Operation Crayweed talk: the restoration of Sydney's underwater forests

Meet your local, passionate marine ecologists who are restoring Sydney’s coastline with local seaweeds and seagrasses and find out how you can help!

They may not be glamorous, but they’re incredibly important plants.

Operation Crayweed is a Sydney-based project that combines science and community engagement to restore seaweed species in Australia.

It’s hard to imagine that 70km of forest habitat adjacent to one of our biggest cities disappeared without anyone noticing. But, in the 1980s, this is exactly what happened between Palm Beach and Cronulla.

This missing forest grew from the sea floor and shallow reefs of Sydney’s beaches and bays, and the dominant plant was Crayweed, a type of temperate seaweed.

Professor Adriana Verges, a marine ecologist based at UNSW and the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, is leading the Operation Crayweed campaign, alongside Dr Ziggy Marzinelli. They are committed to educating people on the importance of these underwater landscapes, and seaweed.

“They may not be glamorous, but they’re incredibly important plants. They provide critical food and habitat that supports hundreds of species. Just like trees on the land, seaweeds form vast underwater forests that underpin coastal food webs, all while capturing atmospheric carbon and producing oxygen."

Professor Adriana Vergés, marine ecologist based at UNSW Australia and the Sydney Institute of Marine Science.
Adriana is a co-founder and chief investigator of the project and leads the community engagement components of Operation Crayweed.

Photographs, videos and voice recordings

Randwick City Council staff may on occasion take recordings of participants during activities (including photographs, videos and voice recordings) that could be used for the following purposes:

• educational or community information purpose
• Council displays and promotions of community education events
• to complement the promotion of Randwick's Marine and Coastal Program.

If you DO NOT wish for the participant’s recording to be used according to these conditions, please indicate this during the booking process.

Cancellation conditions

This activity may be cancelled due to insufficient bookings, NSW health orders or poor weather. Participants will be advised in the event the activity changes or cancellation occurs. All care has been made in the preparation of the 2024 Marine and Coastal Discovery Program but some changes may occur due to circumstances beyond the control of Randwick City Council. Refunds will be provided for paid activities that are cancelled 48 hrs prior to the event start and in the event of cancellation by Council. 

To find out about other Marine and Coastal Discovery activities please visit https://events.humanitix.com/t...
This program is a Sustaining Our City initiative and is funded from Randwick City’s Environmental Levy

Randwick City Council acknowledges the Bidjigal and Gadigal Clans who traditionally occupied this area of the Sydney Coast and pays respect to Elders past and present.