Archive: 2007

Peel handed back

23 December 2007, by Susie Imer, Redland Bayside Bulletin, Queensland, Australia

After a tumultuous history that excluded everyone but a handful of incarcerated residents, Peel Island has at last been handed back to the people of Australia. Teerk Roo Ra (pronounced took-a-ra – say it quickly) National Park and Conservation Park was publicly declared on heritage listed Peel Island in Moreton Bay last Tuesday

The new national park covering 519 hectares was announced by Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation Minister Andrew McNamara to an audience of Quandamooka traditional owners, state and local government representatives, former lazaret patients and staff, members of Friends of Peel Island, conservationists and history buffs, as they gathered at Polka Point on North Stradbroke Island.

The island’s historical importance is matched by its environmental significance with 74 bird species, 28 plant species, three types of mammals, eight reptile types and two frog types so far recorded on the island. The island also has sedgelands, melaleuca swamps and open forests, and is fringed by mangroves, coral reef, significant beds of seagrass and the magnificent crescent of beach, known as Horseshoe Bay.

Source and article: Click Here

Seagrass-Watch Moreton Bay has been monitoring several sites at Peel Island since late 2002. To view monitoring report: Click Here

School competes to save Seagrass

18 December 2007 Hornsby Shire Council

Students from Brooklyn Public School were last week awarded with prizes and certificates for their outstanding entries in a competition to help raise awareness of Dangar Island’s endangered seagrass bed.

The competition, My Favourite Seagrass Animal, was part of a joint program between Hornsby Council and the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority, called the Dangar Island Seagrass Protection and Education program. The program aims to protect an area of seagrass found off the southern side of Dangar Island.

Council’s Environmental Scientist, Kristy Guise, said, “The children produced some fantastic artwork, and the winning entries had three simple messages that everyone can follow. These were; don’t dig boat propellers or anchors into the seagrass bed; look for buoys that surround the seagrass and keep away; and tell other people about the importance of the seagrass bed.”

The NSW Maritime Authority has placed nine yellow marker buoys around the area to help locals and visitors identify where the seagrass bed is located.

To learn more about the unique seagrass habitat and the animals that live within it, join the council’s free seagrass workshops in January 2008. Workshops will be held at Bradley’s Beach, Dangar Island at 3.00pm Sunday 6 and Monday 21 January 2008. For more information contact Kristy Guise on 9847 6899.

To download workshop invitation: Click Here

Gecko takes lead in mapping seagrass

12 December 2007, Gold Coast Sun

The city's leading environment lobby group is calling for offical mapping of the Gold Coast's seagrass beds.

Gecko, the Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council, has established a new body to kick-start things. Spokesperson Sheila Davis said seagrass beds were valuable sources of food and shelter for species such as prawns, fish, sea turtles, dugongs and shorebirds. She said volunteers planned to collect data on the health and condition of seagrass three times a year.

"We did field work in Currumbin Creek and used seagrass beds not on the map," she said. Ms Davis said the health of seagrass was under constant threat from both natural and human impacts.

People interested in working on the project can call Ms Davis on 5530 6600 or email gcseagrass@vis.id.au

5 December - International Volunteer Day

In 1985, the United Nations General Assembly designated 5 December as an annual celebration of voluntary action by people, communities and governments of the world. International Volunteer Day (IVD) is for volunteers of all walk of life working in communities around the globe. The United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) is the designated international focal point for IVD.

Let us know what you're doing for IVD 2007. Send us a brief description of your activities so we can share your experiences with other volunteers and use them to encourage new volunteers to step forward

For more details, visit the IVD website

International Seagrass Biology Workshop 8 (ISBW8)

Michelle Waycott, President World Seagrass Association, 1 December 2007

The International Seagrass Biology Workshop series have taken place around the world since 1993 in Japan having evolved out of recognition of the global focus of seagrass issues. The Workshops have been held in a diverse range of locations around the world highlighting the diversity of seagrasses and their ecosystems. The 90 or so people who attended the last ISBW meeting in Zanzibar were treated to the high species diversity meadows of the East African tropical coast, met some wonderful people and were made more aware of the issues facing peoples who rely on seagrass meadows for their very survival.

In 2008, the next meeting will be held at the spectacular Bamfield Marine Sciences Center on Vancouver Island, Canada from August 30 through September 6, 2008, including 5 full conference days. The meeting is being timed to make the best opportunity for conducting a field trip during low tides to see the Phyllospadix meadows.

Due to the size of the venue, there will be limits as to the number of people who can attend ISBW8 and a working group has been formed to assist with the decision making process. A call for abstracts will be made in the next few weeks. As places will be strictly limited, anyone who is interested in attending is encouraged to put in an application for attendance when applications to submit abstract are called on Tuesday 18 December 2007.

The ISBW8 convenor is Cynthia Durance. For more information, visit the ISBW8 website

Seagrass-Watch scientists particpate in ISBW's, as a forum to update the global seagrass scientific community on program developments and present results of monitoring activities. See Seagrass-Watch news issues 7, 15, 20, 27.

Fontes awarded for coast care

Whitsunday Times, Friday 30 November, 2007

Tony and Beverly Fontes of the Order of Underwater Coral Heroes (OUCH) have been awarded a prestigious Coastcare Local Hero medal for their outstanding contribution to repairing and protecting the Whitsunday's magnificent coast. Mr Fontes said it was fantastic to receive the award.  "It is a privilege and honour to receive it and we really appreciate it," Mr Fontes said.  "We have been working very hard and this award is for all of the OUCH volunteers not just myself and Beverly."

As part of Coastcare Week (3-9 December) supported by Iron Man legend and health and environment champion Guy Leech, local heroes such as Tony and Beverly Fontes from OUCH have received Coastcare medals for tireless work in protecting local coastal environments.

The Order of Underwater Coral Heroes (OUCH) is a group of internationally recognised volunteers dedicated to the protection of coral reefs in the Whitsunday Islands. The group is involved in Seagrass-Watch (monitoring seagrass meadows) and Mangrove Watch (monitoring mangrove forests) as well as the Reef Protection Program. The group consists of volunteer divers, skippers, marine biologists, surveyors and keen snorklers and is dedicated to research, education and advocacy.

They have identified poor anchoring practices as a major source of degradation of the reef in the Whitsunday Islands over the last 20 years. As a result, the Reef Protection Program has been activated to reduce the damage caused by over 300 boats that can sail through the reef at any one time.

With widespread community support and an on-going education campaign, the OUCH volunteers are well advanced toward their goal of reducing human induced stress on the coral reef by every means possible. "This award will raise awareness of our group and our projects and people may take us more seriously," Mr Fontes said.

Coastcare Ambassador Guy Leech said "These people are putting in a huge amount and time and effort. The results they achieve are truly remarkable. It is more crucial than ever to get the balance right between enjoying our natural resources now and conserving them for future generations. Coastcare heroes give up their own time to make sure the coast remains spectacular." The Coastcare movement has 60,000 volunteers in 2,000 community groups around the country, all contributing towards keeping the Aussie coast beautiful.  "Increasing storm activity and other extreme events caused by climate change are threatening our coast and Coastcare groups are building resilience into the coastline through projects such as dune revegetation and reef monitoring initiatives' said Brian Scarsbrick, Coastcare CEO.

"Coastcare is all about doing something practical to protect and repair Australia's coastline. More volunteers are always needed. Just go to www.coastcare.com.au and look up your local group to get going."  "When it comes to preserving our coastal areas, team work is the key and the more people that get involved, the better," Brian Scarsbrick added.  "Coastcare Week shines the spotlight on local heroes making a difference to their coastal and marine environment."

If you kow any other unsung environmental heroes in the Whitsundays nominate them for a Local Hero medal. Simply email localhero@coastcare.com.au with information on the candidate's and their contact details.

Pictures: Ouch in action - Whitsundays.

Source and article: Click Here

Seagrass map wins group local hero gong

The Cairns Post, Thursday 29 November, 2007

Mapping seagrass and measuring water quality have won a Cape York environment group a Coastcare Local Hero medal.

CYMAG, formerly the Cape York Marine Advisory Group, has been monitoring the waters of the Annan, Endeavour and Laura/Normanby rivers and have released seagrass maps for 100km of Eastern Cape York coastline. "You cannot manage what you've got without good knowledge of it," Cymag CEO Ian McCollum said. "That's what drives our group."

CYMAG also undertook studies of wetlands and coastal erosion. The group is set to start a survey of five remote beaches' along the Cape's east coast to quantify debris washing ashore after floods in urban areas.

"We get thousands of thongs, hundreds of black plastic flower pots," Mr McCollum said. "We're going to find out accurately where it comes from and then put pressure on governments to clean it up."

Riki Gunn from the Gulf fishing port of Karumba also won a Local Heroes medal for her work with the Carpentaria Ghost Net Program.

Bangladesh Cyclone-Sidr Appeal

Mowdudur Rahman, CCEC, 29 November 2007

The Centre for Coastal Environmental Conservation (CCEC), a Seagrass-Watch partner since 2006, are making a special request for assistance to help cyclone victims to survive, recover, rebuild, and rehabilitate the coastal environment. The CCEC office located in Khulna is not far from the most severely Cyclone-Sidr impacted coastal communities and they have the capacity and desire to provide much needed assistance but support is needed.

Cyclone-Sidr, likened to a mini Tsunami, due its powerful 5-6 metre tidal surge hit the Bangladesh Sundarban coast, Nov.15, officially taking 3,243 human lives to-date but it is estimated this figure could rise to 10,000.

Sundarban the UNESCO declared World Heritage Site, is the world largest mangroves forest and took a direct hit which helped to save coastal lives and resources by sacrificing herself as a buffer. The magnitude of devastation would be manifold if not for the Sundarban mangroves which suffered extensive damage according to early reports. A great deal of assistance will be required in the medium term to rehabilitate this critical protective barrier against future cyclones and tidal surges.

If you would like to contribute, click here

Seagrass-Watch is assisting CCEC to identify and assess seagrasses in Bangladesh. See Seagrass-Watch news issue 27.

Locals urged to avoid bacteria blooms

ABC News, Wednesday 28 November 2007

The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland says people should avoid interaction with large blooms of the bacteria lyngbya, which are affecting areas of Moreton Bay.

Spokesman Simon Baltais says the bacteria, which looks like black cotton, has carcinogenic properties and can cause skin lesions and asthma attacks.

He says the blooms have been found at Wellington Point, Victoria Point and in the Pumicestone Passage.

Mr Baltais says the blooms occur naturally but land clearing and pollution are causing dangerous outbreaks.

"It becomes quite extensive and covers things like sea grass and destroys it, and obviously that's a problem for animals, like dugong and turtles that rely on it," he said.

"It's also a health hazard, it's not the sort of thing people should play with, it causes all sorts of problems and it's also a danger to wildlife, so it's not the thing that you want an abundance of in your environment."

Source and article: Click Here

Anglers support Moreton Bay bans

Couriermail.com.au, Monday 26 November, 2007

Commercial and recreational fishers have proposed that 29 per cent of some Moreton Bay fishing habitats be locked up. They have also suggested 18 per cent of seagrass areas be set aside to protect dugong and trawlers be banned from about a quarter of the bay.

The no-go areas, outlined in a document prepared for the Moreton Bay Access Alliance, are more extensive than the Environmental Protection Agency has foreshadowed.  The agency has not been specific but has set a minimum of 10 per cent green area in the bay marine park, which stretches 125km from Caloundra to the Gold Coast Seaway.

Some conservationists want half the bay, which covers 390,000ha and is Queensland's busiest seaway, closed off. Fishing groups think the 10 per cent no-go target is too high.

The alliance, which is made up of amateur and professional fishers, representatives of the indigenous community, conservation movement and boating and seafood traders, said the plan would protect the bay while minimising impact on livelihoods and leisure.

Alliance chairman Bruce Alvey said there would be some job losses if the agency accepted his group's ideas as part of a review of the marine park. "But that small amount of pain may be necessary to protect the bay for the future," he said.

It was in the best interests of fishers to see the bay protected, but zoning had to allow for continued use by recreational and commercial fishers.

Queensland's Moreton Bay Seafood Industry Association chairman Robert Brock said the proposal would allow access to highly productive fishing areas. At the same time, it would offer protection to 18 per cent of seagrass habitat that supported dugongs and 29 per cent of riverine and estuarine habitat. "That far exceeds the EPA's goal of 10 per cent protection for each habitat type," he said. "On top of this are existing fishing closures managed under fisheries legislation."

Daryl McPhee, of Queensland University, said the alliance proposal increased no-go zones from 0.5 per cent to 10 per cent.  "The habitats that have been allocated highest levels of protection under the industry proposal are important in that they support communities of protected species such as dugongs," Dr McPhee said.

Queensland Conservation Council spokesman Simon Baltais said the alliance approach had been a worthwhile process but "politics" had got in the way. "If there had been more time we probably could have achieved 80 per cent agreement on matters," he said.

Source and article: Click Here

Article by: Peter Morley

Dugong on verge of extinction in Qatar

International Animal Rescue, Friday 23 November 2007

The dugong faces extinction in Arabian Gulf waters unless urgent action is taken to protect its habitat and main source of food, seagrass, the government of Qatar has warned. Announcing plans to launch a major study into the situation facing the endangered sea mammal, the country's Supreme Council for Environment and Natural Reserves (SCENR), told the Peninsula that it hopes the survey will allow it to better protect the species.

Qatar is home to the world's second largest population of dugongs, with estimates putting their population in the Arabian Gulf at 7,500, but they are under threat due to habitat loss from construction work as well as pollution and fishing. Ghanem Mohammed Abdullah, Director of Wildlife Conservation at SCENR, said: "Qatar is therefore a central part of the dugong's range and this unique mammal is facing serious threat." "An immediate intervention is necessary for combating threats from fishing, pollution and its habitat loss," he added.

The Qatari government also announced it is hopeful of co-operation from neighbouring countries including Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, as well as enlisting the support of both a regional airline and a team of international scientists.

Source and article: Click Here

Image courtesy of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Helicopters to monitor movements of dugong

Gulf Times, Wednesday, 21 November, 2007

SOPHISTICATED military camera systems will be used to study dugongs – highly vulnerable sea mammals which are facing extinction. The effort is part of a Qatar Dugong Conservation Initiative, being undertaken by the Supreme Council for Environment and Natural Reserves (SCENR), in association with Dolphin Energy and the Qatar Air Force (Helicopter Wing).

Dolphin Energy is managing the project with a team of international scientists from Five Oceans and aerial support from the Helicopter Wing. The study, which is meant to conserve the mammals in the Arabian Gulf, will also include seagrass habitats on which dugongs depend. A previous study of dugongs, which are also known as sea cows, was conducted in the mid-1980s, officials said yesterday.

The project team officials said they were grateful to the Qatari Air Force which will be providing the necessary support for aerial surveys used to obtain critical data about numbers and whereabouts of dugongs in Qatari waters, the officials said.

The new study will be completed in three months, said Ghanem Abdullah Mohamed, director of Wildlife Conservation Department, at the SCENR.

The cameras on board military helicopters will enable scientists to employ new study techniques that have not yet been attempted anywhere else in the world, officials said. The project also aims to study dead dugongs washed ashore, as well as to raise awareness of dugongs throughout the state. Fishermen and other maritime users will also be contacted in an effort to obtain vital clues.

The dugongs of Qatar are part of the world’s second largest population of the species. Only Australia boasts a larger number and these are genetically isolated. Dugongs of the Arabian Gulf region feed almost exclusively on the seagrass beds that stretch from the eastern shoreline of Saudi Arabia to Ras Al Khaima. Much of their range, east of Abu Dhabi, however, has been altered by coastal development, land reclamation and dredging.

Most of the Gulf’s dugongs now live between Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. Qatar, therefore, is a central part of the dugong’s range and the survival of this unique animal is dependent on urgent implementation of conservation measures that combat threats from fishing, pollution and loss of habitat. Other species, such as turtles and dolphins would also benefit from the programme as they share the same habitat, officials said.

The successful protection of dugongs in Qatar also depends on co-operation from other range states, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, officials pointed out. The mammals move across borders regularly. Dolphin Energy, sponsor of this project, has already funded several regional conservation initiatives spanning the territorial waters of both Qatar and the UAE.

Photo: Ghanem Abdullah Mohamed, Khalifa Saleh al-Naimi, Khalid al-Enzi and Mohamed al-Rumaihi, at a press conference

Source and article: Click here

Call to action - help save the dugong

15 November 2007, Noosa Council, QLD, Australia

The dugong, those large, vegetarian marine mammals, are in need of your help. At 400kg adult weight, these docile creatures feed solely on seagrass. Sadly, seagrass beds are threatened by erosion, which is escalated by poor land use practices such as land clearing, deforestation, overgrazing, unmanaged construction activity and road building.

Populations of the dugong have shown marked declines of around 95 per cent throughout southern Queensland over the past 50 years. This decline appears to have occurred in the more developed and urbanised coastal areas and is related to the lack of seagrasses.

The movement of unconsolidated sediment (erosion) finds its way into watercourses and ends up in the ocean. Extreme sediment loads in these marine systems results in destruction of seagrass beds, and ultimately to the demise of the beautiful sea creature, the dugong.

The Black Mountain Range Catchment Project (BMRCP), a Landcare initiative, is doing its bit for the marine environment, but needs your assistance to plant trees to help the dugong.

Funded by the Burnett - Mary Regional Group and supported by Noosa Council, the project aims to increase plant-based biodiversity in the Black Mountain Range sub-catchment. Noosa Council has been conducting similar works around Lake Macdonald, which flows into Six Mile Creek, and into the Mary River.

By planting creek side vegetation, creek banks will stabilise and erosion will be reduced. Freshwater vegetation will also act as a sediment and nutrient filter to help keep the water clean.

The benefits gained in the hinterland region will filter through the rest of the catchment into the Mary River, and eventually into Hervey Bay preserving seagrass beds in an important dugong breeding and feeding ground.

To find out how you can help plant trees and save the dugong, contact Paul Sprecher on 54852155 or e-mail projects2@noosalandcare.org.

Source and press release: Click Here

Image courtesy of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

PTP, MNSJ Moot Idea To Gazette Pulau Merambung (Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia)

November 09, 2007 Bernama

Johor Baharu -- The Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) and the Malaysian Nature Society of Johor (MNSJ) have mooted an idea to gazette Pulau Merambung, an island across the port, as a marine conservation area. The idea was mooted as they entered into a collaboration to conserve the Sungai Pulai estuary to help preserve seagrass, dugong, seahorses and other marine inhabitants in areas around Pulau Merambung.

PTP chairman Datuk Mohd Sidik Shaik Osman said the idea was in line with the port's promotion for a sustainable development. "I don't think we want to develop the port in a manner where we will destroy the environment. If we think the development of the area will have serious impact on the environment, then we have to adjust our plans accordingly, he told reporters after presenting a RM60,000 cheque to MNSJ to finance its research on Sungai Pulai estuary and its unique eco-system.

Under the collaboration with MNSJ, PTP will collect data on the environment in the area and learn how to conserve them as it planned for future development. "It is possible in some areas where we do our port work that some seagrass areas are affected. We would want to relocate the seagrass to an area around Pulau Merambung so that we could preserve it," said Sidik.

MNSJ Director Assoc Prof Dr Maketab Mohamed said the society would give advice and technical support to PTP on environmental aspects so that its future development would not have negative impact on the environment. Data collected by the society would also be used as scientific evidence to support the idea to gazette Pulau Merambung, he said. Johor State Executive Councillor for Tourism and Environment Freddie Long, who was also present, said the state government welcomed the idea. "Nobody can enter the island when the Johor National Parks Corporation approves the gazetting," he said.

Source and article: Click Here

TeamSeagrass in the news!

myzone, Thursday October 25, 2007

"Like other youngsters, Kok Sheng often goes to the seaside. And he is there to be a volunteer. He is a volunteer for this green group called " Team Seagrass". The group is involved in monitoring Seagrass and other marine creatures.

For the last nine months, Kok Sheng had visited Chek Jawa@ Pulau Ubin, Pulau Semakau and Sentosa with Team Seagrass to do reccees and monitoring.

As a Team Seagrass volunteer, Kok Sheng said that they will monitor the health of the seagrass and identify the species of seagrass at the monitoring sites. The data collected at these sites will be analyzed to get a better understanding of the state of the seagrass.

If they found that the seagrass are not doing well, they will not do anything. Instead, they will let nature takes it course and let nature heals the seagrass.

In addition, he said that if action was taken by us to try to heal the seagrass, we might be upsetting the balance of nature nd disturbing the life of the marine creatures. The main objective of Team Seagrass is to collect data about the seagrass. And through these information, enable ordinary folks to understand the importance of marine creatures and that we have wonderful marine creatures in Singapore.

One of KS's most unforgettable experience was the monitoring session at Chek Jawa early this year. He said " It was raining eveyday and when we were at Chek Jawa, we found many seagrass and marine creatures dead and Chek Jawa looks like a graveyard.

He said this is because the seagrass and marine creatures can only live in salinity and the large amount of rain forced these plants and animals to live in fresh water. This result in casualties as they are unable to cope the drop of salinity in the water.

If you are interested in monitoring Seagrass, you can log on to this website : http://www.teamseagrass.blogspot.com to find out more about Team Seagrass."

Source and article: Click Here

Coastal Habitats Are The Biosphere's Most Imperiled Ecosystems

ScienceDaily— The BBVA, 21 October 2007

Foundation’s Third Debate on Conservation Biology allowed leading international experts to present findings of their latest research into the scale, causes and consequences of global loss of coastal habitats. The disappearance of these ecosystems, which include coral reefs, mangrove forests, wetlands and seagrass meadows, has serious consequences like loss of biodiversity, depletion of exploitable living resources, impaired capacity of the oceans to sequester CO2 and loss of the leisure value of the coastal zone.

Carlos Duarte, researcher at the Spanish Council for Scientific Research and coordinator of the debate, informed the public that “coastal habitats are disappearing at a rate of between 1.2% and 9% a year and are now the biosphere’s most imperiled systems, with rates of loss 4 to 10 ten times faster than those of the tropical rainforest.” The causes of these losses are many and include “the rapidly growing population of coastal zones, currently home to 60% of the planet’s inhabitants, along with the urban development, infrastructure works and ecosystem destruction this growth entails.” Also, increased discharges of nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter have caused the deterioration of waters and sediments in many of the world’s coastal zones.

Núria Marbà, a researcher at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (Imedea) talked about the results of the Praderas project, funded by the BBVA Foundation, which show that most Mediterranean meadows of Posidonia oceanica – extremely valuable ecosystems for the functions and services they provide – have experienced severe shrinkage in the last 40 years. “We have observed a rise in mortality among some marine angiosperm species in the aftermath of heat waves, suggesting that meadow decline will accelerate as the seawaters continue to warm.” Studies carried out as part of this project, she explained, show that the seagrass meadows along the Spanish coast are losing about 5% of their extension each year, and even more in years like 2003 when the sea temperature rises higher than normal.

Bill Dennison, of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (USA), clarified that “seagrass meadows are vital habitats which grow along the coasts at tropical and temperate latitudes and supply ecological services that make them among the most valuable ecosystems in the biosphere”. It is estimated that 54% of meadows have lost part of their coverage. Dennison contends that seagrass meadows reflect changes in ecosystem quality and act as global biological barometers for man-made pollution; the meadows are like “coal mine canaries” for the health of coastal ecosystems and their decline is an unequivocal sign of coastal environmental stress.

According to Dennison, “reports on changes in seagrass meadow extension have documented losses since 1980 of an area equivalent to two football fields with each hour that passes. Most worrying of all is that these calculations are very much on the conservative side, since only 9% of seagrass meadows have been studied. So the total area lost probably equates to 10 football fields per hour.”

One of the factors favoring this loss is that seagrass meadows are not in the public eye, despite their ecological importance: “In the case of coral reefs, around 130 news items appear in the mass media for every scientific article published, compared to just 13 items appearing for every scientific article on seagrass meadows. It is vital that we bridge this gap between science and social awareness” added Dennison, before concluding his intervention with a call for “a global conservation effort to halt the loss of seagrass meadows.”

The debate was organized jointly by the BBVA Foundation and the Cap Salines Coastal Research Station (Imedea-CSIC and University of the Balearic Islands).

Source and full article: Click Here

"Horrific sealife injuries unnecessary says expert

Cairns Post, Saturday October 20, 2007

HORRIFIC boat propeller wounds on turtles, dolphins and dugongs have prompted calls for boaties to slow down near reefs and seagrass. "The results are pretty horrific," Queensland Parks and Wildlife conservation services manager Mark Read said, following the recent Esplanade beaching of an adult female turtle suffering propeller wounds. "The turtle had been hit by a relatively small outboard powered boat and it had six major cuts to its shell," Dr Read said.

"Five of these went straight through the shell into its body and there was significant damage to its body." Boaties could minimise the risk of a collision by slowing downnear reefs and seagrass where turtles, dugongs, dolphins and whales had little room to escape. "The other thing people can do is keep an eye out when they're travelling in their boat. "And ask locals where they see lots of turtles and dugongs."

The EPA recorded relatively few boat strike injuries in the Far North, with nine turtles, two dolphins, two dugong and one humpback whale reported between 2004-06. But Dr Read said, "If we have a look at the species that are mostlyaffected by boat strike, nearly all are endangered, so a loss of even one creature, is significant."

In September, wildlife officers discovered a female humpback dolphin between Palm Cove jetty and Yorkeys Knob Marina. The animal died from a head injury wildlife officers suspected was caused by a boat.

Firm to work with environs groups

nst online, Wednesday August 15, 2007

JOHOR BARU: The developer of a proposed petrochemical and marine industries estate at the Sungai Pulai estuary has agreed to work with local environmentalists to assess the impact of the project on the estuary.

It will also abide by Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman’s recent order that a detailed environmental impact assessment (DEIA) be conducted on the project site near the estuary which is home to the dugong and seahorse.

Representatives of Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd met with officials from the Malaysian Nature Society, Johor (MNSJ) branch, yesterday to convince them that the project would be a sustainable one.

A spokesman for the developer said the meeting with MNSJ chairman Associate Professor Dr Maketab Mohamed and adviser Vincent Chow had been a fruitful one. "MNSJ agreed to support our project if we look into the preservation of the environment and biodiversity at the estuary.  "We are willing to work with MNSJ and other environmentalists and are now looking at doing a DEIA at the project site to show our transparency and commitment to preserve the environment."

The spokesman said Seaport Worldwide would carry out the project in the same environmentally-friendly manner that it had developed the Tanjung Pelepas Port (PTP).

"We complied with all the environmental regulations in developing the port, including helping to preserve the habitat of the seahorse at Pulau Merabong.  "We’re now working to monitor the seagrass bed in the area and run environmental awareness programmes for children."

PTP was bestowed the Partnership in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia award in recognition of its safety, health and environment systems.  The developer’s representatives will be meeting with the Save Our Seahorses action committee chairman Choo Chee Kuang for discussions today.

Maketab said he assured the developer that local environmentalists were not against the project but wanted to ensure it was environmentally sustainable. "We’re happy that the developer has agreed to do the DEIA in place of the less stringent EIA that it had done earlier.

"It is also encouraging that this time around the developer will be considering the feedback from local environmental groups."

Article by R. Sittamparam

Source and Article: Click Here

Report sheds light on water quality in the Great Barrier Reef

GBRMPA, Friday August 10, 2007

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has emphasised the need for a continued focus on improving water quality in the Great Barrier Reef.

In releasing the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s 2006 Marine Monitoring Annual Report, Executive Director Andrew Skeat said the report provided a sound baseline by which to judge future improvements in Great Barrier Reef water quality and ecosystem health.

“We now have a comprehensive water quality monitoring programme in place for the Reef,” he said.

“Data collected over the first 18 months of the monitoring programme have improved our understanding of Great Barrier Reef rivers, inshore waters, inshore reefs and seagrass ecosystems.

“We all know the quality of water entering the Reef must be improved and that there will be no quick fix. This report confirms we have a big job ahead of us.

“We are committed to continue to work with Queensland, Regional Natural Resource Management Bodies and industry to see real results on the ground.”

Mr Skeat said the Australian Government committed $6 million since July 2004 to develop and implement the Marine Monitoring Programme and had provided a further $14.2 million to extend it to 2011.

“The monitoring programme provides a critical component of the assessment of any long-term improvement in regional water quality that will occur as best land management practices are widely adopted across Great Barrier Reef catchments,” he said.

“The programme is a key action in the Australian and Queensland Government’s Reef Water Quality Protection Plan funded through the Natural Heritage Trust.”

“The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan provides the framework for improving land management practices that effect water quality in the Reef catchment.”

To download the Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan, Annual Marine Monitoring Report: Click Here

Source and Article: Click Here

Barrier Reef needs $300m clean-up: WWF

Brisbane Times, Thursday August 9, 2007

Conservationists say the federal government either invests $300 million on a Great Barrier Reef clean-up or risks its destruction.

International conservation organisation WWF said the reef was endangered by 14 million tonnes of chemicals and mud washed from farms onto the reef each year. New research released by the University of North Carolina also showed Pacific coral reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef, are dying faster than ever before because of climate change, disease and coastal development.

WWF Australia program leader Nick Heath called on the government to improve farming practices to avoid damaging run-off. "The federal government must act now to give the reef its best chance of avoiding future degradation," Mr Heath said. "Substantial new investment is critical to accelerate the take-up of world's best farming practice in the most polluting catchments along the Great Barrier Reef coast."

Recent analysis shows a public investment of $300 million and a private industry co-investment of $340 million could halve pollution on the reef, Mr Heath said. Opposition climate change spokesman Peter Garrett on Wednesday called on the government to introduce a climate change plan before the reef was irreversibly damaged.

Source and article: Click Here

Okinawa dugong added to 'red list'

The Asahi Shimbun, Monday August 6, 2007

The Environment Ministry has added 461 species, including the "critically endangered" dugong, to its list of wild flora and fauna threatened with extinction.

The additions, part of a review of the entire "red list," bring the total number of threatened species to 3,155.  The dugong, a seagrass-eating mammal that, in Japan, is spotted only in waters off Okinawa's main island, was assessed for the first time.

The ministry's red list classifies wildlife into several categories, including "extinct," "threatened" and "near-threatened."  "Threatened" is further divided into IA (critically endangered), IB (endangered) and II (vulnerable).

The new list, released Friday, added the dugong to the IA group because fewer than 50 are believed to be surviving off the Okinawa island.

Sea mammals that do not emerge on land had previously been excluded from the government assessments.  But the dugong was covered this time because, since it feeds in shallow coastal waters, it is susceptible to the impact of human activities, according to officials.

The seas near Henoko point in Nago, where a new U.S. airfield is planned, contain the sea grass on which dugongs feed.  Those opposed to relocating the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma functions from Ginowan in the same prefecture to Henoko say building the airfield would destroy the sea cow's feeding grounds.

The review of the entire list is being done for the first time in seven to 10 years.  Friday's additions covered six groups, including mammals and fish.  The list is used in assessing the impact of development and deciding environmental protection moves.

Details on species whose continued existence is threatened are compiled and published as a Red Data Book.(IHT/Asahi: August 6,2007)

Source and Full article : Click Here

Seagrass-Watch is a partner of Okinawa Jangusa-Watch. Since July 2002, Okinawa Jangusa-Watch volunteers have used Seagrass-Watch monitoring techniques to monitor the seagrass meadows in Kayo and Henoko (Okinawa).  Click Here

Visit: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/511549172 to protect the Okinawa dugongs from the planned US Marine sea base construction in Nago.

Whitsundays Seagrass-Watch volunteer farewelled

Seagrass-Watch HQ, Press Release, Saturday July 14, 2007

Pictures above: Margaret with Maren at Hydeaway Bay and with Wendy sampling at Pioneer Bay

THE Whitsundays’ longest-serving Seagrass-Watch volunteer has been farewelled in style at a special ceremony at Cannonvale today (July 14).

Margaret Parr has become a passionate Seagrass-Watch local coordinator, and since joining the local group in 1998 is now the longest-serving volunteer in Queensland.

Margaret’s retirement from Seagrass-Watch has been brought about by a move to the cooler climes of Canberra with her husband Bruce.

To commemorate her nine years of dedicated Seagrass-Watching, Member for Whitsundays and Primary Industries and Fisheries parliamentary secretary Jan Jarratt MP, presented Margaret with a special gift and certificate.

Seagrass-Watch is a volunteer program where members of the public join with Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries experts to monitor the health of seagrass meadows along the Queensland coast.

Seagrass meadows are an important indicator of the health of the aquatic ecosystem, and many marine species, including commericially and recreationally valued fish and the iconic dugong, rely on seagrass for their existence.

Margaret said she first joined Seagrass-Watch to assist her daughter Amanda, who had volunteered to coordinate a Pioneer Bay group. After a few months, Amanda left the district, but Margaret had been well and truly bitten by the Seagrass-Watch bug!

Margaret believes there are four main reasons why Seagrass-Watch became an important part of her life.

“Firstly, being involved in a worthwhile project where data collected is valued and used, number two is learning so much and hopefully contributing in managing our local environment,” she said.

“Then there is working with wonderful folks like the local mob, Jane Mellors and her various helpers – always having a few laughs and usually a cuppa and a chat, and finally there is getting out on to different sites; with perhaps the exception of negotiating the mud in Pioneer Bay; they are all beautiful meadows in beautiful surroundings.”

Jan Jarratt paid tribute to Margaret’s dedication and her commitment to this programme, especially hearing how Margaret travels from Midgeton to Hydeaway Bay, often taking time away from her business and trudging through calf deep mud at some sites to ensure the data is collected on time.

Picture right: Jan Jarratt MP (Member for Whitsundays and Primary Industries and Fisheries paliamentary secretary), Margaret Parr (Seagrass-Watch champion) and Len McKenzie (Seagrass-Watch Program Leader SW HQ) standing in front of the Cannonvale seagrass meadow.

Seagrass-Watch at Chek Jawa

TeamSeagrass Blog (Singapore), Monday, July 09, 2007

TeamSeagrass CJ Launch Poster . There's a new poster for TeamSeagrass made specially for the Chek Jawa Boardwalk launch last Saturday. The poster is on display in the Research Room at House No. 1, but here's a sneak peak.

For a larger version of the poster visit : http://teamseagrass.blogspot.com/ and click on the poster.

Sustainability & Environmental Excellence Awards 2007

Wednesday, June 06 2007

Posa Skelton, local co-coordinator for the Townsville-Thuringowa Seagrass-Watch received an award during Townsville's week long celebration of World Environment day. Posa was awarded The Townsville City Council's Sustainability and Environmental Excellence Award for Individual Initiative for Raising Awareness of Marine Conservation. The award was in recognition for his significant contribution towards environmental protection and improvement in Townsville.

Seagrass-Watch HQ congratulates Posa on the award. 

Picture: L_R: President of the South Townsville Lions Club (sponsor of the award), Deputy Mayor Jenny Hill and Posa Skelton

The International Day for Biological Diversity:

Biodiversity and Climate Change 22 May 2007

Since the mid-1800s global temperatures have increased by about 0.6°C, impacting the entire world, from low-lying islands in the tropics to the vast Polar Regions. Current climate change predictions are not encouraging; they estimate further increases in temperatures of 1.4°C to 5.8°C by 2100. Even if all human sources of greenhouse gas emissions are stopped immediately, the impacts of climate change would continue for 50 years.

Climate change is already forcing biodiversity to adapt either through shifting habitat, changing life cycles, or the development of new physical traits. Other species will face more unusual challenges. The sex of sea turtle hatchlings, for example, is temperature dependent with warmer temperatures increasing the number of female sea turtles at the expense of males. Those species that are unable to adapt are facing extinction. In fact, predictions estimate that up to 1 million species may become extinct as a result of climate change.

The links between biodiversity and climate change run both ways: biodiversity is threatened by human-induced climate change but, biodiversity resources can reduce the impacts of climate change on people and production:

• the conservation of habitats can reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere.
• conserving certain species such as mangroves, seagrass and drought resistant crops can reduce the disastrous impacts of climate change effects, and
• the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity can strengthen ecosystem resilience, improving the ability of ecosystems to provide critical services in the face of increasing climatic pressures.

Source and Full Article: Click Here

'Nothing can be done' about dugong deaths

ABC Online Thursday, May 10, 2007.

The Northern Territory Government's marine enforcement authority says it's investigated the recent deaths of two dugongs at the mouth of the Wearyan River near Borroloola but can't do anything more.

At the end of last month, a mother and a calf died after being caught in a commercial fishing net.  A spokesman from the Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Section says the net belonged to a commercial barramundi fisherman from the Territory.

He says under the Parks and Wildlife Act, someone has to intend to kill the animal, and in this case that wasn't the scenario.  The south-west of the Gulf of Carpentaria is one of the dugong's major habitats in Australia ... and each year there are reports of dugongs dying by getting caught in fishing nets.

The latest dugongs were found in the Gulf of Carpentaria, near Borroloola by a Victorian tourist, who took these photos.

Source and Article: Click Here

More time for fishing communities funding

Abridged from ABC Online, Monday April 30, 2007

The Federal Government has extended the application deadline for its Fishing Communities Assistance grants. The funding is available for fishing operators affected by the Commonwealth's licence buyback scheme and people now have until 25 May 2007 to apply for funding for a range of projects. The $15 million Australian Government Recreational Fishing Community Grants Programme has been operating for almost two years. Rounds 1, 2 3 and 4 have proved popular.

Over $5 million remains available for projects that meet the guidelines and are of high merit. Round 5 may be the last opportunity to access this great opportunity. A broad range of recreational fishing projects are being funded, including boat ramps, jetties and fishing platforms, fish cleaning tables, improving angler safety, increasing participation, providing facilities and education and awareness initiatives. Environmental projects are also being funded, including fish passage, resnagging, riparian rehabilitation, seagrass protection, artificial reefs, habitat activities and so on. Australian Fisheries and Conservation Minister Senator Abetz said the Programme is about making one of Australia’s favourite pastimes more accessible, more enjoyable and safer for all who participate.

Abridged from ABC Online, 30 April 2007
Source and Full text: Click Here

For more information www.daff.gov.au/recfishinggrants or Email: fishinggrants@daff.gov.au or Hotline: 1800 665 105

Researchers, Industry, Government to Review Status of Nth Qld Ecosystems

RRRC media release, Monday, April 16, 2007

Many of Australia’s leading environmental scientists, mathematicians and social scientists will converge in Townsville this week to review the state of North Queensland’s key ecosystems. The researchers are developing new ways for Australia to look after its priceless natural assets such as the Wet Tropics rainforests and Great Barrier Reef which are under pressure from the effects of climate change, increased use and rapid economic growth in the region.

The inaugural Research Synthesis Conference of the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) will be held 16-20 April. The MTSRF is a $40 million Australian Government initiative aimed at researching and protecting the Great Barrier Reef, Wet Tropics and the Torres Strait.

This first meeting brings together a unique combination of experts and will highlight impacts of and responses to climate change on tropical rainforests and the reef, the impacts of water quality on the reef, the changes measured since the introduction of the Great Barrier Reef Zoning Plan, and the impacts of increasing population pressure on our World Heritage listed environments. The Australian Government’s Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility is represented in North Queensland by the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC).

RRRC Managing Director, Russell Reichelt, said the quality of the scientific research carried out by the MTSRF is very important if we are to solve the big environmental questions, such as how Australian communities and industry can adapt to trends in climate change that are already having an effect on our reefs and tropical rainforests.

The MTSRF has also attracted $10 million in partnership funding in its first year from research institutions including James Cook University, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, CSIRO, The University of Queensland and Griffith University.

“The results of MTSRF research must be credible and adopted by both industry and government if we are to address our environmental challenges. Key users of MTSRF research have played a major role in developing the overall research program and will be involved in the Conference to provide the input we need to ensure our research provides the answers that management needs”, Reichelt said.

The MTSRF aims to give Australia a clear view of the health of its tropical rainforests and catchments, reefs and the Torres Strait. It will inform both industry and government managers on the available options for improving environmental management while encouraging environmentally responsible economic development that will benefit future generations.

Source and Article: Click Here

Villagers to reap benefits of resource project

Fiji Times, Thursday, April 12, 2007

COMMUNITY projects are often taken on with passion by those involved and many will say it is a fulfilling initiative to partake in. Six villages took part in a district project on the island of Gau in the Lomaiviti Province and have been rewarded for their hard work on their resource management project.

Called the Mositi Vanuaso Project, initial planning stages of this community initiative started in 2001 and got off to a start in 2002. This is an environmental project which encourages villagers to manage their environmental resources to ensure there is something for future generations. Their efforts have been recognised and have been awarded the National Energy Globe Award for Fiji.

University of the South Pacific academic, Dr Joeli Veitayaki, who hails from Gau, has been involved in the project since it started in 2001 and is very proud of the changes that have come about as a result of the project. Dr Veitayaki says discussions on the project started in 2001 after the women in the six villages of the Vanuaso district found that fish numbers had decreased.

With a bit of funding from USP, Dr Veitayaki says workshops were conducted on ways for villagers to manage their resources, not only for their sustenance but for the future generations. He lists some of the impacts of human activities as the change and degradation of marine habitats like coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove forests; the alteration in coastal vegetation; pollution of rivers and coastal waters which is done mainly through pollutants and nutrient enrichments associated with settlements.

"In Vanuaso Tikina, the resource management activities have commenced with the decision to manage their marine resources and declare their locally managed marine areas." "The villagers have since then focused on their coastal habitats because of their importance to the ecosystem in the area. The project is benefiting the communities which are very supportive of the initiative." "Project activities will benefit future generations through the improvement in people's lives, protection of critical coastal habitats and the provision of alternative sources of livelihoods."

Article by Amelia Vunileba

Seagrass-Watch is working with Frontier Fiji to establish seagrass monitoring sites on Gau Island.

Solomons quake lifts island 3m out of sea

ABC news online, Sunday, April 8, 2007

The seismic jolt that unleashed the deadly Solomons tsunami this week lifted an entire island metres out of the sea, destroying some of the world's most pristine coral reefs.  In an instant, the grinding of the Earth's tectonic plates in the 8.0 magnitude earthquake on Monday forced the island of Ranongga up three metres.  Submerged reefs that once attracted scuba divers from around the globe lie exposed and dying after the quake raised the mountainous landmass, which is 32 kilometres long and eight kilometres wide.

Corals that used to form an underwater wonderland of iridescent blues, greens and reds now bleach under the sun, transforming into a barren moonscape surrounding the island.  The stench of rotting fish and other marine life stranded on the reefs when the seas receded is overwhelming and the once vibrant coral is dry and crunches underfoot.

Dazed villagers stand on the shoreline, still coming to terms with the cataclysmic shift that changed the geography of their island forever, pushing the shoreline out to sea by up to 70 metres.  Aid agencies have yet to reach Ranongga after the quake and tsunami that killed at least 34 people in the Pacific archipelago.

At Pienuna, on Ranongga's east coast, locals said much of their harbour had disappeared, leaving only a narrow inlet lined by jagged exposed coral reefs either side.  Villager Harison Gago said there were huge earthquake fissures which had almost split the island in half, gesturing with his hands that some of the cracks were 50 centimetres wide.

Further north at Niu Barae, fisherman Hendrik Kegala who had explored the new underwater landscape of the island with a snorkel said a huge submerged chasm had opened up, running at least 500 metres parallel to the coast.

Mr Kegala said that from the perspective of those on the island, the sea appeared to recede and villagers still feared it would come back again as a tsunami, making them reluctant to return from higher ground where they fled. "Plenty big noise," he said, describing the disaster in the local pidgin dialect.  "Water go back and not come back again," he added, saying the whooshing sound of the receding water and the shaking from the quake occurred simultaneously.

Source and Article: Click Here or Click Here

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Australian minister says Great Barrier Reef's survival cannot be assured

The Associated, Saturday, April 7, 2007

CANBERRA, Australia: The Australian government will do everything it can to prevent the demise of the Great Barrier Reef due to global warming, the environment minister said Saturday after a U.N. committee found its survival was in doubt by 2030. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report in Brussels on Friday on the predicted global impact of rising temperatures.

Bleaching of the 2,600 kilometer- (1,600 mile) reef — colorful coral turning white as the animals inside it die — could become an annual event and threaten its survival by 2030 because of rising ocean temperatures, the report said. Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the death of the reef was at the extreme end of a range of likely consequences of global warming. "We are working very hard ... to ensure that of all the reefs in the world, the Great Barrier Reef is the one that will have the greatest prospect of resiliently dealing with the impact of climate change," Turnbull told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio, adding that global warming is a major threat.

"We are confident that we can give the reef every possible chance," he said. "We cannot control the climate change, the global warming, that is in the system in the ... near and medium term."

Source and Article: Click Here

Great Barrier Reef faces decimation: WWF

Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday, April 5, 2007

The Great Barrier Reef faces a colourless future if the Australian government does not act quickly, a new report by conservation group WWF warns. The report singles out 10 micro-regions across the globe already being affected by climate change and warns of bleak futures if action is not taken.

Queensland's Great Barrier Reef rates alongside the Amazon, melting glaciers in the Himalayas, and the Upper Yangtze river in China and is the only Australian region on the list. WWF marine spokesman Richard Leck said if global emissions were not addressed, 97 per cent of the reef could be lost in repetitive annual bleachings by 2050, devastating the environment and the multi-billion dollar tourist industry.

"Essentially what we're saying is there's a certain amount of warming locked in which will result in more frequent and probably more severe bleaching events into the future," Mr Leck said. "Australia cannot expect other nations to help save the reef." The report recommends the Australian government set emission targets which will peak and fall by 2010. The targets would be below 20 to 30 per cent of 1990 levels by 2020 and 60 to 80 per cent below by 2050. Nutrient, mud and chemical pollution run-off from farming the area was also identified in the report.

WWF's Australian water program leader Nick Heath said money was needed to improve farming practices and purchase environmentally sensitive land back that should be removed from farming to re-establish wetlands. "The reef has survived for thousands of years, yet this generation of Australians risk losing it due to the twin threats of climate change and land-based pollution," Mr Heath said.

The WWF report comes as the world's top scientists in Brussels prepare to release the second of three reports, which warn of dire consequences from global warming, especially for poor nations and species diversity.

A spokeswoman for federal Environment and Water Resources Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Mr Turnbull was travelling and unavailable for comment on the findings and recommendations of the report.

Seagrass-Watch is working with Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority as part of the Reef Plan Marine Monitoring Program, to monitor condition of coastal seagrasses and identify impacts from poor water quality.

Source and Article: Click Here

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DPI&F on the hop over seagrass

RRRC media release, Thursday, April 5, 2007.

COMPREHENSIVE seagrass surveys have been completed as part of a program to monitor the state of this vital fish habitat area between Hinchinbrook Island and Cape Bowling Green. The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) “hopped” from site to site in a helicopter at low tide using GPS to map the status of seagrass.

DPI&F fisheries biologist Helen Taylor said a detailed baseline survey around southern Hinchinbrook Island and the Herbert River mouth was conducted during the low tide last week. “This is an important catchment area with major fisheries habitats,” Ms Taylor said. “The seagrass meadows in this area support a large dugong population.” “It is important to collect information on these seagrass habitats as they face threats from a range of sources including climate change, pollution and coastal development.” The survey covered Halifax Bay, Cleveland Bay and down to Bowling Green Bay south of Townsville as well.

“Seagrass meadows, covering some 6000 square kilometres along the Queensland coast, are nursery and feeding grounds that sustain our million-dollar fishing industry,” Ms Taylor said. “The meadows support juvenile prawns and fish, dugong and turtles. “We have maps of coastal seagrass areas throughout most of Queensland, but we have some gaps we need to fill and this survey covered one such gap. “The helicopter survey enables a rapid assessment of intertidal seagrasses. At the same time, we were able to land for closer inspections or take samples as required.” She said Queensland had one third of the world’s species of seagrass and they form an integral habitat in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

The DPI&F has an ongoing program which monitors seagrasses. The program is a partnership with the Australian Governments Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility represented in north Queensland by the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC) and industry bodies.

Ms Sheriden Morris, the director of research for the RRRC, said the surveys would fill important gaps in the knowledge required to assess the risks to these environments for better management and protection of the key habitats in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. “This is an excellent example of commonwealth and state agencies cooperating with industry to ensure the future health of the Great Barrier Reef environment,” she said.

Seagrass-Watch is a major component of the seagrass condition and trend project supported by the MTSRF.

Picture top: Aerial survey of seagrass meadows.

Picture bottom: Senior Scientist Michael Rasheed with a quadrat used for estimating % cover and spieces composition.

Source and Article: Click Here

No more Chek Jawa tours - for now

Straits Times, Sunday, March, 25, 2007

TOURS to Chek Jawa, a popular nature enclave in Pulau Ubin, have been suspended because the stretch of wetlands needs to recover after being affected badly by heavy rains.

Tomorrow's guided tour by the National Parks Board (NParks) will be its last, until further notice.  Mr Robert Teo, the assistant director who heads the Pulau Ubin department of NParks' conservation division, said that this was the first time visits to Chek Jawa have been suspended since NParks took over its management in October 2001.

Record heavy rains in December last year and January this year had led to an influx of freshwater into the Johor River in Malaysia. The freshwater flowing into the Johor Straits, where Pulau Ubin is located, significantly altered the salinity of the water around Chek Jawa.  There was 'widespread death' of marine flora and fauna that were not able to adjust quickly to the changes, according to the NParks website. Mr Teo said that sea anemones, starfish and sponges were particularly hard hit as they were sensitive to the water's salinity level. Comparatively, fish could simply swim away and marine worms could burrow deep into the sand.

Suspending the tours will let nature take its healing course. Visiting tourists could further damage the still-recovering area by inadvertently stepping on the marine creatures.  Ms May Teo, 49, who has been a volunteer guide at Chek Jawa for three years, had a rude shock when she led a group of nature enthusiasts there on Feb 1. Instead of a 'beautiful and colourful' Chek Jawa which the first-time visitors she led were expecting to see, they were greeted instead by the stench of death. 'All the carpet anemones were gone and the sea star (starfish) were all melted or in pieces. I was so sad because it was my first experience seeing the creatures in that state,' she said.

But even amid the doom and gloom, life persevered, and some of the wetlands' denizens, including peacock anemones, managed to survive.  Mr Teo said that NParks is closely monitoring the situation and will review it in July. If Chek Jawa is in better shape by then, tours can resume. Public access to Chek Jawa is restricted to the free, guided tours organised by NParks.

Mr Chua Sek Chuan, 45, a marine biologist and a former chairman of the Nature Society (Singapore)'s marine conservation group, said that although the immediate impact of the rains was 'quite noticeable', in the long run, the place would recover by itself.

Another volunteer guide, Ms Ria Tan, 46, said that other nearby shores, such as those on Pulau Sekudu, could serve as a seeding ground to repopulate Chek Jawa. This is because the animals that are found at Chek Jawa are also found in these areas.  Hence, 'it is important to conserve all our shores and not just one or two', she added.

Chek Jawa was originally slated for land reclamation but nature groups and individuals lobbied to save it. In January 2002, the Ministry of National Development announced that Pulau Ubin would be left intact as long as the island is not required for development to allow Chek Jawa to be retained in its natural state.  Since its reprieve, about 20,000 people have visited the unique ecosystem in the 200 to 250 tours conducted each year, said NParks.

In order to enable more people to experience the rich biodiversity of Chek Jawa, the $7-million Pulau Ubin conservation and management plans were launched in April 2005. Work on the visitor centre, viewing tower and boardwalk is expected to be completed next month.  However, the amenities will not be open to the public until tours are resumed.

Meanwhile, one Chek Jawa lover posted this wish on the blog of TeamSeagrass, a group of volunteers who monitor the seagrasses on Singapore's shores: 'We wish our favourite shore a speedy recovery.'

Source and Article: Click Here

Article by : Boon Chan

Team Seagrass Singapore (Seagrass-Watch partner) monitors seagrass in Chek Jawa

For more information on Chek Jawa, download Seagrass-Watch News Issue 27 2006 ( 2.4mb)

Nature conservationists focus on seagrass to preserve eco-system

Channel NewsAsia, Saturday, March 24, 2007

SINGAPORE: There is a new conservation buzz in town, and it is all about seagrass. It is pure unbridled passion for nature conservation that has brought a group of nearly 30 volunteers together on a hot Saturday afternoon.

They are attending a workshop on documenting and collecting specimens of seagrass. For the uninitiated - seagrass is a flowering marine plant. Found mostly around Chek Jawa on Pulau Ubin, it acts as a buffer between the coral grove and the mangrove swamp.

It is also found at the Pulau Semakau landfill - where they provide food for marine animals - and act as a nestling ground for small fish.

"Seagrass help support our biodiversity and they help support our fish and prawn and other animals," says Dr Len McKenzie, Principal Scientist and Seagrass-Watch Programme Leader. "They are also supporting our endangered species like dugong and turtle which certainly pass through the waters of Singapore as they move between Malaysia and Indonesia. So it is very important that Singapore retain some of these green pockets of Seagrass, if you like, to ensure the sustainability of our ocean, sustainability of our fisheries and sustainability of our endangered species," Dr McKenzie continues.

This humble seagrass has also put Singapore on the world map. Nearly one-sixth of all seagrass species is found in Singapore - including half of all species in the Indo-Pacific region.

"That's the area stretching all the way from India all the way to the North America, and South America. So it is an important component of global bio-diversity," says Dr Nigel Goh, Head (Marine ), NParks.

The volunteers are up early the next morning to take a trip to Pulau Semakau to see firsthand, the seagrass habitat.

Says Siti Maryam Yaakub, Team Seagrass Coordinator, "Team Seagrass covers a new niche in the local conservation scene because the past 5-10 years or so since Chek Jawa had been put on deferment, you actually have a lot of awareness programmes and, I think that a step ahead of awareness is actually being proactive in monitoring the environment, in doing something tangible. So that's how Team Seagrass actually fills the niche and that's why we have so many volunteers as well."

Another volunteer has been publishing books on Singapore's eco-system and donating the proceeds, as much as $70,000, to nature and marine research. Another $50,000 from his latest book, "Singapore's Splendour-Life on the Edge" has also been committed. 

"After I joined the nature society, I was shown whole areas of Singapore that have so much diversity. Chek Jawa first came into the picture then and I was looking at Chek Jawa and that got me started working on the project and got me seeing many things in Chek Jawa which many people never saw because in Chek Jawa and in the inter-tidal areas, we went in very early in the morning - three, four o'clock - and a whole host of things running around, feeding, mating, avoiding us, running all over the place," says Dr Chua Ee Kiam, volunteer and author of "Singapore's Splendour".

"So there is so much, much to see unlike the public which goes in at three, four o'clock in the afternoon-so many things would have hidden.  "When I saw so many things, I decided to document this and this area, and these creatures and after that, decided to do a book on this so that Singaporeans can see for themselves."

And who knows, as Singaporeans become more aware of the rich marine environment around them, this live classroom sessions may well attract more volunteers.

Source and Article: Click Here

Article by By Noor Mohd Aziz

Green, Green Seagrass

The Cairns Post, Tuesday, March 13, 2007, page 27

TAGAI State College,Thursday lsland Secondary Campus is a Reef Guardian school and it is our responsibility to protect and conserve seagrass. The Seagrass-Watch program is sponsored by the Department of Primarylndustries( DPI),Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) and Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and occurs once every school term.

There are seagrass monitoring sites on Thursday and Horn islands. Hammond lsland has just recently established a site at one of their beaches. Anyone with an active interest in marine conservation can become involved. Jane Mellors from DPI in Townsville and other marine conservationists along with students, teachers, rangers and community members work together to collect seagrass data to monitor growth and report findings to the DPI.

The Seagrass-Watch program is an important marine conservation priority for the Torres Strait. It also encourages combined effort from other community members to get involved because seagrass is a vital part of the Torres Strait seasonal calendar.

Picture, top: Tagai State College Thursday lsland Secondary Campus students and volunteers take part in Seagrass-Watch.

Picture, bottom: Stacee (right) and Sinitta (left), monitoring seagrass on Horn Island, Wongai Beach.

Article by: Stacee Ketchell, Yr 11 Tagai State College, Thursday Island Secondary Campus

Save our seahorses

New Sunday Times online, Sunday, March 11, 2007

When the movie Junior starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a pregnant scientist was released in 1994, people had a good laugh at the absurd idea of extreme role reversal. But there is nothing laughable about pregnant male seahorses, because nature intended it to be that way. Seahorses, just like pipefishes and sea dragons, originate from the Syngnathidae family, where the males are the ones impregnated. Studies have shown them to be faithful partners. Marine Biology lecturer Choo Chee Kuang believes they are even more faithful than humans. “When the males are pregnant, female seahorses do not flirt around,” says Choo from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (formerly Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia or KUSTEM).

Contrary to popular belief, seahorses are poor swimmers. They use their tail to grasp at seagrasses all the time and most species have very limited home range. The tiger tail seahorses, for example, occupy just 1m square home range throughout their lifetime, says Choo. As such, the survival of seahorses depends gravely on seagrass beds, just like the endangered turtle and dugong, which feed on seagrass. Seagrass has a complex root system, which can extend up to 30cm into the seabed to fix and stabilise sediments. It also absorbs and recycles nutrients and oxygenates the water through photosynthesis.

Around the world, seahorses are being exploited for the aquarium and traditional medicine trade. Despite being listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the seahorse population has declined more than 50 per cent between 1990 and 2000. “It’s a matter of time before they face extinction,” says Choo.

Development is another factor for the decline. Seahorses are rapidly losing their fight for survival due to pollution and elevated sea water temperature discharged from coastal coal-fire power plants. The seagrass at the Pulai River estuary, where Choo and his team conduct seahorse studies , is located right in the middle of ongoing development. Pulau Merambong in the estuary is the single largest intertidal seagrass bed in Malaysia. “However, there are not more than 400 seahorses left in a place this vast,” says Choo.

Industries have also caused the nearby Tanjung Piai to lose more than 50m of its shoreline in 2003 alone, and it is continuously eroding away. “By the time we reach Wawasan 2020, Tanjung Piai will be gone. So will many other sea life,” says Choo. “It’s only a matter of time, at the rate we exploit our oceans.” Still, Choo refuses to let his hope of saving the marine life be dimmed and is using the seahorse as an icon for marine conservation to save seagrass, which will also save other lives, through the Save Our Seahorses (SOS) organisation.

SOS recommends integrated coastal management plans to be implemented through a formation of a Pulai River Estuary Committee. “If humans can harm the environment, humans can also do the reverse. We can conserve it for the future generation,” says Choo. “Let’s give our seahorses a fighting chance at life.”

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Seagrass-Watch is a partner of SOS Malaysia. Since September 2005, SOS volunteers have used Seagrass-Watch monitoring techniques to monitor the seagrass beds located between Malaysia and Singapore.

Dugong death prompts "Go Slow" message in Moreton Bay

Media-Newswire.com, Monday, March 05, 2007.

The death of a large, healthy male dugong due to boat strike near Moreton Bay's Macleay Island recently has prompted a reminder from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service ( QPWS) for boat skippers to "go slow for those below".

Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr said that on Friday 16 February a member of the public reported a boat strike on a dugong after they felt the impact while travelling on a water-taxi and saw blood in the water.  A dugong that washed up two days later on Macleay Island with boat strike injuries was most likely the same animal.

Ms Nelson-Carr said since the beginning of 2000, at least 13 dugong had been killed in Moreton Bay after being hit by a boat, and most had been in the southern part of the bay. "It is important for skippers to slow down in the shallower areas of the bay where the dugong feed on seagrass," she said.

In 1997, QPWS introduced five "go slow" areas in critical turtle and dugong habitat within Moreton Bay MarinePark.  Rangers have been working with ferry operators to reduce boat strike impacts on dugong outside those "go slow" areas.

QPWS District Manager Miles Yeates said the dugong had been tagged by a University of Queensland researcher in 2003 on Moreton Banks in the northern part of the bay, and had not been recorded again until it washed up dead on Macleay Island in the bay's south.

"Ironically, the carcass with its tag has provided us the first confirmed movement of a dugong from one part of the bay to another", Mr Yeates said. "The dugong was healthy and eating seagrass at time of impact, we found fresh seagrass in its mouth."

Ms Nelson-Carr said the Moreton Bay Marine Park Zoning Plan review had begun and would examine the strategies currently in place to help conserve significant species such as dugong. Dugong are classed as vulnerable to extinction. The large herbivores feed on seagrass and can grow to 500kg and 3m long.

Source and Article: Click Here

Seagrass Watch gets down and dirty (Moreton Bay)

BayJournal, Sunday March 04, 2007

Ken and Nadia O'Carrol check out their southern Moreton Bay site.The important and popular volunteer monitoring programme Seagrass Watch has a number of new projects underway this year says Keira Price in the Moreton Bay Newsletter.

Hopefully, we will begin to see some results from the temperature data loggers that have been placed at numerous sites in the bay and will continue to collect data with these devices.

We will be producing a Seagrass-Watch Manual that will be included in the kits to provide an extra source of useful information for identifying species as well as a reference to monitoring techniques in the field.

Another project we are reviewing is sediment testing (measuring sediment composition), with the aim of including this in our regular monitoring.

This may add another warning sign to potential dangers to seagrass beds and the bay as well as helping in identifying best sediments for transplantation in our proposed seagrass rehabilitation program.

More training days and "BBQ's on the Bay" will be planned throughout the year and more information about hese will be given as the events come up.

This year will also hopefully see the start of a new Seagrass-Watch program on the Gold Coast.

Picture: Ken and Nadia O'Carrol check out their southern Moreton Bay site.

Article by Keira Price

Source and Article: Click Here

Koh Yao villagers stage pier protest (Phuket,Thailand)

Phuket Gazette, Tuesday, February 20, 2007

PHANG NGA: About 30 protectors have been camping out for over a month on Klong Son Beach on Koh Yao Yai, demanding the government scrap plans for a pier to be built there by a large land developer.

The protesters comprise poor Muslim residents of Village 3 and representatives from non-governmental organizations supporting their cause. The villagers see the project, which includes dredging of 100,000 tons of seabed sediment to build an offshore breakwater, as a threat to the marine environment that they rely on to make a living. The villagers began their protest after the project had been approved by all relevant government agencies during a July 20 meeting chaired by Phang Nga Governor Winai Buapradit.

Citing arguments put forward by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) ordered that the project be postponed indefinitely while the Ministry of Transport (MoT) reconsiders its approval, which was granted at the recommendation of the local Marine Department office.

Earlier this month, NHRC Commissioner Vasan Panich told the Gazette that the site is part of “tsunami protection” zone, one of many coastal areas protected from development in order to leave intact natural barriers to any future tsunamis. K. Vasan said that the proposed construction would “certainly” affect offshore seagrass beds that sustain the area’s highly-endangered dugong population.

At Gov Winai’s request, the headman of Village 3 explained to the protesters on February 17 that the company cannot begin work until the ban is lifted – but to no avail. “They refuse to budge until the government revokes its approval, because they don’t believe that Naracha will abandon the project otherwise,” said the headman, who asked that his name not be printed.

“This is a big problem in Phang Nga at the moment, so the Governor has asked for my help in getting the protesters off the beach,” the headman explained.

“I plan to set up a meeting between the protesters and a local Muslim leader. They respect him, so maybe he can convince them to leave the beach and wait at home for the project to be canceled,” he said.

Source and article: Click Here

Seven years of science keeps Reef great

12 February 2007

After seven years of studying the Great Barrier Reef, the Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (CRC Reef) has closed its doors, leaving a legacy of better understanding of reef systems and their key threats, as well as a collection of expert advice which has significantly influenced policy and management of coral reefs throughout the world.

The centre, which operated from 1999 until 2006, provided a basis for partnerships between reef managers, tourism and fishing industries and research providers.  "It has been a privilege to be part of this venture which has created a network of research providers, research users, educational institutions and communities working towards common goals," said Sir Sydney Schubert, Chairman of CRC Reef.

CRC Reef undertook collabrative research that informed on the major issues facing reef managers and industry including: biodiversity conservation, emerging tourirsm and recreation pressures, global warming, and the effects of overfishing and water quality on reef systems.  "Results from CRC Reef's research were transmitted in ways that users could understand and really use, said Sir Schubert. Our Scientists went beyond the data to provide expert opinion and form consensus views on major issues."

Throughout its existence, the Centre supported the eduction and training of more than 100 doctoral students. The students were trained in collaborative, user-focused research that equipped them for real-world applications. Many are now leading researchers and managers of marine systems around the globe.

In 2003, CRC Reef expanded its scope into the Torres Strait to work in partnership with Torres Strait islanders to address sustainable use of marine resources in the region.

During it existence the CRC Reef:

• Improved understanding of the impacts of global warming on coral reefs.
• Helped to develop an early warning system for coral bleaching.
• Provided critical advice and information used in developing the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's new zoning plan for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
• Supported the Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project, which mapped seafloor habitats and associated fauna, assessed the impacts of trawl fisheries, provided baseline data for monitoring changes arising from the new zoning of the Park, and resulted in the discovery of more than 7,000 types of organisms many of which were undescribed new species.
• Raised awareness of water quality as a key threat to the Great Barrier Reef.
• Developed best-practice mooring and pontoon design to optimise strenght of moorings for reef tourism pontoons.
• Improved understanding of human impacts on dugongs leading to better managment measures.
• Conducted one of the largest and longest fisheries experiments in the world, resulting in information that directly changed fisheries legislation and demonstrating that reefs which are closed to fishing have larger and more abundant fish than fished reefs.

CRC Reef was funded by the Cooperative Research Centres Programme through the Department of Education, Science and Training. Its members, which co-funded many research projects, included the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the Great Barrier Reef Research Foundation, James Cook University, Queensland Department of Primary industries and Fisheries, the Queensland Seafood Industry Association, Sunfish Queensland Inc and the University of Queensland.

The knowledge base and partnerships created by CRC Reef are being built on by the Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility. MTSFT is part of the Commonwealth Enviroment Research Fund through the Australian Department of Enviroment and Water Resources. The MTSRF funding is managed by the Reef and Rainforest Reasearch Facility (RRRC).  CRC Reef's research continues to support the management and wise use of the GBRWHA.

More information about the achievements of CRC Reef can by be found in a booklet entitled 'World Heritage Research: Making a Difference' which will be launched by Sir Sydney Schubert at 12 noon on Monday 12 February at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's Reef HQ, Flinders St East, Townsville.

For more information:
Sir Sydney Schubert, Chair, CRC Reef Research Centre. Phone: (07) 3262 7924
Dr David Williams, Australian Institute of Marine Science. Phone: 0419 679 753

A copy of the booklet : Click Here

Investigation into sinking barge begins

news.com, Monday, February 12, 2007

Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) has started investigating why a barge started sinking during a cyclone off the coast of far north Queensland last week. MV Wunma was carrying 5000 tonnes of zinc concentrate when it was swamped by heavy seas whipped up by cyclone Nelson in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Ten crew members had to be winched to safety, and there were fears the ship would sink before a salvage team could secure it. The 113-metre barge was stabilised on Saturday and arrived in Weipa this morning, where investigations and repairs will be carried out.

A spokesman for MSQ today said that officers would carry out physical inspections of the boat and ensure that crew members on board followed the appropriate procedures during the cyclone. "They'll also be making sure the crews had appropriate training for this sort of situation,'' the spokesman said. He said the investigation could take as long as two months.

Mining company Zinifex, which owns the Wunma, had been warned in an academic report in 2002 there was a high risk it would spill its load or sink in a cyclone. However, Zinifex is now confident the barge's cargo will remain secure. The damage to the barge had caused community concern that any spillage of the toxic cargo could result in an environmental disaster.

The gulf is home to a wide variety of fish, plant and animal species and has one of the largest dugong seagrass beds in the region.

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UPDATE: ABC online, Thursday, February 15, 2007: Mining giant Zinifex Century is testing for environmental pollution after a barge carrying 5,000 tonnes of zinc almost sank in heavy seas in the Gulf of Carpentaria in far north Queensland.

The company says a small quantity of the mineral cargo was lost when the barge was hit by cyclone Nelson last week. Zinifex spokesman Matthew Foran says it would have been diluted quickly and is not likely to pose a threat to humans or marine life. "We thought it was probably the best idea to engage an independent operation to do some assessments and so we have engaged Charles Darwin University to undertake this sampling program of the sea floor bed, just to confirm had there been any spillage," he said.

Source and article: Click Here

Gulf of Carpentaria in zinc spill scare

AM Radio, Thursday, February 8, 2007
Reporter: Louise Willis

Extracts of a transcript from AM. The program is broadcast around Australia at 08:00 on ABC Local Radio.

In the muddied waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria in Australia's far north, a 5,000 tonne barge damaged by tropical Cyclone Nelson is in danger of sinking with its full load and causing an environmental disaster. Local environmental and Aboriginal groups are outraged, saying the mining company responsible for the barge has been warned about its operations for years.

As the category two cyclone bore down on the Queensland coast, huge seas disabled a minerals barge in the Gulf and forced its crew to call for help. The barge was ferrying zinc ore from the Zinifex mine to bulk carriers waiting further offshore. The crew is safe on board another ship and authorities are now focusing their efforts on stopping the barge from sinking, or spilling its load into the water. General Manager of the Zinifex Mine, Greg McMillan, says he's confident the barge will be saved.

The incident has outraged local Aboriginal activist Murrandoo Yanner. "We are extremely concerned the fact that this ship is sinking with 5,000 tonnes of toxic zinc on one of the largest grass beds, as in Dugong sea turtles, seagrass beds in the region in extremely concerning" Mr Yanner said.

The fishing industry is also concerned. Gary Ward from the Gulf Fishermen's Association. "Should that go into the environment, it basically would close down the fishing industry in the Gulf of Carpentaria straight away." Mr Ward said.

Source and full article: Click Here

Diver treated after dugong strike

The Courier Mail, Thursday, February 08, 2007

A diver at the Gold Coast's SeaWorld tourist attraction has been admitted to hospital after being struck on the head by a dugong.  There were no witnesses to the mishap involving a normally placid mammal that can weigh up to 400kg.

SeaWorld spokeswoman Wendy Morgan said the diver was carrying out routine maintenance in the dugong tank just before 8am (9am AEDT) today.  "We believe one of the dugongs got caught in the dive equipment as the diver was vacuuming," Ms Morgan said.  "The dugong may have got caught up in the vacuum cord because they're quite curious. "

"None of the divers saw the incident so this is what we believe happened." Once the dugong realised he was caught, Ms Morgan said it was thought he took off and struck the diver on the head.  "It wasn't malicious in any way," she said.

"The diver started to sink to the bottom. One of the other divers went in and brought him up to the surface and they activated the emergency response procedure.  They did a full spinal retrieval of him from the water."

An ambulance took the diver to Gold Coast Hospital in a neck brace, which has since been removed.  "He's conscious and he's responding well to treatment," said Ms Morgan. 

It was unclear if the diver suffered concussion.  SeaWorld has not released the diver's name.

Dugongs are large grey mammals which can grow up to 3m long and feed on seagrass.  They swim by moving their broad spade-like tail in an up and down motion, and by use of their two flippers.

Source and article: Click Here

Measures taken to prevent repeated blue-green algae outbreak

ABC News Online, Monday, February 5, 2007

The Department of Environment will set up new management regimes for Broome's Roebuck Bay to try to avoid a repeat of the current algal bloom.  The blue-green algae, commonly known as 'mermaid hair', is smothering seagrass and threatening marine and bird life for the second year in a row.

The department says samples of the algae sent to Queensland will be tested to gauge its level of toxicity.  Spokesman Troy Sinclair believes excessive nutrients washing into the bay could be to blame.

"We're looking at setting up some programs to identify the nutrient cycles of Roebuck Bay a bit better so we can identify exactly how much nutrients can be assimilated into the environment without any detrimental problems," he said.  "That will help us identify management regimes in future years."

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Seagrass-Watch HQ is currently working with Local Seagrass-Watch Coordinator Danielle Bain to establish seagrass monitoring with Environs Kimberley in Roebuck Bay.

Lessen Reef risks by pooling data

The Cairns Post, Saturday, February 3, 2007, page 2

Scientists could ward off environmental disaster by pulling together to create a Reef-risk plan, a North Queensland-based marine expert said yesterday.  Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Prof Russell Reichelt said more than a dozen scientific institutes and universities at present carried out research. Pooling data could pinpoint Reef sites in urgent need of protection, Prof Reichelt said.

"We need to analyse the Reefs ecology as a whole, not the separate parts, and then look at how we can improve the long term health of the Reef with more targeted actions." he said.  "Looking at more than one factor at a time, would produce a more comprehensive picture of the resilience of the Barrier Reef. It may be that certain areas are prone to bleaching and poor water quality so those would be targeted for more urgent action.

"Cleaning up the water flow from some rivers may become more of a priority." Studies carried out by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the CSIRO. James Cook University and other scientists, were "tremendous" he said. "This is not to criticise current efforts," he said. "But we need to keep finding ways to do even better."

Delicate coral was under significant threat as hotter summers warmed the ocean, Prof Reichelt warned. "We need to take the pressure off the Reef and give it the best chance of surviving," he said. "Mass bleaching could potentially be happening every year for 20 years. "If it happens every year there'll be a steady loss of corals on the Great Barrier Reef."

There have been eight documented bleaching events on the Reef dince 1979, most recently in 2002, when 55 per cent of corals were bleached and 5 per cent died. Prof Reichelt said the Reef would face additional problems in the future, including coral disease, over fishing of sharks and rising acidity in the ocean. An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, released in Paris last night, was expected to predict temperature rises of between 2-4.5°C by 2100.

Scientist urges risk survey to help save reef

ABC Online, Wednesday, January 31, 2007. 17:41 (AEDT)

A leading scientist with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation says identifying the most resilient areas of the reef could help save it from extinction.  A leaked report that is due to be presented to a global conference on climate change in Paris this week has predicted the reef could become extinct within 20 years.

But marine scientist Russel Reichelt says climate change does not impact evenly across the reef and some areas will survive better than others.  He says a full risk survey of the reef could identify which parts will be more easily saved, but it would cost millions of dollars.

"If some of the more serious predictions look like happening, I think we need to target our efforts and really work on the areas where the best conservation outcomes can be achieved," he said.  "Pull the health of the reef up by removing the stresses in very targeted efforts, and what you need for that is an integrated risk and threat and response map."

Source and article: Click Here

Barrier Reef could face extinction in less than 20 years - report

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

SYDNEY - The Great Barrier Reef will become functionally extinct in less than 20 years if global warming continues at its current pace, a draft international report warns.

A confidential draft of the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), obtained by The Age, says that global warming will cause billions of dollars of damage to coastal areas, key ecosystems and the farming sector without massive greenhouse gas emission cuts.

In a chapter on Australia, the draft IPCC climate impacts report warns that coral bleaching in the Barrier Reef is likely to occur annually by 2030 because of warmer, more acidic seas.

The reef is one of several iconic areas of Australia identified in the report as key hot spots for climate vulnerability. Others include the Kakadu National Park's wetlands, the Murray-Darling Basin and alpine zones in southern Australia.

Australian Conservation Foundation executive director Don Henry said the report was a big wake-up call. "They are saying our beloved Barrier Reef is at grave risk," Mr Henry told Sky News. "We've got a major economic and environmental problem unless we heed the call of these scientists. "I think the science is getting clearer about how just how serious and urgent it is." - AAP

Source and article: Click Here

New red tide species detected off Sepanggar

DAILY EXPRESS NEWS, Sun January 21, 2007

Kota Kinabalu: Marine scientists at the Borneo Marine Research Institute (BMRI) of Universiti Malaysia Sabah have identified a new specie of red tide in Sepanggar Bay.

Prof. Datin Dr Ann Anton, who heads the harmful algal bloom (HAB) research group at BMRI, disclosed that scientists are studying the recent red tide in order to determine the factors that caused them and eventually to examine the ways and means of preventing the blooming of harmful algal species.

The on-going studies include finding innovative methods of identifying the species for early detection of the blooms, studying the ecology of the red tide species and measuring the ocean currents, which help in dispersing the red tide blooms.

The red tide which began last week caused the water to be reddish in colour due to the presence of Cochclodinium polikrikoides, one of the species that causes red tide.

This species does not produce harmful substances (toxins), but kills fishes through asphyxiation or lack of oxygen due to the gills being clogged by the cells.

Consumption of fish that dies as a result of oxygen deprivation caused by Cochclodinium polikrikoides does not produce any health hazard for humans.

However, Dr Normawaty Mohammad Nor, a BMRI lecturer, has identified another specie of red tide in Sepanggar Bay, namely Gymnodinium catenatum. This species forms chains in which as many as 30 cells per chain were observed. Gymnodinium catenatum is known to produce a toxin that causes fish deaths. The toxin, commonly known as Paralytic Shellfish Poison or PSP, are readily accumulated by mussels and oysters and when affected shellfish are consumed by humans they can cause neurological and gastrointestinal problems, and in severe condition may result in death.

PSP toxins are also produced by Pyrodinium bahamese var compressum, another red tide species commonly found in the west coast of Sabah's coastal waters.   Gymnodinium catenatum blooms have been reported in North America, Europe, Australia, China, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia.

The symptoms for the PSP include a variety of gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms. Symptoms for a mild case include headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and a tingling sensation around the lips, gradually spreading to the face and neck.

However, in an extreme case of PSP, the symptoms are much more severe. A person may experience muscle paralysis, respiratory difficulty and death may occur between two and 24 hours after ingestion.

Meanwhile, BMRI Director Prof. Dr Saleem Mustafa, suggests the relevant agencies need to include monitoring this harmful alga - G. catenatum in coastal waters of Sabah and to intensify research on the chemistry of the toxins produced by it.

He said the poison produced by G. catenatum could be easily accumulated by suspension feeders like mussels and oysters, and when affected shellfish are consumed by humans, they can cause neurological and gastrointestinal disorders.

Source and article: Click Here

World Wetlands Day: 2 February 2007

Department of Environment and Heritage, January 2007

World Wetlands Day is celebrated each year on the 2 of February. It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971.

World Wetlands Day was first celebrated in 1997. Since this time government agencies, non-government organisations and community groups have celebrated World Wetlands Day by undertaking actions to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits and promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands.

These activities include seminars, nature walks, festivals, launches of new policies, announcement of new Ramsar sites, newspaper articles, radio interviews and wetland rehabilitation.

The international theme for World Wetlands Day 2007 is 'Wetlands and Fisheries', in recognition of the importance of fish and fisheries to all people around the world. Raising our awareness of the importance of wetlands and fish increases our appreciation of the challenges we are now facing in sustainably managing our wetlands amidst the many, often conflicting, uses.

The World Wetland Day slogan 'Fish for tomorrow?' encapsulates many of these challenges we are facing, which include:
• Sustainable management of fish (and other marine species) populations, especially those that are commercially fished
• Supporting sustainable aquaculture practices
• Effectively managing wetlands and other important fish habitats to protect and conserve fish populations
• Increasing buyer awareness of fish species for consumption
Healthy and functional inland and coastal wetlands play a very important role in the management and conservation of our important fish resources. They provide important habitat for fish populations, including rare and endangered fish species, and are spawning and nursery areas for many fish and other marine species.

Source and article: Click Here
World Wetlands Day - Ramsar Convention on Wetlands web site: Click Here

Invitation to World Wetlands Day Forum

January 2007

Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre (Brisbane, Australia) will once again be hosting a free Forum evening with a panel of specialists in Wetlands and Fisheries on Wednesday 31st January 2007.

Speaker and topics include:

• Norm Duke (Centre for Marine Studies, University of Queensland) Marvellous Mangroves –Their Role In Wetlands And Fisheries (Draft Title)
• Kurt Derbyshire (Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) Managing Queensland's Fish Habitats To Sustain Fisheries
• Kellie Williams (Moreton Bay Seafood Industry Association) Environmentally Sustainable Commercial Fisheries – Fishing For A Future
• Craig Bohm (Australian Marine Conservation Society) Sustainable Seafood – It’s Your Choice

An evening of stimulating presentations and discussion over wine and cheese at Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre (31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall), 6-9pm. Wine and cheese will be served from 5:45pm.

Bookings are essential: please call the Brisbane City Call Centre on 3403 8888.

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