Deep diving at the Solitary Islands Aquarium

Octopi are just some of the many intriguing creatures of the deep on display at the Solitary Islands Aquarium, located at Southern Cross University’s National Marine Science Centre in Charlesworth Bay. The public aquarium showcases marine life unique to the Coffs coast, with a focus on community education and engagement.

“Octopi are the amazing Houdinis of the marine world,” says Stephan Soule, Manager of Education and Outreach at the Solitary Islands Aquarium.

“You have to be careful about keeping a lid on your octopi’s tanks because they can crawl out and go for a walk. We did have one get out of a tank once and climb into another tank. I have a much better locking system now,” he laughs.

Stephan’s delight in uncovering the mysteries of marine life stems from his younger years in the United States, where he undertook an undergraduate degree in marine science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Stephan made the most of the California coastline, developing a passion for scuba diving.

“California is famous for its big kelp forests. Some of these kelps can grow a metre a day. So, you get these cathedrals of kelp which you don’t see on the Coffs coast,” Stephan says.

“Everyone thinks of California as being sunny and tropical but the water is actually quite cold due to a cold-water current, whereas the Coffs coast gets the best of both worlds.”

‘Boutique’ aquarium showcases local biodiversity

The Solitary Islands Marine Park has been heralded as a unique environment for studying marine science due to its location at the intersection of warm-water and cold-water currents. The resulting ‘mixing zone’ is a tapestry of colours and shapes where species from the Great Barrier Reef, such as corals and reef fish, co-exist with temperate seaweeds, invertebrates and fish from colder environments.

“It’s one of the few places in the world where we have these two marine ecosystems right next to each other, the tropical and temperate,” says Stephan.

This special site of marine wonder made the perfect location for the Solitary Islands Aquarium, which opened in 2009.

“I call it a boutique aquarium because it is intimate and highlights local species. Visitors have a really interactive experience,” says Stephan. “We have such a unique environment here so we can show off this fantastic biodiversity.”

Visitors can get up close with the local wildlife including clownfish, crayfish, sea urchins, lionfish, angelfish, tangs and butterfly fish, with guided tours, feeding activities and a touch tank.

Being part of Southern Cross University, education is a driving force behind the aquarium, with school programs, public lectures and research forming a major part of its operation.

“I love communicating the science and understanding to a broad audience,” says Stephan.

“Information leads to power, and power leads to change. With all of these human pressures on our oceans, I find it imperative to translate that information to the greater community. Hopefully they can take that on board and make changes to their own lives.

“We had a student who picked up all of the rubbish off the beach at Charlesworth Bay for four months. As a result of her work, she found that about 44,000 pieces of rubbish accumulates every year on our little beach, which is only 350 metres wide. People are quite surprised by that.”

The Solitary Islands Aquarium hosts public lectures every three months, spotlighting marine experts as part of the Marine Discovery Series.

“Our most recent lecture included PhD candidate Kate Seinor talking about her research into the population of local turban snails which are subject to fishing.

“Every animal has interlocking importance. Removing one animal out of the system can have a cascading effect. It might seem as simple as one snail but it can have quite significant effects on the health of the reef.”

Cutting edge marine research

The aquarium also showcases the research coming out of Southern Cross University’s National Marine Science Centre, including projects addressing plastic pollution and ocean acidification.

“We are conducting research into ocean cooling through cloud brightening technology as well as the effects of ocean acidification on marine animals,” says Stephan.

“We pump seawater through the building from the ocean 24 hours a day. We can put the seawater through experimental tanks to better understand what the oceans might be like in 50 to 100 years’ time.”

Southern Cross University was ranked in the global top 100 universities for Oceanography in the Global Rankings of Academic Subjects (Shanghai Rankings) 2023.

The Solitary Islands Aquarium is open every weekend and every day during New South Wales school holidays from 10am to 4pm. The National Marine Science Centre will also be open to the public on Sunday 11 August 2024 for Southern Cross University’s Open Day.