Ocean health and sustainability self-guided resourceOcean health and sustainability self-guided resource 

Discover our most beautiful and interesting ocean science and sustainability objects. This resource page supports teachers to guide their students through the museum for a marine science focussed self-guided visit.  

Learn about Sea Country and First Nations sustainable fishing practices. Explore engineering innovations to increase marine biodiversity. Be amazed by beautiful artworks with powerful messages about overfishing and ecosystem balance.

 

How to use this page

This page identifies key stop-off points in the museum for an ocean health and sustainability focussed self-guided visit. Each stop-off point includes an object location, photograph, object background information and group discussion questions.  

These objects can be viewed in any order and each stop-off point is self-contained. To follow the objects in the order presented, start at the museum foyer and walk up the ramp past the Theatrette.

It takes approximately 45 minutes to complete this ocean health self-guided experience.  

Stop and look up! What do you see Swimming through the air? 

Swimming is the name of the silver shark sculpture which is suspended over the ramp. It was created by Zou Liang in 2014.  

The body of the shark sculpture is made up of a variety of marine organisms. These organisms are all part of the shark’s food chain.  

There are also two children balancing on the shark’s tail. Humans are not part of the shark’s food chain, yet the two species can co-exist. 

 

Discussion questions

• What animals can you see on the body of the shark?
• Imagine sharks were to become extinct because of overfishing. What do you think would happen to the ocean food chain if sharks were removed?  

Answer: Sharks keep the ocean in balance. If sharks were to become extinct, initially fish populations would surge. A dramatic rise in fish populations would lead to a major decrease in fish food sources (such as plankton and algae).  

If there is no food available for fish, fish populations would also decline and ultimately, the entire ocean ecosystem would collapse. 
 

Ghost nets are fishing nets that have been damaged and abandoned or lost at sea. These nets continue to float with the ocean currents, silently and invisibly (like a ghost). Birds, fish, sharks, dolphins, turtles and coral can become entangled in these nets and die.  

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities use traditional weaving techniques to turn this harmful ocean debris into colourful sculptures with an important message. These artworks are about caring for Sea Country, raising awareness of ocean pollution and promoting marine conservation.

 

Discussion questions

• What animals can you see?
• What are ghost nets?
• Which traditional technique do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people use to create ghost nets?  
• What can ghost net artworks teach us? 

In Sydney Harbour, 50% of the natural shoreline has been modified for urban constructions, such as pilings, pontoons or marinas. Urban coastal structures negatively impact the biodiversity and ecosystem services of coastal areas.  

These Living Seawalls panels mimic the natural habitat of the shoreline ecosystem. Living Seawalls provide places for seaweed and shellfish to colonise. They provide protection from predators for small marine animals. Living Seawalls have been installed around the world. There has been an increase of up to 36% in the number of fish, seaweed and invertebrates in areas where Living Seawalls are installed. 

Oysters and mussels often grow on the Living Seawalls. These molluscs help to remove particles from the water. This makes the water cleaner for swimming, fishing and recreational activities.  

 

Discussion questions

• Touch the Living Seawalls. What do they feel like?  
• Imagine you are a little fish in Sydney Harbour. Why would the Living Seawalls be a good home?   
• How do the Living Seawalls help to protect the environment?  

The Mäna and Bäru exhibition contains sculptures by Yolŋu artist, Guykuḏa Munuŋgurr. This exhibition is a powerful demonstration of ancestral and totemic affiliations of marine life in the Yirrkala region.  

A totem is a plant or animal that is a person’s spiritual emblem. A totem defines a person’s roles, responsibilities and relationships with Country and with one another.  

 

Discussion questions 

• Can you find mäna (shark)?  
• Where is bäru (crocodile)?
• How do totems help First Nations Australians to care for Country? 

This barramundi fish trap is called a mandjabu. It was made by Anchor Galunba and comes from Western Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.  

It is woven from a thin vine called milil. Manben (wood) pieces are used to make the conical shape. 

Mandjabu catch fish (especially barramundi) in the lower, tidal pools of creeks.  

To use a mandjabu, a fence of wooden stakes, paperbark, reeds and grass is placed across the narrow part of the creek. A gap is left for the barrmundi to swim through.  

When the tide turns, the mandjabu is installed. As the fish swim back, they are trapped. To remove the fish, the tied end of the trap is opened and the fish are collected. 

 

Discussion question

• Is a mandjabu a sustainable way to fish? Why/why not? 

Answer: When using a mandjabu, you only harvest what you need. 

These traps make use of the changing tides and the natural water flow of the river (rather than trying to control or change the river’s natural course).  

The traps are made from local, natural materials. When they are no longer needed, they will easily break down and not cause harm to the land, water or fish. 

Once fish or eels have been collected from the traps, the traps can be re-tied and re-used many times again. 

The loose weave (gaps) in the mandjabu mean that only adult fish are trapped. Smaller, younger fish can swim through and grow to adult size. 

The Ocean Health Lab is open for tours daily at 11.30am and 1.30pm.  

The Seabin Project was founded in 2015 by two Australian boat builders, Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski. There are 860 Seabins installed around the world. Most of them are installed at marinas, ports and yacht clubs. There are over 30 Seabins in Sydney Harbour, including three on the museum’s wharves. Not only do they remove plastic from the ocean, but analysis of the ‘catch’ will help us to understand the source of pollution in the harbour, and how we can change our behaviour to stop plastic getting into the ocean.

 

Discussion questions

•  How does the Seabin work? 

Answer: The seawater is circulated through the action of a submersible water pump. It has a 50m radius and can hold up to 20kg of waste. As the water passes through the catch bag, the Seabin retains all marine debris 2mm or larger. It can also soak up oil and petrol. Globally, the Seabins capture about 3600Kgs of litter each day. Scientists estimate there are 8 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean and by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish.

 

• How do microplastics wind up in the ocean?  

Answer: Plastic enters waterways through stormwater, directly from vessels, by wind or water runoff. Larger pieces of plastic break up (not down!) into smaller pieces of plastic. Plastic affects marine biota in different ways depending on its size. Marine animals can get caught in plastic, swallow it and die, while the effect on our health is still unknown. On average we consume a credit card’s worth of plastic a year!