Number 20 kicks off tomorrow. To date we have recorded anywhere between 260-315 species. The reason for the discrepancy and uncertainty is Taxonomy!!!! While I would love to rabbit on about it here, I won't. We still have a long way to go just to give the slugs you come across a name. There is some headway being made, albeit slowly. I will keep you posted.

In the meantime if you capture some slug shots over the next ten days (March 29 - April 7). Please join the census project so they get added to the nationwide project https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/melbourne-sea-slug-census-march-2024

Happy slugging .
Cheers,
Kade

It seemed fitting that the 30,000 observation was a sea slug! Thanks @imogenisunderwater.

Before the project kicked off the top suggestions for most of the Sea Slug images I uploaded were either flowers or butterflies! The reason for this, the "machine" did not have enough images to "learn" what it was looking at. Oh boy has that changed. The "machine" is not perfect but now many of the sea slug images are correctly identified (not just Ceratasoma and Tambja). Sea slugs are not the only critters that the "machine" is learning more about thanks to your images. Fish, crabs, sea stars, urchins and many snails are now being more accurately identified because of all the amazing images you contributed.

I just wanted to thank everyone who uploads, identifies and comments on images in this project. I have seen so many amazing images and learnt so much from you.

Looking forward to the next 30,000 images!

Participating is as easy as joining the project here https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/melbourne-sea-slug-census-january-2023 finding and photographing as many sea slugs as you can!
Please note Sea Slugs is not a taxonomic classification - it just makes it easier for non experts to get involved i.e. if it looks like a slug and smells like a slug? it may or may not be a slug, but take a photo and submit it anyway!

There are awesome sluggy prizes up for grabs and it is a fun excuse to get out and about during the cooler months.

Also please join and add your images to the Victorian Nudibranchs iNaturalist page https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/victorian-nudibranch

For more info on Sea Slug Census' across the country check in here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/721000354654850
For more information on Nudibranchs in Victoria check out here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nudibranchsvictoria

Happy Slug hunting
Kade

Participating is as easy as joining the project here https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/melbourne-sea-slug-census-october-2022 finding and photographing as many sea slugs as you can! Please note Sea Slugs is not a taxonomic classification - it just makes it easier for non experts to get involved i.e. if it looks like a slug and smells like a slug? it may or may not be a slug, but take a photo and submit it anyway!

There are awesome sluggy prizes up for grabs and it is a fun excuse to get out and about during the cooler months.

Also please join and add your images to the Victorian Nudibranchs iNaturalist page https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/victorian-nudibranch

For more info on Sea Slug Census' across the country check in here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/721000354654850
For more information on Nudibranchs in Victoria check out here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nudibranchsvictoria

Happy Slug hunting
Kade

Participating is as easy as joining the project here https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/melbourne-sea-slug-census-july-2022 finding and photographing as many sea slugs as you can! Please note Sea Slugs is not a taxonomic classification - it just makes it easier for non experts to get involved i.e. if it looks like a slug and smells like a slug? it may or may not be a slug, but take a photo and submit it anyway!

There are awesome sluggy prizes up for grabs and it is a fun excuse to get out and about during the cooler months.

Also please join and add your images to the Victorian Nudibranchs iNaturalist page https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/victorian-nudibranch

For more info on Sea Slug Census' across the country check in here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/721000354654850
For more information on Nudibranchs in Victoria check out here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nudibranchsvictoria

Happy Slug hunting
Kade

If you are rambling around and spot a slug or two from 28-31 January. I would love to see your Slug Shots! Yep, Sea Slug Census #11 in running in Melbourne/Victoria. If you have never been involved a run down can be found here (https://vnpa.org.au/programs/sea-slug-census/)

Put simply, you spend as much time as you can over the four days looking for and photographing anything that looks like a sea slug and send your images into ReefWatch or post here (Also join and add your images to the Victorian Nudibranchs iNaturalist page https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/victorian-nudibranch and the Sea Slug Census Program https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/the-sea-slug-census-program). To date over 190 species have been recorded and I am excited to see if we can add several more.

For more info on Sea Slug Census' across the country check in here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/721000354654850
For more information on Nudibranchs in Victoria check out here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nudibranchsvictoria

Happy Slug hunting
Kade

Marine Life of Victoria has just clicked over the 15,000 observation and most awesomely 1000 species. Sure, we all know that there are so many more observations to be made (or just taken off our hard drives! - I am guilty of this) and so many more species to be discovered. However, we need to stop and celebrate the small wins.
Thanks to everyone who has added images to this project, we are creating an incredible resource for so many people to learn more about what we have at our doorstep. Take a moment, give yourself a pat on the back and get excited about discovering and documenting the next 1000 species together.

Cheers,
Kade

If you are able to get to the coast in late October, I would love to see your Slug Shots! Yep, Sea Slug Census #10 in running in Melbourne/Victoria. If you have never been involved a run down can be found here (https://vnpa.org.au/programs/sea-slug-census/)

Put simply, you spend as much time as you can over the four days looking for and photographing anything that looks like a sea slug and send your images into ReefWatch or post here (Also join and add your images to the Victorian Nudibranchs iNaturalist page https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/victorian-nudibranch). To date we have recorded over 190 species. I am excited to see if we can add several more.

It is also the weekend of the Great Southern Bioblitz so please document everything you see and get involved in a Bioblitz near you https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/projects/great-southern-bioblitz-2021-umbrella
(Tip-scroll down to map page and zoom in to your local area to see if a Bioblitz is planned for your region)

For more info on Sea Slug Census' across the country check in here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/721000354654850
For more information on Nudibranchs in Victoria check out here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nudibranchsvictoria

Happy Slug hunting
Kade

Quick shout out to @ben_travaglini who created this awesome resource covering a large number of molluscs that you find in Port Phillip Bay.

https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/guides/14346

If you are fortunate enough to have some coast within 5 km of your residence. I hope this guide inspires you to start fossicking for shells and share the images to help build Bens guide.

Hope to catch you near the brine soon.
Cheers,
Kade

We're Back! After a brief lockdown, ReefWatch and the VNPA are so excited to be running Sea Slug Census #9 in Melbourne/Victoria. If you have never been involved a run down can be found here (https://vnpa.org.au/programs/sea-slug-census/)

Put simply, you spend as much time as you can over the four days looking for and photographing anything that looks like a sea slug and send your images into ReefWatch or post here (Also join and add your images to the Victorian Nudibranchs iNaturalist page https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/victorian-nudibranch). To date we have recorded 184 species and found a few new species. I am excited to see if we can add several more.

For more info on Sea Slug Census' across the country check in here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/721000354654850
For more information on Nudibranchs in Victoria check out here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nudibranchsvictoria

Happy Slug hunting
Kade