Techniques to enhance your exploration

Kick-sampling/Stone-rubbing

This is the method used to search for macroinvertebrates.  While standing upstream from a net, either shuffle your feet across the stream bottom, or pick up a stone and rub it with your hand underwater making sure anything that is dislodged gets caught in your net.  If you are lucky hopefully you could have caught a koura in your net.

Keeping koura in cool water

When you find macroinvertebrates or koura make sure you have a tray of cool water from the stream somewhere nearby in the shade so you are able to observe any critters that you find more closely.  It is a good idea to have a magnifying glass and small painbrush for handling and observing what you have caught.

Underwater photo technique

You don’t need an expensive underwater camera to take good underwater photos.  You can simply use a digital camera and a transparent plastic container.  Hold the container in the water and take a photo through the plastic.  For more information click here. 

Here are some tips:

• Turn the flash off or you’ll get a reflection off the side of the container

• Point the camera sideways to the current or downstream

• Be careful to stay downstream of the camera or you’ll disturb the sediment

Returning koura to stream

Koura and macroinvertebrates must always be returned to the stream by taking the container to the stream and gently emptying.  Avoid having to touch the koura if possible.