Fish, Invertebrates and Mosquitos
Fish
A baseline survey of the fish of Sydney Olympic Park conducted over 2007-2008 identified:
- Freshwater habitats: Eight fish species and one crustacean species were recorded. The most abundant species were freshwater shrimp, followed by the introduced mosquito fish. Other species included the Short Finned Eel, Long Finned Eel, Flathead Gudgeon, Dwarf Flathead Gudgeon, Sea Mullet and Common Carp. The most abundant native fish were eels and gudgeons.
- Estuarine habitats: Twenty two fish and three crustacean species were recorded. The most abundant species were Glassfish and Glass Shrimp. Pacific Blue Eye, Silverbelly, Sandy Sprat and Toad Fish were the most common native species of fish recorded in the estuarine sections of the park. The introduced Yellowfin Goby was also recorded in some locations. The greatest diversity of fish was found within the tidal creeks.
Constructed fishways allow fish passage between Boundary Creek, Lake Belvedere and the Parramatta River.
Invertebrates
Insects, spiders, worms and waterbugs are part of the rich biodiversity of the Park. Mosquito populations are monitored and managed to prevent pest levels developing.
Researchers have recently surveyed the forest of Newington Nature Reserve for native snails, finding five different species. See Environment Reports for further information on this study.
Sydney Olympic Park's Mosquito Control Program
Mosquitoes are a natural part of the wetlands at Sydney Olympic Park. However in hot humid weather conditions and following high tides the number of mosquitoes can rapidly increase to nuisance levels.
The Park contains extensive wetlands which are breeding habitats for freshwater and saltwater mosquitoes. Of these, the saltmarsh mosquito (Ochlerotatus vigilax) is the most aggressive and common.
Since 1998, Sydney Olympic Park has worked with scientists from Sydney University's Department of Medical Entomology two stage program to reduce mosquito numbers in the area so as to improve the comfort of people visiting, working and living in and around the Park.
The first stage of this program was completed as part of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games construction program and involved reducing mosquito breeding areas by improving tidal flushing to the Newington Nature Reserve and Bicentennial Park wetlands. Whilst this approach has been successful in reducing pest mosquito numbers in the wetlands, there is an ongoing need to control mosquito populations in these areas.
The second stage involves applying a naturally based mosquito larvicide to the saltwater wetlands to destroy mosquito larvae before they become adults. Sydney University monitors weather and tidal conditions and mosquito larval numbers and advises when spraying should occur. The larvicide used contains Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) and is safe to people, other fauna and the environment.
When required, Bti is applied during the warmer summer months when the mosquitoes are most active. Application is by helicopter and in some areas by hand spraying. Helicopter application is usually undertaken in the early morning in low wind conditions.
Monitoring by the University of Sydney's Department of Medical Entomology, has shown that mosquito larval populations are generally reduced by 90% or more as a result of the treatment program. This has led to a significant reduction in nuisance adult mosquitoes at Sydney Olympic Park, Newington and Mariners Cove. Nearby Parramatta, Ryde and Concord residents also receive the benefits of these treatments.
For a brief summary of Sydney Olympic Park's mosquito control program and some simple ideas for how you can reduce potential mosquito breeding grounds at your home download the 
Mosquito Fact Sheet (PDF 120KB) and the Mosquito Awareness and Protection Information (PDF 870KB).
More about mosquitoes