STUDENT SEAGRASS INTERACTIVE WEBSITE WILL GO GLOBAL

Students from Bentley Park College in Cairns will work with scientists from the Department of Primary Industries and CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd on a new project to develop an interactive website about seagrasses.

"Seagrasses are important in coastal marine areas," said Dr Robert Coles, research scientist with the Department of Primary Industries. "They are the main diet of dugongs and provide a habitat for many, much smaller marine animals, some of which like prawns are commercially important."

"This is an exciting project," said Bryony Barnett, Extension Manager at CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd. "CRC Reef is committed to ensuring the results of our scientific research are widely accessible so that they can be used to make a difference."

"It's great that this initiative is being taken in Cairns in north Queensland," said The Honourable Warren Entsch, MP, Federal Member for Leichhardt. "The students will learn about the local marine environment and turn their knowledge into a fun interactive website which can be widely accessed by other students right around the globe."

"Throughout this project, our students will be working in close collaboration with scientists as well as learning and using new computer technology, " said Mrs Lesley Englert, Executive Principal of Bentley Park College. "The project will give them real world experience that will make them strongly competitive in the workplace."

The interactive website is due to be launched in September 2001 and will be housed on the CRC Reef website where it can be accessed by other students in Australia and overseas.

The venture will be launched in the College Common Room at Bentley Park College at McLaughlin St, Edmonton at 10.30 on Friday April 27. Speakers include The Hon. Warren Entsch MP, Bryony Barnett (Extension Manager with CRC Reef), Dr Rob Coles (DPI), Mr Jim Varghese (Director General of Education), Mrs Lesley Englert (Executive Principal of Bentley Park College) and students from Bentley Park College.

For more information contact:
Dr Louise Goggin, Communication Coordinator, CRC Reef on 07 4729 8404 or 0402 243116
Anna Cahill, Media Liaison, DPI, on 0412 771675.