Coastal residents gathered at the Warneet Motor Yacht Club on Wednesday 13 August, for the Western Port Down Under (WPDU) Community Conversations event.
Hosted by marine biologist and science communicator Sheree Marris, the evening aimed to introduce the community to a new initiative celebrating the unique marine wonders of Western Port.
Sheree’s latest project, Western Port Down Under, is a full-scale social impact campaign designed to showcase the rarely seen underwater world of the bay she grew up in, and to inspire a new generation of environmental stewards. The project includes a documentary, a book, a free school program, and a discovery trail across key sites in Western Port.
The Community Conversations event featured a sneak peek at the upcoming documentary teaser and provided attendees with insights into the campaign’s vision and impact goals.
“We know a lot about the Ramsar Wetlands and the bird life, but we actually don’t know much about what goes under or happens underneath the water in the marine environment, in the seagrass meadows, mangroves, etcetera,” Sheree opened the night with her introduction on her motives to do the project.
“…I want to change that narrative. I want to show people that there’s incredible magic and diversity and colour and extraordinary life that we have on our front doorstep that not many people know about.
“So it’s creating a sense of awe and wonder. And this goes to the why. One of the other reasons behind this campaign is that there are actually no centralised resources.
“There’s no really compelling imagery that we have. So Western Port Down Under is about developing some hero assets that create the magic, and that’s through photos and narrative and also underwater cinematography.”
Participants were also encouraged to share their local knowledge, stories, and ideas, with opportunities to collaborate and get involved in shaping the future of the region’s marine environment.
To know more about the project, visit: westernportdownunder.com.au/
Star News reported on the project in more details two weeks ago, read the story: cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au/news/2025-08-05/magic-beneath-the-mud-sheree-marris-dives-into-western-port-wonders/
