Sea Slug Census Project
​Join the hunt! Register your interest now. 
​Send an email to seaslugcensus@gmail.com   
To date more than 600 participants (scuba divers; plus snorkelers and rockpoolers) have taken part in the program recording over 245 sea slugs species over the 23 census' including over 40 species who had not been previously recorded in the area.
Two scientific papers have been published (Nimbs et al. 2016a/2016b) and a 3rd paper is in preparation discussing how Citizen Scientists can make a valuable contribution to scientific research. In addition the census program has been showcased in presentations on citizen science at the Molluscs 2015 conference in Coffs Harbour, and at the Hunter Aquatic Research Seminar 2016 in Lake Macquarie. 

Upcoming census'  dates TBC
XXIVth   Nelson Bay Sea Slug Census September 2020
VIth       Swansea Sea Slug Census December 2020
XXVth    Nelson Bay Sea Slug Census December 2020

​Sea Slug Census Results and albums:
Nelson Bay Sea Slug Census'
​March 2020         Nelson Bay results and album
December 2019   Nelson Bay results and album
September 2019  Nelson Bay results and album
March 2019         Nelson Bay results and album​
December 2018   Nelson Bay results and album
September 2018  Nelson Bay results and album
March 2018         Nelson Bay results and album
December 2017   Nelson Bay results and album
September 2017  Nelson Bay results and album 
March 2017         Nelson Bay results and album
​December 2016   Nelson Bay results and album
September 2016  Nelson Bay results and album
June 2016            Nelson Bay results and album
March 2016         Nelson Bay results and album
​December 2015   Nelson Bay results and album
​September 2015  Nelson Bay results and album
June 2015            Nelson Bay results and album
March 2015         Nelson Bay results and album
December 2014   Nelson Bay results and album
September 2014  Nelson Bay results and album
June 2014            Nelson Bay results and album
March 2014         Nelson Bay results and album
December 2013   Nelson Bay results and album

Swansea Census'
December 2019 Swansea results and album
November 2018 Swansea results and album
December 2016 Swansea results and album
December 2015 Swansea results and album
December 2013 Swansea results and album   

Inaugural Indonesia Census 2017 Results and album​
Citizen scientists are always curious. When five CHUG members were on holiday in Indonesia, they coordinated a seaslug census to coincide with World Oceans Day (8 June).

Background 
It is well recognised that passionate, informed volunteer scuba divers (citizen scientists) can contribute valuable information to document the biodiversity of the world’s oceans and consequently help promote their sustainable management. 

Did you know sea slugs make very good indicators of climate change because they are highly visible, have short lives, and are (relatively) easy to identify?

Despite their uninspiring common name, sea slugs probably arouse more passion among scuba divers than many other animal groups with nudibranch images posted to social media sites and dominating many post-dive conversations. Most sea slugs are highly colourful, not very mobile, and plentiful in the Port Stephens area; so why not join in and record the variety of species within The Bay and at other identified sites?

CHUG have joined forces with Southern Cross University's National Marine Science Centre and Underwater Volunteers of NSW to research the importance role community volunteers, in this case scuba divers and snorkellers can play in recording and identifying sea slug diversity within Nelson Bay. 

Read Divelog article


Inaugural Indonesia Census June 2017 
Citizen scientists are always curious: when six CHUG members were on holiday in Indonesia, they completed a seaslug census to coincide with World Oceans Day (8 June).
Results and album​