16/09/2026
Green STEM Day 2 – Seagrass Scientists in Action 🌱🌊
Day 2 of Green STEM 2026 was all about seagrass – why it is so important, how scientists monitor it and the vital role these underwater meadows play in our marine ecosystems.
Often described as the “nurseries of the sea,” seagrass meadows provide important habitat, shelter and feeding grounds for many marine animals. They are also a vital food source for some of our most iconic Great Barrier Reef animals, including dugongs and green sea turtles.
Students began the day learning about the importance of seagrass before being introduced to the methods used to complete a Seagrass-Watch survey. This was particularly special as Belgian Gardens State School has been involved in surveying our Rowes Bay Seagrass Site since 2004, providing students with the opportunity to contribute to a long-running citizen science project.
Drones Take Flight! 🐢🚁
Before heading to Rowes Bay, students put their coding skills to the test with a Sea Turtle Drone Challenge. A mock sea turtle nesting site was created, and students had to code drones to fly over the site and take aerial photographs of the turtles.
We were also lucky to have our very own guest drone pilot, call sign “Maverick,” join us for the mock survey. Maverick made sure all of our drones were in flying condition and ready for their missions before impressing the students with a demonstration of his own drone-flying skills!
This activity demonstrated how technology such as drones can be used by scientists to monitor wildlife and collect valuable information while covering large areas.
Citizen Scientists at Rowes Bay 🌱🔬
After walking to Rowes Bay and enjoying morning tea, it was time for the real fieldwork to begin!
Three transects were established across the seagrass meadow, with students working in teams to complete a survey for Seagrass-Watch. Students investigated seagrass percentage cover, species present, epiphyte growth and signs of other animals, including snails and burrows.
While three groups completed the seagrass surveys, the other groups undertook seagrass seed coring, searching through sediment for tiny black seagrass seeds. This proved to be a challenging task, with plenty of small rocks and grains of sand looking suspiciously like seeds! Halfway along the transects, the groups swapped activities so everyone had the opportunity to experience both methods of data collection.
We were very pleased to see an increase in seagrass coverage compared with the previous two years. Students also discovered plenty of other marine life during their surveys, including crabs, snails and even an eel hiding inside a besser block!
Marine Debris Sand Sculpture Challenge 🐢🏖️
Back on the beach, there was time for one final challenge. Students worked together to create sand sculptures of marine animals that can be affected by marine debris. It was a creative way to finish a day focused on understanding and protecting our marine environment.
A huge thank you to our wonderful volunteers from the Healthy Waters Partnership – Dry Tropics and the Reef Education team from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority for sharing their knowledge and supporting our students in the field.
Once again, Green STEM provided a fantastic day of real-life, hands-on learning, combining science, technology, coding, teamwork and citizen science. Rather than just learning about how scientists monitor our marine environment, our students had the opportunity to get out into the field, collect real data and contribute to an ongoing citizen science program.
We can't wait for Green STEM Day 3!
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