High On Ocean

02/09/2026

🦀Unfortunately, this winter in Port Phillip Bay, great spider crabs (aka giant spider crabs) have come and gone extremely quickly and barely anyone at all got to witness their annual and mysterious gathering. So I got really excited finding out from the Great Southern Reef Foundation that they had been spotting at Edithburgh jetty in South Australia, as shown in this beautiful video by Stefan Andrews.

Thank you to Narelle Graham from the ABC for giving me the opportunity to comment on the event yesterday on SA Regional Drive. Have a listen if you're wondering what these amazing creatures are up to (from 1:18:56) 👉 https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/sa-regional-drive/drive/107092934

Given the scarcity of scientific information available on great spider crabs, our team at Deakin University is inviting the community to document any sightings of spider crabs on iNaturalist. The best way to share sightings is to take photos of the gatherings and upload them here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/spider-crab-watch 🦀🙏

22/08/2026

22/07/2026

Curious what it's like to dive in Tanzania and Lake Malawi? 🤿

Let me take you there!

Late last year, I set off on an unforgettable adventure to explore some incredible dive destinations that weren't even on my bucket list — but absolutely should have been. Over the course of the trip, I completed 25 dives across four very different locations: Mafia Island, Lake Malawi, Pemba Island, and Zanzibar.

Tomorrow, I'll be sharing highlights from the journey as part of The Underwater Club's Trip Report Webinar. I'll be joined by Julie Jones, who'll be taking us to the Great Barrier Reef, and Stefanie Doniger, who'll introduce us to the spectacular reefs of Misool, Indonesia.

🗓 Tomorrow
🕙 10:00 am – 12:00 pm AEST

If you're curious about these destinations or looking for inspiration for your next dive trip, we'd love to have you join us.

Register here: https://shorturl.at/qmk0W 👋

02/07/2026

I can't believe it's already been a month since my TEDxCecil Street talk. Time really does fly when you're having fun!

Looking back, one of my biggest takeaways had little to do with public speaking per se. It was about perfectionism.

I'd spent months preparing this talk and putting so much pressure on myself to get everything just right. The day before, I couldn't rehearse without getting emotional. On the morning of the talk, I remember thinking, "If I can get through this without crying, that'll be a win."

Thanks to the incredible support of the TEDxCecilStreet team, includimg Johanna Parker and Julie Parker, and my wonderful speaking coach, Trang Nova, I stepped onto that stage, delivered my talk, and walked off feeling incredibly proud.

Then, later that morning... I suddenly realised I'd forgotten an entire section of my script.

I was devastated.

But here's the funny thing: nobody else seemed to notice.

People came up afterwards to tell me they'd enjoyed the talk, learned something new, and felt inspired. The only person comparing my performance to the "perfect" version in my head... was me.

A good reminder that perfection isn't what people remember.

Showing up is what really matters!

I can't wait to share the talk with you when it's released. Watch this space!💙🌊

📸 Fi Mims (fimimsphotography.com.au)

24/06/2026

📢 Join us this Saturday at the Port Phillip EcoCentre in St Kilda to discover the fascinating world of spider crabs and their mysterious annual gatherings in Naarm. 📢

You'll gain a fresh appreciation for these remarkable creatures and the rich marine ecosystems right on our doorstep.🦀

I'll also share the latest updates from Spider Crab Watch and explore how you can get involved in documenting the hidden lives of spider crabs—and marine life across the Great Southern Reef—through citizen science. 📸📱💻

Oh, and did I mention it's free to attend? Bookings are essential, though. Register here: https://www.ecocentre.com/events/event/community-science-lab-drop-in-session-june2026/

Note that by popular demand, the event hours have been extended; we'll welcome you at the Citizen Science Lab between 10 am and 1 pm! See you there👋

28/05/2026

🌊🎨 FINAL CALL FOR ARTISTS! 🎨🌊

There’s only one week left to enter the First Annual World Ocean Day Poster Competition.

From coral reefs and sea turtles to whales and seahorses, the ocean is full of stories worth protecting. This is an opportunity to use creativity as a tool for environmental impact and help spark conversations around the future of our seas.

Submissions are due June 1, and winners will be announced June 8.

Submit your poster at www.worldoceanday.org/poster

The ocean connects us all. Let your art speak for it.

29/04/2026

New podcast episode has dropped!

If you want to know what Spider Crab Watch is all about, or you want to catch up with the latest news, have a listen.

Thank you to the Citizen Science Show team for having me. It’s always a pleasure to talk about what makes the Great Southern Reef so special, including spider crabs. I love sharing how fascinating they are, how much we still have to learn, and how people can help build that knowledge by logging observations on iNaturalist.

The Enigma of the Great Spider Crab with Elodie Camprasse.

Australia’s great spider crab is hard to miss. With a leg span reaching up to a metre, these arthropods gather in extraordinary numbers along the seafloor. Each winter, tens of thousands converge in Port Phillip Bay in a phenomenon that has featured in global documentaries.

Yet, as Elodie Camprasse discovered, scientific understanding of the species is surprisingly thin.

“We know almost nothing about these crabs,” she explains.

What researchers do know is tied to a vulnerable moment in the crab’s life cycle. Like all arthropods, spider crabs must shed their hard shells to grow. During this moulting phase, they are soft and exposed—easy targets for predators.

The mass gatherings are believed to offer safety in numbers. Beyond that, much remains uncertain: How often do they moult?Where do they come from? Why do they choose specific locations?

Listen to this podcast episode for free wherever you get your podcasts.
https://shows.acast.com/citizen-science-show/episodes/161-the-enigma-of-the-great-spider-crab-with-elodie-camprass

08/04/2026

Did you know April is ?

I am really pleased to see some of the research I’ve been leading with a team at Deakin University featured in The Conversation Australia + NZ 👉 https://lnkd.in/gPTSu6rq

One of the things I love about citizen science is how it blurs the line between “researcher” and “participant” — opening up science to anyone with curiosity (and often just a smartphone or camera).

This article showcases a few ways people can get involved and why that participation genuinely matters for advancing research.

I am grateful to Miki Perkins for including our research in this feature.

06/04/2026

It's that time of year again!
If you've been in the water this long weekend (lucky you, I am jealous!) and you've photographed sea slugs, make sure you share your observations on iNaturalist.
And if not, make use of the next 6 days to go look for our little friends and report back.

05/04/2026

I’m so excited to be stepping onto the TEDx Cecil Street stage on the 30th May to talk about two things I care deeply about: the Great Southern Reef and the power of citizen science 🌊

Tickets are being released in just 3 days (at 9am on April 8th), and if last year is anything to go by, they will go fast — they sold out in around 30 minutes.
They’ll be released first to newsletter subscribers, so if you’re keen to come along, make sure you’re signed up and keep an eye on your inbox (and spam folder!):
tedxcecilstreet.safechkout.net/vip
Would love to see some familiar faces in the audience — it’s going to be a brilliant event.

The event brings together an incredible and diverse lineup of speakers exploring everything from:
• the intersection of ancient and emerging technologies
• moving from daily survival to genuine thriving
• forensic psychology and criminology
• women’s wellbeing, social health, and human connection
• emotional wellbeing and modern ritual
• building and scaling health and wellness ventures
• AI, human behaviour, and leadership
• self-belief and the “not enough” mindset
• scam awareness and financial confidence
• music, storytelling, and creative expression
• and cutting-edge cardiovascular health and research.