|
Hervey Bay (Qld, Australia): 28 & 29 April 2010
The low spring tides in late April revealed the continued recovery, from the loss first reported in early 2006, of the seagrass meadows at Urangan. In late 2007, Zostera capricorni seedlings emerged and isolated patches began establishing. Since then, the patches became more aggregated and now the meadow is more continuous over the intertidal banks. Although the seagrass cover is low, it was not unexpected for this time of year. Epiphyte cover was high and there was lots of evidence of worms and crabs.
|
|
|
Great Keppel (Qld, Australia): 28 April 2010
|
|
|
Mission Beach (Qld, Australia): 25 & 26 April 2010
After a prolonged monsoon, it was not surprising to find the seagrass meadows of both Dunk Island and Lugger Bay in poor condition. Both seagrass abundance and distribution was the lowest since TC Larry in 2006. The Dunk Island sites, which are usually dominated by Cymodocea rotundata, were dominated by Halodule uninervis - suggesting some level of disturbance. Lugger Bay remained dominated by Halodule uninervis. No seeds were reported from any of the Mission Beach sites.
|
Dunk Island
25 April 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Pulau Semakau (Singapore): 18 April 2010
It's sunrise and the Team is already well on the way to Pulau Semakau sites! In the distance, flaring is still going on at the petrochemical installations on Pulau Bukom. At Transect 3, there's not much seagrass, and lots of Codium seaweeds (Codium sp.). After we finished our monitoring, we had a quick look around on our way back and spotted a a pair of mating Ceratosoma nudibranchs (Ceratosoma sp.) as well as Jorunna nudibranch (Jorunna funebris)..... For more visit Team Seagrass Click Here
|
|
|
Far North Qld (Australia): 13 & 16 April 2010
|
Green Island
13 April 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Torres Strait (Qld, Australia) 14 - 21 April 2010
We wish to acknowledge the traditional owners on whose sea areas we are monitoring.
|
Mer Island
14 - 16 April 2010
|
|
|
|
|
MR1 was monitored on April 14. the Mer Seagrass-Watch team were joined by don WHAP a ranger mentor from the tsra and Rebecca Diete from the university of Queensland, who is on Mer studying pacific rats. For the first time we seen prawns. There were lots of beche-de-mer and as usual lots of sponges. TH was dominant at the shallow end of the transects and was then joined by CR at the deeper end. Text john tabo
|
|
|
A new site was established at Las - MR 3. It is approximately 200m from MR2. Whilst it is in the same meadow it is located in another fish trap. The species composition is similar to MR2 with Thalassia hemprichii (TH) having higher densities than Cymodocea rotundata (CR). Enhalus acoroides (EA) is also present within this site but not encountered along any of our measured quadrats. We also lots of beche-de-mer a cowrie, and small giant clams. Thanks to Cunningham for assisting Moses and I in setting up this site and monitoring it. Text Jane Mellors
|
|
|
|
Mabuiag Island
20 - 21 April 2010
|
|
|
|
|
I joined Charlie, Matt, and Jane to check out Seagrass-Watch as they monitored their sites on Mabuiag. As I am a ranger from Iama we wanted to see what was involved in monitoring seagrass so that we may start monitoring on Iama. I think our community would understand that the sea grass plays an important role for the survival of culture that involves the sea. MG1 was a lot harder to monitor than MG2 because of the soft mud, more variety of species and more epicover, whereas MG2 had harder sediment for walking on and less species to identify.
As I am a local of the Torres Strait I never realized there were so many different species of seagrass in our sea land. I think the Seagrass-Watch methods are straightforward, for the community to understand and join in. I would like to thank Charls, Jane and Matt for including me in this training. Text David Baragud
|
|
|
Shoalwater Bay (Qld, Australia): 13 - 14 April 2010
|
|
|
Kaurie Creek (Qld, Australia): 10 April 2010
|
|
|
Broome (WA, Australia): 01 - 03 April 2010
Easter monitoring out on Roebuck Bay was a great joy. A particular highlight was at the Town Beach site, where the intertidal zone was alive with thousands of tiny crabs! When we stood still, they jumped energetically out of their homes in the mud and went scampering about. Then when we moved, they performed impressive super-quick little tumble-dives back into their holes. Very entertaining to see!
In keeping with seasonal trends, there was significantly less seagrass present on the intertidal mudflats of Roebuck Bay compared to our January monitoring experience. There was still some Lyngbya strewn across the monitoring sites, as you will see in the photos, but it seems to be slowly dissipating.
I would like to extend my warmest thank you to the wonderful volunteers who came seagrass monitoring this Easter. Thank you so much for your important contribution, which helps protect the seagrass ecosystem, and all that relies on it, from the invertebrates and shorebirds to the dugong and turtles. Text: Fiona Bishop
|
|
|
Cyrene Reef (Singapore): 02 April 2010
It's our first morning low tide for the year, and a small team land on Cyrene Reef in the first light of dawn.
While some of us trek all the way out nearly 1km to Site 2, the other half of the team are already set up at Site 1. With the huge industrial installations of Jurong in the background. there is a lot of seagrasses. With the most number of species in one location. So it's rather tricky to monitor.... For more visit Team Seagrass Click Here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Correct citation: McKenzie, LJ., Yoshida, RL. & Coles, RG. (2006 - 2010). Seagrass-Watch. www.seagrasswatch.org. 228pp. Disclaimer: The views expressed on this site are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Queensland Government. Website designed by McKenzie, LJ., Yoshida, RL. |
|
|
