Far North Qld (Australia): 21 - 22 September 2010

	Green Island: 21 Sep 2010
	Yule Point: 22 Sep 2010

Broome (WA, Australia): 10 - 12 September 2010

Seagrass-Watch HQ was back in Broome to conduct both Level 1 (basic) and Level 2 (refresher) workshops. The Demco site, was the field event that kicked off the training workshops. The Level 2 particpants, were up bright and early (530am).  After a safety briefing from Fiona Bishop, the Level 2 participants demonstrated their site set up and monitoring skills. Monitoring concluded at 8am.

Seagrass-Watch HQ would like to thank all those who attended the workshops, especially the Bardi Jawi and Nyul Nyul Rangers.  The workshops were supported by Environs Kimberly, local coordination by Fiona Bishop, and Seagrass-Watch HQ. We would also like to thank the Department of Environment and Conservation for providing the venue for Level 1 and Level 2 classroom sessions.

To download Level 1 Workshop feedback: Click Here

To download Level 2 Workshop feedback: Click Here

	Demco, RO2: Level 2 Field exercise 10 Sep 2010
	Level 1 Workshop 10 -11 Sep 2010

After a couple of hours rest, it was then Level 1 participants turn to learn the background knowledge required to properly and confidently conduct Seagrass-Watch monitoring. It was an intensive 6.5 hours. Level 1 participants completed their training with the field component at Town Beach on the Saturday morning.

	Level 2 Workshop 12 Sep 2010

The workshop finished off with the Level 2 classroom session on Sunday 12th. Participants refreshed their taxonomy skills and learnt about the details of the Seagrass-Watch protocols. They also experienced how important it is to be properly trained and record data according to the standard protocols. Their skills of observation were also tested during the classroom exercises.

Mer Island (Qld, Australia): 07 - 09 September 2010

We wish to acknowledge the traditional owners on whose sea areas we are monitoring

MR1, 2 and 3 were al monitored in early September. The tides were pretty low and we only had to struggle with too much water on a few quadrats.  At all three sites percent cover was slightly down but canopy heights of the meadows were taller than that recorded n July. Algal cover and epiphyte cover were also down from the previous monitoring period.  On the Thursday we had the School once again come out and have a taste of seagrass watching at Maad. Well done to the handful of students Jack, Victor, Barses, and TJ who remained on site even after the school bell rang to help finish the monitoring. Text Jane Mellors

Goold Island (Cardwell, Australia): 06 September 2010

The Cardwell rangers did their annual monitoring of Goold on September 6. The meadow was possibly barer than it was last year and the sediments even muddier. Since 2008 there has been a dramatic decline in the seagrass cover at this site. In 2008 it was a lush meadow dominated by Cymodocea serrulata. In 2009 the meadow had diminished dramatically with just vestiges of C. serrulata still present. This year the C. serrulata meadow had disappeared and there was only a really low cover of predominately Halophila ovalis.

By low I mean three quadrats out of 33 had seagrass in it. Despite the paucity of seagrass there was still plenty of fauna around. Plenty of starfish which I think are Astropecten zebra (well that’s what we called them in the '80s). I have since found out that this name is an unacceptable synonym and they should be known as Astropecten vappa Müller & Troschel, 1843 . These starfish can be sometimes confused with Luidia hardwicki, as there habitat preference overlaps, they both have pointed tube feet not suckered ones, so they must eat their prey whole. However the arrangement of the plates along the arms makes this particular example identify as an Astropecten. There were also feather stars, (crinoids), dog whelks (Nassarius spp), hermit crabs and shrimps busy excavating their burrows. Text Jane Mellors