'Cod Pod' live streaming: a unique glimpse into Murray Cod breeding behaviours

Pembroke School's Year 10 STEM class has partaken in a collaborative project to study and understand the breeding behaviours of the Murray Cod in the Happy Valley Reservoir. In partnership with Recfish SA, SA Water, and AusOcean, the students have had the chance to dive into real-world scientific research and work alongside industry experts.

The centrepiece of this project is the 'Cod Pod,' an underwater camera system developed by Recfish SA. This device captures captivating footage of the Murray Cod in their natural breeding environment. A few weeks ago, the 'Cod Pod' was set up and is now live-streaming, offering everyone a peek into the underwater world of these remarkable fish.

'Cod Pod' bult by RecFish with AusOcean underwater camera attached.

This live-streaming service is made possible through AusOcean's premium CloudBlue subscription service, which provides the necessary infrastructure for Recfish SA to stream from the water to their own YouTube channel. CloudBlue is designed to support projects like this by offering reliable streaming capabilities, ensuring that the footage is accessible to both researchers and the public. Thanks to CloudBlue, Recfish SA can share real-time observations of the Murray Cod, enhancing educational and conservation efforts.

The Murray Cod is one of Australia's most iconic freshwater fish species. Known for their large size, Murray Cod can grow over a metre long and weigh more than 100 kilograms. These fish play a crucial role in Australia's freshwater ecosystems and are highly valued in recreational fishing. Understanding their breeding behaviours is key to conservation efforts, especially as their populations have been impacted by habitat destruction, overfishing, and changes in river flow.

Murray Cod. Photo by Guo Cho Lim.

The 'Cod Pod' live stream not only serves as a valuable educational tool for students but also allows the wider public to engage with and appreciate the intricate behaviours of the Murray Cod. This real-time observation can inspire future generations to take an active interest in environmental science and conservation.

The 'Cod Pod' live stream is available for anyone interested in observing the fascinating underwater activity of the Murray Cod. This project shows how technology and education can come together to help us understand our natural world better. Tune in to the live stream to watch the breeding behaviours of the Murray Cod here.

A Murray Cod finds a home inside the 'Cod Pod' at Happy Valley Reservoir

Pembroke School's Year 10 STEM project, in collaboration with Recfish SA, SA Water, and AusOcean, demonstrates the power of educational initiatives that connect classroom learning with real-world scientific research. By leveraging AusOcean's CloudBlue subscription service, this project provides a seamless streaming experience, allowing both students and the public to gain valuable insights into the breeding behaviours of the Murray Cod. This project not only enhances the students' educational experience but also supports broader efforts in environmental conservation and scientific understanding.

AusOcean is a not-for-profit ocean research organisation that supports open source practices. Open source approaches to tackling environmental issues means embracing collaborative tools and workflows which enables processes and progress to be fully transparent. A critical aspect of working open is sharing data not only with your immediate team but with others across the world who can learn, adapt and contribute to collective research. By contributing to, and supporting open practices within the scientific community, we can accelerate research and encourage transparency. More info at https://www.ausocean.org/info.

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