Seabirds to Seascapes Trail: Exploring Marine Conservation

As part of the 2025 Ocean Lovers Festival, 100 guests embarked on the ‘Seabirds to Seascapes (S2S) Trail’ in Sydney in early March.

The festival excursion provided a firsthand insight into the S2S Program, a four-year initiative led by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

The S2S program aims to protect, rehabilitate and sustainably manage New South Wales’s natural marine ecosystems. Launched in August 2022, S2S brings together three different initiatives under one program, Project Restore, The Great Big Little Penguin Count, and The Great Seal Reveal (previously known as the Seal Survey).

The program is supported by key project partners, the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

Departing from Circular Quay aboard a chartered ferry, S2S Trail attendees set sail for Chowder Bay where they toured the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS). At the Institute they learnt about Project Restore, an ambitious effort to rehabilitate marine ecosystems in Sydney Harbour through habitat restoration and species protection.

SIMS Researchers shared their latest findings, offering a fascinating glimpse into how their work is reviving underwater environments.

The journey continued to Taronga Zoo where DCCEEW staff gave an overview of the Great Big Little Penguin Count, as well as seal research that includes drone surveys, the ‘Haul-out, Call-out’ citizen science platform, and collaborative work with NPWS.

Taronga Zoo researchers also showcased their work with the S2S program, shedding light on the behaviours, habitats, and conservation efforts surrounding these marine species.

After hearing all about tracking seal populations and monitoring Little Penguin colonies, attendees left with a greater appreciation of the science driving marine wildlife conservation.

Not only did this experience offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at vital conservation efforts - it also contributed to them. Funds raised from ticket sales were donated to the Taronga Conservation Society Australia supporting critical breeding, research, and conservation programs both in Australia and beyond.

This is a great example of complementary work by DCCEEW, one of our key partners in delivering the Marine Estate Management Strategy (MEMS).

Projects like this contribute to healthier marine ecosystems and support important marine species, aligning with MEMS Initiative 5, which aims to better understand and reduce threats to threatened and protected species.