A variety of unique communities of plants and animals live in the Derwent Estuary, specially adapted for life between land and sea. Little penguins, sea dragons, black swans, platypus and dolphins are just some of the many species that call the estuary home. Explore and learn about these organisms, their role in food webs, and the threats they face.
The ground-hugging glassworts are perhaps the most salt tolerant of all saltmarsh plants. The bright green beaded glasswort is more common, and grows mainly in the middle and lower estuary. It also occupies damp crevices on rocky shores. The less common thick headed glasswort is blue-green, slightly larger, and prefers drier ground. The fragile air breathing snail often clings to its branches.
Much of the text within the species area of our website was written by Veronica Thorpe, as part of the Derwent River Wildlife Guide (2000).
The DEP has developed a variety of classroom and outdoor activities, including classroom materials, online resources, interpretive walks, games and sensory experience. These are focused around the key estuary habitats.
