Sea Slug Census Project
​Join the hunt! For more information -
email seaslugcensus@gmail.com   

To date more than 760 participants (scuba divers; plus snorkellers and rockpoolers) have taken part in the program recording over 251 sea slugs species over the 24 census' including over 40 species who had not been previously recorded in the area.

Three scientific papers have been published from the census data. 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. 

Nimbs M, Larkin M, Davis TR, Harasti D, Willan RC, Smith SDA (2016). Southern range extensions for twelve heterobranch sea slugs (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) on the eastern coast of Australia. Marine Biodiversity Records 9:27.

Nimbs M, Willan RC, Smith SDA (2016). Is Port Stephens, eastern Australia, a global hotspot for biodiversity of Aplysiidae (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia)? Molluscan Research.

Smith, SDA., & Davis, TR. (2019). Slugging it out for science: Volunteers provide valuable data on the diversity and distribution of heterobranch sea slugs. Molluscan Research, 39(3), 214-223.

Upcoming census'  dates 
XXVIth   Nelson Bay Sea Slug Census 13-14th March 2021
VIIth       Swansea Sea Slug Census TBA December 2021

Sea Slug Census Results and albums:
Nelson Bay Sea Slug Census'
November 2020 Nelson Bay results and album
September 2020  Nelson Bay results and album​
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 2020 Swansea results and album
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​