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South Port, Gold Coast (Qld, Australia): 30 August 2009
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Broome (WA, Australia): 23 - 24 August 2009
It was a huge turnout. Workshop participants were from a diverse range of local community and indigenous groups, including the Bardai Jawi Land & Sea Rangers and the Djarindjin ladies. Classroom and laboratory sessions were conducted at the Department of Environment & Conservation offices and the field session was at held at Town Beach (RO1).
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Although only two seagrass species are commonly encountered (Halodule uninervis and Halophila ovalis), the intertidal meadows across Roebuck Bay are extensive. Seagrass abundance at RO1 was similar to the same time last year, as abundance appears to follow a seasonal trend (higher in later months of the year and lower during the monsoon). The intertidal flats were popular with tourists taking advantage of the low tides to visit the catalina wrecks (one of the 15 flying boats remaining from the Japanese air raid on Broome in 1942). The seagrass meadows also appeared popular with dugongs during high tide as feedings trails were common across the site. Also plentiful were gastropod egg cases/sacs and green polychaetes. Although participants expressed concern for the condition of seagrass and associated fauna after the hovercraft passed over the site. All participants enjoyed the 2 days and many commented that they did not realize the importance of seagrass meadows; vowing that on returning to their local regions, they would endeavor to impart their knowledge to the local communities to help support seagrass and marine conservation. The workshop was supported by Environs Kimberly, local coordination by Fiona Bishop (who also organised the excellent catering), with assistance from Sharon Ferguson (DEC) (who also collected the seagrass specimens for the workshop) and Seagrass-Watch HQ. Seagrass-Watch HQ would like to thank all those who attended the workshop, especially the Bardi Jawi Rangers and the Djarindjin ladies who made the long trip down from Dampier Peninsula.
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Singapore: 21 - 24 August 2009
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The shore below Tanjong Rimau is Sentosa’s last resort for the corals and seagrasses that used to grow all around Singapore’s largest southern island. To get data on the extent and health of the shore’s seagrasses shore over the seasons, TeamSeagrass monitors this narrow stretch of sand and rubble that straddles the island’s natural cliffs and a sloping seawall. There are three parallel sites. As the reef flat is not wide enough for the standard 50m transect line, the volunteers use a semi-random sampling procedure, throwing the quadrant within the site boundaries and charting their observations wherever it falls. On the exposed flat, the seagrasses grew mainly close to the seawall, while the outer fringe consisted of rubble, seaweed and corals. The two species of seagrass known to occur here are Enhalus acoroides and Halophila ovalis. For more pictures and interesting facts visit Team Seagrass Click Here
Today is our last monitoring trip at Chek Jawa for the year. And the last of the morning trips by the Team. We are joined today by Lee Qi's crab team. She is doing a project about the crabs found in seagrasses and the team has strange cut-out buckets and lots of other gear! Today we are very short handed. Site 1 is dominated by Cymodocea rotundata. This seagrass is not widely distributed in Singapore and Chek Jawa is one of our few shores with extensive growths of it. Under the longer seagrass grows Halophila ovalis. In our site, we also got little bits of Halophila spinulosa. After we're done with the monitoring, I have a quick look around at the seagrasses. Cymodocea rotundata is growing right up to the sandbar where public walks are conducted! That's great, so that visitors can take a closer look at this special seagrass. For more pictures and interesting facts visit Team Seagrass Click Here
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Back on the shores again to monitor seagrasses, this time at Tuas with the amazing volunteers from Schering Plough. This shore is long but narrow, so we use the random method to monitor it. It has Halophila ovalis. Here's a view of the shore to the west with the Merawang beacon and in the distance, the Malaysia island of Pulau Merambong. The seagrasses in Johor opposite Tuas is being monitored by our Malaysian counterparts, also as part of international Seagrass-Watch. Thanks to the SP team who look after this shore! And particularly to those who came today. For more pictures and interesting facts visit Team Seagrass Click Here
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Great Sandy Strait (Qld, Australia): 18 - 22 August 2009On 18th August Gordon, Helen and newcomer Marijka visited the site to find reduced overall cover, but two extensive beds of dense cover Zostera capricorni and Halophila ovalis. Helen and Marijka went to PN1 on 22nd August in blustery north westerly winds and confirmed the March report of very sparse grass cover. They did report however of two large patches of large leaf Halophila ovalis and Halodule uninervis closer to the shore. On 19th August Gordon, Robyn and Helen using VMR21 vessel Jupiter cruised to BN3 which maintains good average cover, mostly Zostera capricorni. There were several deep washouts caused by overflow from the creek which runs at the back of this sloping site, which also appeared to have covered the site markers, which had to be replaced. As a result of this delay it was too late to get to BN2. Text: Gordon Cottle
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Bowen (Qld, Australia): 16 August 2009
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Torres Strait (Qld, Australia): 31 July - 22 August 2009
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Over the weekend, we monitored MR1, set up a new site (MR2) on the other side of the island. We even got a new member of the seagrass-watch team – Uncle Sabz, joined Moses, Jane and I. We would like to thank the traditional owners for allowing us access to Mei to establish our new sit, and to thank Bernie and Gedor for joining us in setting MR2. Text John K.Tabo
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We had to get up really early to be on site to catch the low tide, i.e. in the dark. The wind was blowing around 20-25knots which meant it was cold for us up in the Tropics. Thanks to Abbie and Ali who came out to help us. We only managed to do 2 transects the first morning as the tide did beat us, so we finished off Monday. On both days the sun rose about 6:15 which did make our work easier. Text: David Amber and Charlie Hankin
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Starting at 5:30 in the morning made it difficult to set up our sites using landmarks. However Mr Denzin made the task slightly easier when he arrived in his big four-wheel drive and shone his high beam across the site. We also had to dodge a few anchored boats. Regardless we had a good turn up. It took a long time to locate the temp logger as it had been buried by quite a bit of sediment. While seagrass was a bit scratchy within our site, the meadow beyond the site that we don’t normally see, due to the height of the tide, looked very lush. Text Jake Seaton
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The diehards amongst the Tagai Team turned up for Seagrass-Watch at dawn this morning. The Team was ably led by Iwao Takai who located the site and directed us into groups to complete our tasks. The tide went out a lot further and for a longer time than predicted by the Queensland Tide Books. The sense of achievement at the end of monitoring this site is always paramount, as it is not an easy site to monitor due to soft sediments, and tasking addition problems due to 7 species present in some quadrats. Text Jane Mellors
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We caught the ferry to Horn Island from TI at 6am, when it was still dark. We were on site by about 6:30 after checking the beach was croc-free we proceeded with our monitoring at this muddy site. By the time we finished, the mud was up to our knees and even on our faces thanks to Zara! The mud also stank but still it was a lot of fun. Text Jessica Cox and Sally Marrington
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For our last day of sampling the weather was exquisite, the channel was as calm as a millpond. We arrived a little late for launching the dinghy. Jess our fearless leader showed us how to adeptly avoid crabs by standing on mounds. This was a good lesson as there were lots of crabs there!! Gee it would be great if we had some booties, maybe next time!! Text: Jess, Ann, Wes, Zara, Sally
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Jawbone Marine Sanctuary (Vic, Australia): 22 August 2009
Jawbone Marine Care Group and others were thankful that the sun arrived to keep them cheery, despite the 10.5 degree water. We plunged our faces in to see the seagrass along the two permanent transects that were previously marked. Although the transects are perpendicular to the shore, the small bay means that they meet at a subtidal permanent pole that has been there, it seems, forever. Hugh braved the depths to call out the Heterozostera measurements to Sandy. Vu and the others shivered but stayed resolute in recording the measurements of the short, intertidal Zostera, epiphytes and bivalves. Text: Hugh Kirkman and Jacqui Pocklington. For more information www.peopleandparks.org/programs/marine-connections/sea-search
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