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Sea Cucumber Research Update
As we wrote in the last newsletter, PhD student Alison Hammond from the University of the Sunshine Coast is currently undertaking a research project on the sea cucumber (bêche-de-mer) fishery in Hervey Bay, the Great Sandy Strait and Tin Can Bay in the 1980s and 1990s. Project results will be used to map the historical and current distribution of sea cucumbers.
In late 2025, the project received Human Research Ethics approvals. So, Alison has been able to interview some local retired commercial fishers and long-term residents/naturalists about the history of the sea cucumber/beche-de-mer industry in Great Sandy.
“A million thanks to those who have generously given their time for an interview. These insights are absolutely invaluable to reconstructing some semblance of a pre-fishing baseline, especially in the absence of any catch monitoring prior to 1995,” said Alison.
Permits are now in place for the in-water survey and eDNA component, so the team can begin searching in earnest for sandfish in the Great Sandy Marine Park. In-water surveys in Moreton Bay Marine Park are planned for February to assess the current status of sandfish stocks there for comparison with the 2018 and 2001 surveys.
Finally, Alison was excited to announce that they recently found a small, lone sandfish at Tinnanbar.
“Not quite the hundreds of thousands that once roamed the seagrass beds, but at least one is a start! The finder called me, and I was able to race down and grab a skin sample from it for genetic testing.
Alison is specifically seeking sightings of the sandfish Holothuria scabra (see photo) anywhere within the Great Sandy Marine Park. If anyone finds one, it would be great if they could take a photo and, if possible, a GPS location (or a screenshot of their location on Google Maps would be good), and text it to Alison on 0419 740 994 or email alison.hammond@research.usc.edu.au.
Article contributed by Alison Hammond, University of the Sunshine Coast
K’gari Conference 2025
The University of the Sunshine Coast’s 2025 conference celebrated the theme Voices of K’gari: Research, Respect and Responsibility, bringing together K’gari’s Traditional Owners, the Butchulla people, leading researchers, conservationists and artists who together explored the cultural, ecological and geological stories of K’gari and the surrounding Great Sandy region.
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Restoring the Great Sandy’s Ecological Health
This short item isn’t directly about K’gari., it is more about Korrawinga (what we call the Great Sandy Strait). I know little of Butchulla lore, but I think Korrawinga was formed by Yindingie with the assistance of the spirit K’gari.
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Sea Cucumber Stories Wanted
The University of the Sunshine Coast is undertaking a research project on the sea cucumber (bêche-de-mer) fishery in Hervey Bay; the Great Sandy Strait (Korrawinga), and Tin Can Bay in the 1980s and 1990s.
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K’gari Research Conference 2025 – Call for Abstracts
The University of the Sunshine Coast, along with partners the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation (BAC), the Butchulla Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BNTAC), the Fraser Island Defenders Organisation (FIDO) and FINIA – the Natural Integrity Alliance for K’gari, is excited to announce the biennial K’gari Research Conference Voices of K’gari: Research, Respect and Responsibility on Monday and Tuesday, 10-11 November 2025.
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K’gari Biosecurity Strategy BlueSheet Workshop
On 3-4 June 2025, members of the K’gari Biosecurity Advisory Group (KBAG) joined key stakeholders for a 2-day collaborative Biosecurity Strategy BlueSheet workshop held on K’gari.
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Voices of K’gari: Research, Respect and Responsibility 2025 Conference
The biennial K’gari conference will be held again this year at UniSC’s Fraser Coast campus on the 10-11 November. Voices of K’gari: Research, Respect and Responsibility 2025 Conference is, once again, a joint initiative of UniSC and FIDO.
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FINIA Field Trip 2025
It is incredible to think that this year, marks 20 years since the formation of FINIA and their first weed workshop held on K’gari. Weeds and biosecurity are still a massive (and growing) issue for the World Heritage property and an area that concerns many of our partners.
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FINIA on Tour – Annual Field Trip 2024
In June, FINIA members headed off to K’gari for their annual field trip and on-island meeting. The annual field trips have become a highlight in the FINIA calendar and are an opportunity for partnering organisations to network, share information and learn more about K’gari.
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Butchulla Water Stories
Capturing K’gari’s Water Values to Keep Country Healthy
Since 2014, the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC (BAC) has worked tirelessly to empower Butchulla People – in accordance with their traditional lores – to care for Country; building partnerships to maintain their unique cultural and natural values and generate sustainable livelihoods in line with their traditional obligations and future aspirations.
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FINIA 