Archive: 2006

18 manatees found dead, linked to eating laced seagrass

news-press.com, Thursday, December 08, 2006

Eighteen manatee carcasses have been recovered in the Ten Thousand Islands area of Everglades National Park since Nov. 9, and scientists think the animals died from eating red tide-laced seagrass.  Most of the dead manatees were recovered around Chevelier and Huston bays, but some were found as far south as Lostman's River.

"That area averages two manatee deaths a year, so 18 is unusual," said Sara McDonald, a marine research associate at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. National Parks Service officials conducted an aerial survey of the Ten Thousand Islands last Thursday to search for more dead manatees. None were found.

Since July, 24 manatees from Pinellas County to Lee County are suspected to have died from red tide poisoning. Manatee carcasses are often taken to the state's Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory in St. Petersburg, where scientists perform necropsies - post-mortem examinations. But transporting the Ten Thousand Island manatees would have taken eight hours, so researchers performed field necropsies.

Because the manatees were badly decomposed, they didn't show the usual red tide symptoms, which include bloody froth from the nose, swollen and bloody kidneys and wet, bloody lungs. So scientists used a different technique to test stomach, kidney, liver, feces and lung samples of four manatees.

All samples except lung tissues showed toxin in high levels.

"To me, this indicates that these animals were not exposed by inhaling," McDonald said. "The evidence indicates they were likely exposed while feeding in seagrass beds." Researchers recently discovered that manatees can die from eating seagrass laced with red tide toxin weeks or months after a red tide bloom. Before that, red tide had been thought to kill manatees only when they inhale the toxin at the water's surface.

"We don't know the lethal dose of red tide for manatees," McDonald said. "There are a lot of unanswered questions. We don't know whether a lethal dose comes from chronic exposure or acute exposure or a range from chronic to acute. It's difficult: We can't do controlled experiments where we give doses of red tide to manatees."

Source and article: Click Here

UPDATE Tuesday 6th February 2007: An annual census found 2,812 manatees in Florida waters. Scientists counted 1,412 manatees on the Atlantic Coast and 1,400 on the state's gulf coast, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Record numbers of manatees were recoprted in Tampa Bay, Blue Spring and Brevard County. The first year the survey was taken in 1991 only 1,267 sea cows were counted statewide. Last year, scientists found 3,116. Source and article: Click Here

State of the Environment 2006 released

Department of Environment and Heritage, Wednesday, December 6, 2006

The third national State of the Environment report has been tabled in Parliament, with the results showing that many of environmental issues that face Australia have intensified since the last SoE report in 2001.

The report tracks changes in a range of areas including atmosphere, biodiversity, human settlements, inland waters, coasts and oceans, natural and cultural heritage and the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Among the key concerns raised in the report the cumulative impacts of increasing populations on Australia’s coastline; the need for continued waste reduction and recycling efforts; the poor condition of land, inland waters and coastal lakes in some parts of Australia; pressures on some of our fisheries; and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Many of these issues have intensified since the last report, placing significcant pressures on the overall environment.

The report does however outline key achievements in environmental management since 2001, including:

• a four-fold increase in Australian Government spending on the environment;
• massive decreases in land clearing in many states which in turn has had a positive impact on Australia’s biodiversity;
• major advances in protection for the marine environment;
• generally good air quality in most capital cities;
• improved water management through the Australian Government’s national water reform agenda.

As in previous years, the collation of the report has been hampered by the continuing lack of accurate, nationally consistent data. The report committee expressed concern about the serious consequences for identification and management of Australia’s biodiversity, coasts and oceans, and natural and cultural heritage.

The SoE report can be found at http://www.deh.gov.au/soe/2006/index.html

Scientists: Seagrass Ecosystems at a 'Global Crisis'; Elevating Public Awareness 'Critical'

Underwatertimes.com News Service, Washington, D.C. (Dec 1, 2006 14:41 EST)

An international team of scientists is calling for a targeted global conservation effort to preserve seagrasses and their ecological services for the world’s coastal ecosystems, according to an article published in the December issue of Bioscience, the journal of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS).

The article "A Global Crisis for Seagrass Ecosystems" cites the critical role seagrasses play in coastal systems and how costal development, population growth and the resulting increase of nutrient and sediment pollution have contributed to large-scale losses worldwide.

"Seagrasses are the coal mine canaries of coastal ecosystems," said co-author Dr. William Dennison of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. "The fate of seagrasses can provide resource managers advance signs of deteriorating ecological conditions caused by poor water quality and pollution."

Among its findings, the study analyzed an apparent disconnect between the scientific community’s concerns over seagrass habitat and its coverage in the popular media. While recent studies rank seagrass as one of the most valuable habitat in coastal systems, media coverage of other habitats – including salt marshes, mangroves and coral reefs – receive 3 to 100-fold more media attention than seagrass systems.

"Translating scientific understanding of the value of seagrass ecosystems into public awareness, and thus effective seagrass management and restoration, has not been as effective as for other coastal ecosystems, such as salt marshes, mangroves, or coral reefs," said co-author Dr. Robert Orth of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. "Elevating public awareness about this impending crisis is critical to averting it."

"This report is a call to the world’s coastal managers that we need to do more to protect seagrass habitat," said co-author Dr. Tim Carruthers of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. "Seagrasses are just one of the many keys to maintaining healthy coastal ecosystems and their biodiversity."

Seagrasses – a unique group of flowering plants that have adapted to exist fully submersed in the sea – profoundly influence the physical, chemical and biological environments of coastal waters. They provide critical habitat for aquatic life, alter water flow and can help mitigate the impact of nutrient and sediment pollution.

Source and article: Click here

2006 Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador

Rebecca (Becky) Bowie received a Green Ambassadors award for her contribution to environmental initiatives through her involvement in Seagrass-Watch

Becky is a student at Thursday Island State High School and has been a member of the Seagrass-Watch team on Thursday Island for 2 years.

During this time Becky regularly participated in Seagrass-Watch survey at the three sites monitored around Thursday Island and Horn Island. She also regularly visited the local primary school where she mentored and trained the younger students in basic Seagrass -Watch surveys and educated them about the beauty and importance of this resource. In 2005 Becky was awarded a TS CRC T4.1 travel grant which enabled her to participate in Seagrass-Watch activities and Reef Water Quality Protection Program (RWQPP) sampling in the Whitsunday and Sarina Beach areas.

Congratulations Becky from Seagrass-Watch HQ, on receiving you Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassadors for 2006.

The Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassadors program is a joint partnership between the Commonwealth Bank and Conservation Volunteers Australia, that recognizes, rewards and supports 20 young Australians who demonstrated leadership in environmental conservation and actively assist or protect their local environment.

The standard of applications this year was excellent and this is reflected in all of the 2006 Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassadors.

Ambassadors receive a Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassadors pack which includes a digital camera, polo shirt and the opportunity to partake in a volunteer conservation experience as well as a Certificate 1 in Active Volunteering.

The Commonwealth Bank is proud to be involved in a program that rewards young people for actively contributing to environmental initiatives.

Conservation Volunteers Australia is delighted to see that so many young people around the country are passionate about getting involved in environmental projects.

For more information on other winners through out the state visit: conservationvolunteers.com.au

Save our Seahorses

New Straits Times, Malaysia, Saturday, September 30, 2006

SOS's effort to promote seagrass conservation awareness has been carried out on Aug 26 and Sept 10 through participation of 19 secondary school students from Sekolah Menengah Gelang Patah.

The event has been covered by the local media (News Strait Times Aug 27 and Berita Harian Sept 9).

Facilitators were KUSTEM marine biology undergraduates, who gave explanation on the basic seagrass biology, importance and threats to seagrass and guided the secondary school students through seagrass monitoring and seagrass invertebrates survey.

This event was well received. Congratulation to the facilitators!

Save our seahorses

Pictures: Cheerio! Group photo comprising students and teachers from Sek Mengengah Gelang Patah and Kustem undergraduates (top right). Azwarina giving presentation on seagrass conservation (bottom right)

Source : New Straits Times, Malaysia, 30 Sep '06
By : Debra Chong

QPWS investigates death of dugong found in Trinity Inlet

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Thursday, August 24, 2006

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is appealing for information about an adult dugong found dead recently in Cairns Marina.  The 2.6 metre female dugong died from head injuries consistent with being shot by a powerhead, a weapon used to fire a bulletless shell or cartridge.

Cairns Marine Parks received a call via the Environmental Protection Agency’s marine stranding hotline on 11 August about what appeared to be a sick dugong in Cairns Marina.

Rangers and a local vet quickly located the animal but it was clear it had been dead for some time.

Two Cairns vets and QPWS Senior Ranger Alan Clackson performed a necropsy on the dugong.

“It was a female dugong about 30 years old, in exceptionally good condition before receiving a fatal blow to the skull,” Mr Clackson said.

“While we are not certain how the animal died, it appears to have sustained two blows to the head consistent with a powerhead.

“Two lesions on the dugong’s head were very obvious and the brain had collapsed, yet the skull was not broken.

“There was no other potential cause of death evident.  It’s a tragic waste of a healthy animal in good breeding condition.  If anyone has information about this particular dugong and how it died we ask them to call the Environmental Protection Agency’s marine stranding hotline, 1300 130 372,” Mr Clackson said.

He said the dugong was one of 23 mammals on Queensland’s ‘vulnerable species’ list.

“QPWS responds to calls about endangered and vulnerable marine animals such as the dugong so we can find out reasons behind their decline.”

Mr Clackson said QPWS thanked the vets involved for their time and quick response, and also the people who reported sighting the animal.

Source and article: Click here

Dugong found dead in discarded nets

SOS Malaysia, July 2006

Spotting a lived dugong in the wild can be an exquisite experience few people will live to witness. But at Merambong shoal, you stand a good chance to see the feeding trails (right) left by dugongs which in itself, is a fascinating sight.

Dugongs feed primarily on seagrasses. At the Merambong shoal, we found that they prefer the oval-shaped seagrass, Halophila ovalis. At low tide, their feeding trails are exposed, resembling irregular patterns of sandy passages. It is believed that dugong feedings help to boost seagrass regenerative process and create microhabitats for smaller invertebrates.

The juvenile dugong which perished recently. It is now kept in Gelang Patah Fisheries Department. Note: It takes between 3-5 years for an adult female to give birth to one baby dugong.

Sadly, on the 21 July 2006, a 1.5-m long dugong carcass (right) was found at Pendas. The dugong was entangled in discarded nets and was already dead when discovered by a local fisherman. In fact during the last decade, there have been a number of reports of incidental captures of dugongs in the Pulai River Estuary. But until now, the number of dugongs living here remains a mystery.

Source and article: Click here

$6 million for world-class marine and tropical science research

20 July 2006

Media Release

Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Senator the Hon. Ian Campbell

The Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, today visited North Queensland to announce more than $6 million would be invested in research to explore and protect some of Australia’s most applauded natural assets.

The $6.1 million funding is for 2006-07 research priorities under the $40 million Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility based at James Cook University campuses in Cairns and Townsville.

“This is an important step towards a better understanding of the many environmental challenges facing the Great Barrier Reef, the Torres Strait and our tropical rainforests including the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area,” Senator Campbell said.

The 2006-07 Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility research plan covers:

• Great Barrier Reef, wet tropics rainforests and Torres Strait ecosystems
• conservation issues and protecting species
• evidence of climate change on Great Barrier Reef/rainforest and catchment
• threats and impacts of invasive pests
• water quality
• sustainable use and management of marine resources of the Great Barrier Reef
• planning and management of tropical rainforest landscapes

“This Australian Government funding will support collaborative research that draws on the expertise of leading scientists and research organisations,” Senator Campbell said.

“Research produced through this project will help ensure the protection, conservation, sustainable use and management of Australia’s environmental assets,” he said.

Among the 38 projects being funded are:

• $1,220,000 to examine sustainable use of our tropical rainforests and reefs to ensure they are not damaged by human activities and can remain a viable economic resource to communities and industries. (James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science)

• More than $100,000 to develop an Atlas of Climate Change Risk for the Great Barrier Reef ecosystems. This will pull together information on regional effects of climate change on the reef, and how these changes will impact on ecosystems, communities and industries that rely on reef health. (Australian Institute of Marine Science)
  consequently provide refuge areas for conserving some of our most vulnerable species. (CSIRO)

• $275,000 to collect information from river sediments and ‘fingerprint’ or identify the source of those sediments to target areas where better management is needed. (James Cook University)

• $225,000 to develop tools which will help detect, monitor and manage key pests affecting our reef and rainforests including toxic algae, crown of thorns starfish and noxious weeds. (Reef: James Cook University – rainforest: CSIRO)

Senator Campbell flagged the upcoming announcement of a Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility Ministerial Advisory Council to advise on the research and management directions.

“The council will be made up of industry representatives, community representatives, leading research scientists, research and resource management organisations, Indigenous Australian representatives and research end users,” Senator Campbell said.

Source & article: Click here

Turtles choked with marine rubbish

UQ News online, Wednesday, July 12, 2006

A recent spate of small turtles washing up on Australia's eastern shores has highlighted concerns about marine debris by scientists and animal welfare groups.

Two turtles, one found on North Stradbroke Island in Queensland and a second found at Fingal Head NSW have triggered alarm bells. Both animals were around 20cm long and died with guts choked with marine rubbish.

"The first turtle was a tiny 22 cm green turtle brought into The University of Queensland's Moreton Bay Research Station on North Stradbroke Island for care," Station Education Officer Dr Kathy Townsend said.

"The emaciated immature female was extremely weak and severely dehydrated and was suffering from floating syndrome which is where food trapped by foreign material starts to decompose, leaking gases into the body cavity and causing the animal to float.

"After dressing the turtle's wounds and placing her on a drip, we kept her under observation over night. Unfortunately, she succumbed to her illness and died the next morning.”

A necropsy (autopsy) was performed on the turtle and discovered that her gut was choked with decomposing seagrass and marine rubbish.

“Bits of plastic shopping bags, black plastic rubbish bag, parts of plastic bottle tops, plastic thread, party balloons - and even a bit of a flip flop (thongs) were found lodged in the animal's gut," Dr Townsend said.

"Over 40 individual pieces of rubbish were accounted for, the majority of it plastic-based.

“The final cause of death was identified as gut impaction and septicaemia caused by the marine rubbish."

A week later a slightly smaller turtle (19cm shell length) was treated by the Australian Seabird Rescue Wildlife Link Centre, at Ballina, NSW.

Lance Ferris, the Centre`s Director and long term wildlife advocate, said this turtle also died from the consumption of marine rubbish.

"We found over 70 pieces of plastic and small bits of fishing line in its gut,” he said.

“Turtles that are between 5 and 25cm shell length disappear from our view in a period known as their `lost years` where they are rarely seen close to shore.

"These juvenile turtles feed on jellyfish and squid found in the great ocean currents. The plastic that these animals would have consumed would have been located in the open ocean.”

Craig Bohm, Campaign Coordinator with the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said the two turtles highlighted the impact of human rubbish has spread beyond the shores.

"Animals such as these juvenile turtles go for years without seeing land, yet they too are being affected by human rubbish,” he said.

Dr Townsend said that according to advice from the Australian Marine Conservation Society, there were many things people could do in their chomes, at the shore and on their boats to reduce the impact of rubbish on marine life.

• In homes - avoid using plastic bags, ask for a box and recycle wherever possible;

• On the shore - pick up rubbish and don`t use bay and beachside rubbish bins if they are already overfull;

• Onboard - stow rubbish carefully and don't let it blow over the side. Be particularly careful with fishing bait bags and other plastic items.

Contacts:
Dr Kathy Townsend on (07) 3409 9058 or
kathy.townsend@uq.edu.au

Mr Lance Ferris on (02) 6686-2852 or
seabirdrescue@bigpond.com

Mr Craig Bohm on (07) 3848-5235 or
craigbohm@amcs.org.au

Source & article: Click here

The Wonders of Seagrass

ABC Science on the Radio, Wednesday, June 7, 2006

Presenter: David Cussons

We're heading north today on Science on the Radio, to the Torres Strait in fact to learn about seagrass!

Dr Jane Mellors works for the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, and she is our Science on the Radio guest this week.

Dr Mellors, why are seagrass meadows important?
Torres Strait's vast seagrass meadows are critical resources for turtle and dugong, along with many other marine animals and plants. Knowledge about seagrass meadows is essential to make correct management decisions regarding these important areas and the marine animals that rely on them.

Your work is based around Seagrass Watch - what's that?
Seagrass Watch is a community-based seagrass monitoring system. CRC Torres Strait researchers from Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and Island communities have formed a partnership to monitor seagrass beds in Torres Strait. This project has now been expanded to include Clean Beach Day, with messages of the impact of rubbish and pollution on local seagrass meadows communicated to community members.

Seagrass Watch has led to part time employment for several students as research assistants assisting with monitoring, training new volunteers, mentoring younger students and co-ordination of this community science program. These students have gained an insight into the transition from education to employment. By participating, the students have also realised that they can play a role in future decision making about their island's marine resources. Four students were granted travel awards to visit and participate in Seagrass Watch activities in Townsville and the Whitsundays.

Where has the work been done?
There have now been seven surveys at Back Beach, five at Federal Beach at Waiben (Thursday Island), and four on Wongai Beach on Ngurupai (Horn Island). These sites represent different types of seagrass meadows. Back Beach is the most diverse meadow with seven species of seagrass present. Federal Beach is the most impacted site as it is downstream from storm water drains. Depending on the time of year this site has between two and four species present. Wongai Beach is a typical mud flat seagrass meadow with two main species present, though recently a third species Zostera capricorni has appeared quite close to the Seagrass Watch site. Since starting this project in 2004, 44 people have trained in Seagrass Watch.

Source & article: Click here

Indigenous Islanders join Hawksbill Turtle Project

EarthWatch online May 2006

On small remote coral islands on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, endangered hawksbill turtles make a yearly voyage to swim over shallow reefs during high tide, labor to crawl up the sandy beach under the cover of dark. There, they dig a nest, lay a large clutch of eggs, and come face to face with an Earthwatch volunteer. Wait, an Earthwatch volunteer? Here to help understand these turtles’ needs, Earthwatch volunteers on the Hawksbill Turtles of the Great Barrier Reef project improve the chances for the turtles’ future as well as bringing the lessons learned about this species to their homes across the globe or right next door.

Over the past two years, Earthwatch has placed 12 indigenous people from local sea turtle-hunting communities onto Dr. Ian Bell’s hawksbill turtle project to encourage them to learn more about the issues affecting turtle population health. These fellowships also allow the local communities to meet and form strong relationships with researchers and managers who can assist them in working toward the development of an effective turtle conservation strategy.

In North Queensland, one of the greatest marine conservation concerns is the decline of the hawksbill turtle population. Their nests are predated by feral pigs and people, they are hit and killed by boat propellers, and they are hunted (as they have been for thousands of years) by Australia’s indigenous island communities who use highly efficient modern capture methods.

On January’s second nesting monitoring team at Milman Island, two Thursday Island High School students, Rebecca Bowie and Ina Mills, participated on the project, close to their own traditional hunting area. They worked alongside other Earthwatch volunteers on the team to observe the turtles emerge from the ocean, count how many eggs they laid, and help intercept the turtle on its way back to the water to tag and measure it.

Bowie was so motivated by her participation in the research that she is considering tertiary studies in marine biology and management. She is already actively involved with a local Seagrass Watch project, a program which monitors the seagrass vital to the health of local fish, turtle, and dugong populations.

Ian Bell praised the girls’ participation, “They were enthusiastic and highly motivated and keen to transmit their newfound knowledge to their classmates and families,” he said. He also said that one of the great outcomes of having local students on the team has been that while the indigenous participants learn from the experience, “I learn a lot from them as well!”

Source and article: Click here

Seagrasses dying around the world?

Jacquie van Santen, ABC Science Online Tuesday, April 4, 2006

Seagrasses around the world are in decline, according to a global study that says human impact is largely to blame. But Australia's 'underwater forests' in Queensland have bucked the trend and are generally in good shape, the researchers find.

Seagrass beds are shallow water ecosystems, like a forest on the ocean floor. Not only do they serve as protective nurseries for juvenile fish and shellfish, and a habitat and feeding ground for many marine species, they protect the coastline from currents and weather-related erosion.

Since 2001, the University of New Hampshire's Professor Frederick Short and colleagues have been running the global monitoring program SeagrassNet. This has involved monitoring seagrass health at 45 sites in 17 countries worldwide, including Australia.

In general, the researchers found a decline in seagrass around the world. While they have not ruled out globate climate change as a factor, they believe human impact is mainly to blame. For example, at a state park in Malaysia researchers discovered that seagrass decline was due to on-shore logging. This had increased the level of water-borne sediments, thus decreasing light reaching the bottom where seagrasses grow.

When seagrass beds disappear, the impact is major. For example, a disease outbreak in the 1930s wiped out 90% of eelgrass in the North Atlantic. As a result, the scallop fishery in the mid-Atlantic disappeared and never really recovered.

The scientists are also monitoring seagrass beds in Thailand, home to shellfish, to see the effects of the 2004 tsunami.

Healthy pockets

Rob Coles, principal scientist with Queensland's Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, based at the Northern Fisheries Centre, Cairns, led the Australian arm of the research. He says the good news is that seagrass beds off Green Island, 25 kilometres east of Cairns, are very healthy. And so are seagrasses he and his colleague monitor in 50 sites across Queensland as part of the Seagrass-Watch initiative.

He puts that down to low population density, good light, clean water and comprehensive water management and conservation programs. "In fact, there is no real loss of seagrass in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area that we really know about. There have been temporary losses due to storm damage and we've had a big loss in Hervey Bay due to cyclone damage, [and declines in some areas of the Whitsundays], but generally [it's good]," he says.

"But that's not to say there is no cause for concern because increasingly people are moving to the coast and that will eventually impact on shallow water seagrasses. So we must [remain vigilant]."

Source and article: Click Here

Nakheel to launch a research project on sea grasses in The Palm Jebel Ali with Taisei Corporation

04 March 2006, Nakheel Press release (Dubai)

Nakheel and the Taisei Corporation have announced a joint research programme in an effort to develop new technologies to test seagrass transplanting at The Palm Jebel Ali.

The project was announced during a "Memorandum of Understanding" signing ceremony. The MOU was signed by Marwan Al Qamzi, Head of Nakheel Contracts and Procurement Department, and Kanji Hayama, President and CEO of Taisei.

Dr. Imad Haffar, Manager - Research and Development at Nakheel, said: "Sea grass provides a nursery for young fish and allows the marine ecosystem to thrive. It also improves underwater visibility by consolidating fine floating materials. A rich ecological environment can prevent marine water as well as its food chain from deteriorating; it also provides attractive diving spots."

The sheltered habitat afforded by the palm configuration and the newly laid sediment between the reclaimed land masses has already stimulated a proliferation of sea grasses growing naturally at The Palm Jumeirah. However, in its role as a patron of environmental research in marine and terrestrial environs, Nakheel will work together with the Taisei Corporation to develop sea grass plantation technologies and to study suitable locations for its transplantation trials on the sea floor around The Palm Jebel Ali.

Shaun Lenehan, Senior Environmental Engineer at Nakheel, added: "The vigour of the existing seagrass beds we have found at The Palm Jumeirah is a strong statement as to the health of the water. We have recently found three species which are effectively carpeting the seabed between the fronds - these seagrass meadows are the most extensive in Dubai waters. Given the habitat type is the same, we expect the same boom in seagrasses for The Palm Jebel Ali, The Palm Deira, and The World although it is important that we continue to work with esteemed companies like the Taisei Corporation to carry out new studies in the field of marine research."

Technologies for transplantation of specific species have already been developed and successfully applied in Japan; however, this the first time these technologies have been adapted to the environmental conditions of the UAE and this will be the focus of the joint research programme.

Abdul Rahman Kalantar, General Manager of Nakheel Planning, Infrastructure, and Utilities Division, said: "A primary goal during the creation of Nakheel's waterfront projects is to ensure that construction not only has the smallest possible negative impact on the environment, but actually enhances the environment above the original, pre-development status. Before The Palm Jumeirah site was developed, there were virtually no signs of life - 95% of the grid survey points during the ecological investigations fell on bare sand or mud. Currently, abundant life is generating as a result of our marine projects. Introducing sea grass plantation technologies can further enhance that, providing a rich ecological marine environment in which fish and other sea life can thrive."

The Taisei Corporation will continue their excellent working relationship with Nakheel, having been also awarded the contracts for both The Palm Jumeirah vehicular tunnel, and Almas Tower at Jumeirah Lake Towers, as well as successfully completing a major marine life rescue operation in the waters of The Palm Jumeirah.

Kanji Hayama, President and Chief Executive Officer, said: "I believe Nakheel is our best partner in Dubai; we have a corporate relationship and for us to work together, ensuring environmental sustainability enables us to contribute to the overall construction of Dubai. We have been working on several projects for Nakheel and in this growing area there will always be issues of the environment; hence, to have joint research together on marine environment issues has big meaning to us, Nakheel and Dubai. By doing this work we strengthen our partnership and we like to continue our relationship with Nakheel as before."

The research project will be executed in two phases. In the first phase, seagrass will be transplanted to the area surrounding The Palm Jebel Ali, which will then be monitored and surveyed for growth by boats with eco-sounder and also by divers. The state of the habitat, soil characteristics of the sea bed, as well as water quality and wave conditions are investigated. To evaluate the optimum timing for sea grass transplantation, the life cycle history of the sea grass will also be examined. Phase two will involve large scale research to determine the transplantation method of the sea grass. The period of the basic experiment will last for around one year and will begin with immediate effect.

Source and article: Click Here

Conservation of the Dugong

The Star, Malaysia, February 7, 2006

Before dawn on Jan 14, the laboratory of the Universiti Malaya Maritime Research Centre (UMMReC) in Kuala Lumpur was abuzz with anticipation. Several marine scientists were waiting anxiously for the arrival of a dugong carcass – the first specimen to be received by the centre for necropsy.
The scientists could not believe their luck when the lorry which had travelled overnight from Tanjung Pengelih in Johor unloaded the fairly intact 2.6m marine mammal.

The animal was reported to have stranded near the Tanjung Pengelih naval base in south-east Johor.

“It was a magnificent carcass. It had a full anatomy and was only slightly decomposed,” recalled Dr Affendi Yang Amri, who recently concluded a study of dugong (Dugong dugon) in Johor with other colleagues of the three-year-old centre.

To these scientists who are embarking on a project to save the dugong, a fresh carcass is worth as much as a live specimen. They collected tissue samples and stomach contents from the carcass for analyses. These would shed light on the animal’s biology and cause of death, among others.

Head of UMMReC Prof Phang Siew Moi said the dead dugong was an adult that had enjoyed a long spell of sexual maturity. Old scars across its body indicated injuries sustained in defending its territory during mating. Confirmation of its age will be done through examination of the growth layers deposited on its tusks.

“It appeared to be feeding up to the moment it died. The intestine was filled with seagrasses,” she said.

It was estimated to weigh no less than 350kg. Eight men could not lift the carcass and a crane was brought in to lower it from the lorry.

Prior to this, UMMReC undertook a six-month survey in Johor on the distribution of the dugong and its habitat, the seagrass meadows. Phang is one of six scientists in the multi-disciplinary study team for the dugong conservation programme initiated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Funding for the first phase came from Titan Chemicals Corp Bhd. The Si Tenang saga – the young male dugong that captured national attention in 1999 that was rescued by a fisherman but then died – brought public attention to the marine mammal.

A string of fatal stranding incidents in the same year gave hope that the dugong was not extinct in Johor as previously thought. But the interest was unsustainable and all conservation talk lapsed into oblivion. The marine creature remains a mystery due to the lack of research.

A brief aerial survey led by Australian dugong researcher Dr Helene Marsh was the last known study of the marine mammal. Over in Borneo, the Borneo Marine Research Institute of Universiti Malaysia Sabah has carried out a far more extensive research in Sabah waters.

Using aerial, boat and field surveys between April and September, the UMMReC team has some uplifting news: there were positive sightings of the animals, evidence of feeding and anecdotal accounts of sightings from locals.

“In the beginning, we doubted that we could find them but we were pleasantly surprised,” said project leader Affendi.

During the four aerial surveys, eight adults and one calf were recorded around Pulau Sibu and Pulau Tinggi, one of three survey sites.

Dives in seagrass meadows provided proof of dugong presence in Sungai Johor. With its highly adapted mouth that is shaped like a lawn-mover, dugongs dig up the whole seagrass plant when feeding, thereby producing a distinctive, serpentine-like feeding trail.

Sungai Johor, it seems, is a haven for dugongs, with its extensive seagrass beds occurring in exposed areas on the tidal flats. Three sites were surveyed. Feeding trails were documented in Tanjung Surat at the estuary of Sungai Lebam, a tributary of Sungai Johor and at Pasir Gogok, south of Tanjung Surat. The seagrass meadows here are dominated by Halophila ovalis, the soft, small-leaved seagrass which is a good food species for dugongs.

“Sightings were not recorded at the third site at Tanjung Kopok but we believe that dugongs are present there. We need to do more surveys, hopefully in the project’s second phase,” said Affendi.

The scientists mapped the distribution of seagrass meadows and collected eight species of seagrass and 70 species of seaweeds for identification.

Surveys in villages on both banks of Sungai Johor brought the team to the burial site of a female carcass and the skeleton was retrieved and kept by the centre. The bones can provide information on the species through DNA analyses.

The villager who buried the carcass claimed that the ill-fated female was pregnant as a foetus was found in its body.

The study identified habitat loss, sedimentation, incidental catches in fishing nets and kelong, boat-strikes, acoustic pollution, chemical pollution and diseases as threats to the dugong. The Sungai Johor basin is vulnerable to land clearance for plantation, industrial development and contamination from shipping activities.

While it is not widely known that dugongs are hunted for its meat, oil, skin and tusk, interviews with villagers revealed that the animal was actively hunted in the past and the practice has not ceased.

To protect the dugong, one also has to secure its larder – the seagrass beds. And it is not just the quantity that matters but also the quality.

The 90-page project report titled Dugongs in Peril: The Conservation and Protection of Dugongs in Johor noted that seagrass beds may be smothered under high silt loads in the environment. The strictly herbivore marine mammal can consume as much as 30kg of seagrasses a day.

The scientists outlined short-, medium- and long-term plans to execute their conservation recom-mendations over 60 months. Actions include protecting seagrass beds, addressing land-based pollution, restoring degraded seagrass beds and satellite-tagging to determine the dugong population size and home range. An eco-tourism plan and the setting up of a research station were also conceived.

Judging from the results of a social survey among the local communities, there is hope for the gentle mammal. The respondents displayed a high level of awareness of the threats to the marine mammal and agreed that the animal should be protected and that it was possible for humans and dugongs to co-exist in this backwater region of Johor.

Source and article : Click Here
Article by: Hilary Chiew

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