis) -c lines & c 2 blue spots were found in this area - therer seems to be a  third type also - with only one large patch of blue on dorsum & with sign of longitudinal streaks between rhinophores. Also on sand found dead olive 2 spp of live nassariids (1) burrowing in sand leaving trail (2) other in sand under stones, where I also found live Aquaria & dead Tonna. Found largish yellow-orange nudibranch under rock - some as Clay had found previously. The only sea grass was Halophylla in sand in sheltered areas. In the deep undercuts & fissures was a large orange-red much-branched alga & a species with a wide flat blade seeming to be tattered on the edges (very gelatinous). Quite a few brittle stars were seen & some samples were collected. Echinometra was very common & 1 specimen of Tripnuestes (large round c white spine) was seen, though a few dead tests were found.
[...]
#BI9 W side of Cape Couture, Bernier I, intertidal rock platform & sublittoral coral platform; We all snorkelled over rock & coral platform. In the shallower areas to the S (near to #BI6) the rock platform is about about at LWL with pinnacles & ridges projecting upwards & crowned with oysters. In the pools & depressions were plenty of Tricadna maxima & some small coral colonies. Lower rocky areas were generally covered with an algal mat. In the deeper areas to the N are gardens of Acropora species (both tabular & staghorn types). There were also large clumps of soft corals of the type that Ovula ovum eat (Clay found some). He also found 2 large Charonia tritonis at base of this same soft coal colony, and a large red Spanish dancer which had itself (or with others) been laying egg ribbons attached to sides of rock pools over quite a large area. Plenty of Echinometra one Diadema seen. In yet deeper areas there were channels (6-8' deep at mid tde level) with sand on bottom & quite a strong flow of water from the SW where waves were breaking. The most obvious feature of this area were the large massive bombies of brain coral (Pachyseris) with five convolutions & only a faint groove running along the top of septum between coralites. These combies were a lovely grey-blue colour & looked marvelous. In this area there was a large variety of abundant fish - bald chin groupers, large cod & a 5-6' shark as well as parrot fish, hump-headed wrasse, Chaetodons (yellowish), Clown fish (Brown yeloow & white & also black c 2 white-blue spots) & many many more. No large limpets seen - no Haliotis roei though this was really not the right habitat 1 Turbo pulcher taken in crevise in coral. Pinctada margaritifera - few but medium sized. Mike said he saw a v. larg orange nudibranch (abt 1' in length) with pustulose dorsum. I found a swimming Lima with deep red tentacles & very thin flail shell under stone - some oval monlacutids under stone & other bits & pieces but these together with a nudibranch (whitish) which Clay photographed appear to be lost. 
[short notes on trip back to camp]
11-iii-80 Tuesday
[Notes on weather and morning preparation]
#DI6 W side of Cape Boullanger, Dorre Island.
DI6/1, above oyster zone near vertical rock faces exposed to waves. DI6/2, oyster zone; Melaraphe reasonably abundant - on more exposed situations few if any oysters except in crevises & rock pools. Barnacles (1 sp - grey fine ribbed) above through & below oysters (& in more esposed situations replacing oysters) (PHOTO). Littorinids (N, pyramidalis & granularis types both present). Few patellids & v few siphonarians in exposed situations. On more sheltered but still exposed rocks - few oysters - large L. granularis, barnacles & more patellids & siphonarians (large ones above oyster zone, smaller ones within it) (PHOTO). At more sheltered situations (but still with abundant wash from waves) plenty of juvenile oysters not aggregated around adults but settled on rock face ususually in depressions, not always (PHOTOS). On sheltered face of high esposed boulder N pyramidalis-type high up with Melaraphe (PHOTO).
DI6/3, Exposed rock platform at lower oyster zone level; Few oysters scattered over rock platform. In pools found caralliophyllids (dumpy[?], purple mouthed) on Montipora colonies. Found first Thais (atropurpurea?) - spiked, purplish & white - same as at Kendrew I. on oysters - but this specimen was not on oysters, just clinging to rock platorm. Large limpets present but not abundant (unlike reef flat to S on W coast over from Disaster Cove). Plenty of siphonarians on oysters etc & on rock. Cypraea caputaserpentis in depressions. Quite a few chamids - some in depressions, some not - Mostly old & hoary. Plenty of Septifer but not in mats - on rock & on coral; few Pinctada albina mostly small &/or stunted. Turbo pulcher in depressions.
DI6/4, More sheltered part of reef flat which receives wash from waves but not subject to full force of breaking waves; Mancinella mancinella (orange) behind boulder. * Dicathais boring oysters - boring in centre of vt. valve (actually anterior to add. muscle) - not on lip as with Drupa & Thais. Though Dicathais found all over reef flat in pools & at the base of cascades where oysters were very abundant & where water flow was constant but not rough. Plenty of siphonarians & patellids on rock & also suprisingly quite a number of littorinids - mostly N. granosa type. There were chamids attached to rock, Septifer quite abundant, stunted Pinctada albina in small pools & a live Trapezium on sand in pool. On a particular prt of this sheltered section of reef which was higher than the rest there were a very great number of littorinids - mostly N. pyramidalis type - including a very large number of juveniles in shallow pools - not seen anywhere else. Around behind boulders was a most peculiar habitat - the water from the waves had passed under & between large boulders towards the seaward edge of the reef & ran out and down over a series of cascades extremely well covered with oysters. Clay got a much deformed pinnid (?Atrina) here among the oysters. In the rock pools behind (ie to the east of) the intertidal eock platform were Diadema Polythoa Pocillopora Acropora & Montipora. Mike bashed up clumps of oysters to extract the interstitial fauna keeping that from the sheltered cascades area separate from that of the more exposed E edge of the rock platform where the fauna was more abundant. Intertitial exposed; peanut worms, ribbed mytelids, Patellids, Nerita atrata, Fossarus, Leptons, Lithophagids, Acmeids, Barnacles, Littorinids. Interstitial sheltered; less abundant, live and dead lithophagids, few ribbed mytelids, peanut worms, siphonarians, fossarids (? no leptonids)
[sketch map of C Boulanger area with locations of DI6 localities]
Collected beach drift from sand bank - found would have come from sheltered area between intertidal rock platform & sandblock which was sandy bottom at depth of 2-3' at LWL with coral & oyster clumps. Stomatellids (Gena & Stomatia mariae?), Opisthobranchs (>2spp) & Hydatina(?) guamensis, Volute (Aulicina nirosa), Buccinnid(?), 2 spp. Hipponicid, Cypraea helvola, C. caputaserpentis, C. miliaris, Calliostoma, Trochus(?) maculatus, Diodora spp.(2), Euchelus, Clanculus atratus, 2 cerithiids.
(DI6/3 addendum) black & white drope, oyster (other than & as well as S. cuccullata), large limpet, Septifer, barnacles, chitons (large granular & small greenish granular), Pinctada albina (stunted), patellids, spihonarians, Tridacna maxima, Cypraea caputaserpentis, Dicathais, vermetid, Cone (red/large), coralliophyllid on Montipora, Thais (b&w c purplish aperture), Columbellids, Agneusia. Algae; triqueter Sargassum whitish coralline (but softish) clumps of green & red filamentous clumps.
12-iii-80
Beach Collecting at Cape Boullanger [...]
[short discussion on return to Carnarvon delayed by vessel not yet departing]
So again we went beach collecting on the N & E sides of Cape Boullanger. Found one dead Haliotis roei on the beach on the E side of the Cape but otherwise little diffference inb dead shell composition of the drift. again got a great diversity of small shells from the drift on the beach near to the NW side of the Cape (sheltered). Took some photographs of the camp at Disaster Cove. [Discussion on return to Carnavon by ship]
13-iii-80
C1. Pt Quobba (Clay & Mike offloaded gear from the vessel.) We departed Carnarvon about 8am or so for Quobba. Day overcast & strong wind from S turning to SW. We spent a few hours snorkelling in the coral reef flat area south of the point - coral in sand, shallow, sublittoral. - greater variety of sand dwelling molluscs than at any of our island stations (mitra cones etc). A lot of dead coral & soft corals. Only S. cuccullata. Returned to Carnarvon in evening. 
14-iii-80
(1) Carnarvan mangals (2) New Beach, Wooramel R camp.
Departed at about 8.30am. Went first to Fishermans Harbour - launched dinghy - examined mangal to S side of harbour - dead patches - probably oil - all Avicennia collected few littorinids, potamidids & ellobiids, no oysters. Then went to mangal W of harbour on N side of channel. 2 (?3) species of ellobiids. Oysters (S. commercialis type). Ellobiids seemed zoned - one species overall (zig-zag) but one only in more sheltered area of mangal. Neritid. potamidids.
C3. After lunch in town we departed south & reached New Beach in mid afternoon (vehicle overheating). Thin beach in S of Greenough Point (& S of Bush Bay) on E coast of Bay. There is a smaal tidal drainage creek (perhaps freshens in rainy weather) running through rather sparse mangroves to open with a deep channel onto intertidal sand flats. the wind was fresh from the south - just as well as the flies were impossible. I walked along the beach to N for about 1-2km gather beach drift - many newly dead latemulids (small->med) & dead cardoods & venerids - probably due to constant strong SE-S-SW winds over previous week. No oysters on mangroves (dead or alive) which were healthy enough on beach but had died further out on flat - evidently level of flat had fallen &/or perhaps sediment type had changed. Live bivalves were not really abundant but some cardiids were found. 1 species (check!) in mangal - very sparse.
[Note on evening camp]
15-iii-80
Wooramel R-> Denham. Clay & Mike S to Islet. Arthur Bassett. Flies & more flies even before sun-up - at least they got us on our way early. We reached Denham about 10am. Clay & Mike went S along Peron Peninsula to rocky islet down towards Eagle Bluff. Collected oysters (S. commercialis type) & other rock dwellers there - reported that they & other animals were very sparse. [Discussion of visit to Arthur Basset's house to discuss shells into evening]
16-iii-80
Shark Bay Big Lagoon area
[sketch map showing localities visited]
Left Basset's about 7.00-7.30am & went N along coast to the mouth of Big Lagoon (low water).
BL1. Collected oysters & associated fauna on shore outside N head at entrance to Big Lagoon. 2 species of rock oyster - S. cuccullata & S. commercialis (but check*). The cuccullata were quite peculiar with the posterior lip often rising up above the level of the right valve as a sharp flange. The lower valve ribs are sharper than normal & there was often little evidence of the ribs on right valve - the growth lamellae were strong & often continous with lappets corresponding to ribs. Very few if any jeveniles of this species - some individuals are obviously very old as the rock was "pillared" beneath them. On these rocks - beach rocks & boulders - at abt mid-tide level the species were evenly mixed with perhaps a greater proportion of cuccillata towards the point at N of beach. On the same rocks was the species Saccostrea "commercialis" - hard to tell from the sharp edged S. cuccullata.  They were generally lighter in colour - grey with purple radial (but curved) stripes & were possibly slightly higher up the shore (or  at height where that they were on the sheltered surfaces of the beach rock which were at its upper limit in general). There ere quite a few juveniles & half grown oysters of this species present. Ellobiids under rocks & seagrass drift about HWS - zigzag striped sp. & pale yellowish c spiral brown bands sp (larger than others found - Melampus?). Otherwise cerithiids, siphonarians, acmeids on oysters, leptoniids on oysters & black & white cerithaceans & granular Littorinid.
BL2. We then went across Big Lagoon entrance to the mangal on S head. This lies on NE facing point & around bay behind (ie on S shore of passage into Big Lagoon). Avicennia marina only (of course) vv few oysters - all S. commercialis one on tree branch & others loose on intertidal substrate. 2 spp (or maybe 3) of ellobiids - zig zag all over mangal in salicornia bed or under wet drift of sea grasses. Small brown ellobiid c yellow band  in moister or more shaded places with zig zag job. Polamidids galore, Littorina scabra below water level, in litter on branches etc.
BL3. We then went out W of the entrance to Big Lagoon. There is s deep channel running W from the entrance with steep sides, particularly on the N side of the channel. We dived here thinking there werer rocky reefs forming the steeo channel side - but it turned out to be eroded banks of solid sea-grass sediment - which must be at least 8-10 feet thick here & goodness knows how thick below the level of erosion. We went out further west to the sand & weed flats to the S of this channel. It was about mid tide level -about 3-4' deep - Clay took quite a lot of photos. Ran into a sea snake which came investigating as I fanned the bottom - just about levitated as I found that the inquisitive "fish" I was pushing back with my bare hand was a bit larger & fatter than usual! But it wasn't interested in me after it swam through my arms & legs & went on its way.
[8 pages of notes on previous discussion with Arthur Basset]
[3 blank pages shot notes on return to Perth on 17-iii-80]
[final page sketches of shell morphology] ...