Can you cut 1 Tonne of carbon pollution out of your life?
Take the challengeA few weeks ago I was snorkeling along, watching the seagrass waving with the slight swell and a school of fish swimming beneath me. I could see a blue groper sitting under a rock a few meters away I dived down to get closer, it remained still but it was weary of me, so I left it alone. Surfacing, I saw a pod of dolphins swim past, clearly unaware of the flurry they must be causing back on shore.
This is my experience of a study break at Tamarama Beach, in Sydney's Eastern suburbs.
Image: Blue Groper taken by Renata Pronk
Our urban beaches are always seen to be just that: urban. But if you look below the surface, there is always marine life to be found at even the busiest of our city beaches.
Fish, large and small rely on the shallow seagrass beds for shelter and food; the same seagrass we rely on to stop dangerous rips form forming. Larger fish, like the groupers, Port Jackson or Wobbigong sharks are often found along Sydney's coastline. If you're lucky, you might even get to see a giant cuttlefish, fur seal or dolphin.
On Monday David Attenborough and Barack Obama sat down to talk about climate change and the state of the earth. Getting in touch with the natural world was something they identified as critical to engage the social shifts needed to address climate change.
Even if you are in a city as crowded as Sydney, you can go and explore the life that lives all over our beaches.
Check out the Marine Protected Areas for great and safe options to go and explore the marine life that lives in our city.
