Naming an underwater forest: the community chooses Yanggaa Forest

What do you call a forest that most people never see?

That was the question at the heart of our recent Forests Without Names project, which invited the community to help name one of Sydney's most remarkable restoration success stories: the underwater forest growing beneath the waters of South Coogee.

For nearly a decade, Operation Crayweed has been working to restore crayweed (Phyllospora comosa) to South Coogee's reefs. Once abundant along Sydney's coastline, crayweed disappeared from the city in the 1980s and failed to return naturally, even after water quality improved. Today, South Coogee is one of our most successful restoration sites and one of only a handful of places where restored crayweed and golden kelp grow side by side, creating a thriving underwater forest.

But ecological restoration is about more than restoring species. It's also about restoring connections between people and place.

To explore what this underwater forest means to the community, we brought together swimmers, surfers, divers, residents, scientists, educators, council representatives and members of the indigenous community for a collaborative naming workshop. Participants learned about the ecology and history of the site, shared stories and perspectives, and worked together to generate possible names.

The workshop produced a shortlist of names that reflected the forest's ecological significance, cultural connections and local identity. These names were then put to a public vote, allowing the wider community to participate in the decision.

More than 1,600 people cast their vote on the Forests Without Names website and map. The community's chosen name was Yanggaa Forest.

Yanggaa is a Dharawal word for crayfish, a species closely associated with crayweed habitat. The name reflects the ecological importance of the forest while recognising the enduring cultural connections between people and Sea Country.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the project was seeing how many people wanted to be involved. Participants shared memories of Coogee's coastline, discussed the role of marine habitats in supporting biodiversity, and reflected on how naming can shape the way we value and care for places.

While forests on land are often celebrated and recognised, underwater forests are frequently overlooked despite supporting extraordinary biodiversity. Naming this ecosystem provides an opportunity to make the invisible visible and to help more people discover the rich marine life that exists just offshore.

The proposed name is now being progressed through the relevant approval processes. Moreover, interpretive signage at South Coogee is planned to be installed, to help residents and visitors learn about the ecological and cultural significance of Yanggaa Forest and the remarkable restoration story behind it.

This project would not have been possible without the enthusiasm and generosity of everyone who participated in the workshop, submitted ideas, voted, and shared their knowledge along the way. Thank you for helping give Sydney's restored underwater forest a name for the first time!

As part of this project, we made a short film. Please check it out below. We are also planning a second workshop to name another forest, this time at Freshwater, please join us!

This project was kindly sponsored by Hyundai.