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To access Seagrass-Watch news archives Click HereThis page includes news articles of international and national interest. Seagrass-Watch HQ does not guarantee, and accepts no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any news material contained on this page or on any linked site. The material on this page may include the views or recommendations of third parties, which do not necessarily reflect the views of the program nor it's supporters, or indicate commitment to a particular course of action
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Dugong disappearing fast from Trang19 June 2013, The Nation Trang's dwindling dugong population is now threatened with extinction as the Seagrass meadows it feeds upon in the waters around Koh Libong have shrunk to 7,306 square rai.
Prachuap said a survey also revealed that the dugong's Seagrass fields had shrunk sharply, from 12,173 square rai in 2006 to only 7,306 square rai in 2011. The Seagrass has been decimated by large cargo ships that ply the main shipping route near the island, with increased sediment levels another destructive factor. Prachuap thus urged all parties to co-operate to prevent the disappearance of the rare mammal from Trang's waters. More information: Click Here
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Researchers induce Japan's first artificial bloom of rare seagrass18 June 2013, Mainichi Daily News Researchers at the Tsukuba Botanical Garden here successfully induced the seagrass "Halophila ovalis" -- commonly known as spoon or paddle grass - to bloom on June 8, it has been learned. According to Norio Tanaka, a researcher at the botanical garden, "It is the first blooming of the plant at a botanical garden in Japan." Paddle grass, designated a near-endangered species on the Ministry of the Environment's red list, has proven difficult to cultivate. If researchers can reproduce it in an artificial environment, it will aid efforts to conserve the seagrass. Paddle grass is a kind of seagrass that, over the course of its evolution, moved onto land and then back into water and continues to produce seeds. There are only 56 types of such seagrass in the world, many of them endangered. The Tsukuba Botanical Garden began working to cultivate the seagrasses in 2009, and last year turned its efforts to paddle grass. Researchers there have attempted to recreate a natural ocean environment using seawater and organisms like hermit crabs and shrimp. More information: Click Here
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Push to protect reef05 June 2013, G-Online Further industrialisation along the Great Barrier Reef coastline will destroy the already fragile ecosystem, says a declaration released today. Over 150 of Australia’s leading marine and coastal scientists today released a signed declaration stating that further industrialisation along the Great Barrier Reef coastline will destroy the already fragile ecosystem. “The scientific evidence that the Great Barrier Reef is already suffering is crystal clear,” says Professor Hugh Possingham, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions and a co-author of the declaration. “The consensus now is that the reef simply won’t cope with the scale of development our governments are allowing to go ahead under the current scenario.” The statement represents the united perspective of scientists from 33 Australian institutions including the University of Queensland, James Cook University and the University of Western Australia. Possingham told Green Lifestyle magazine that “alarm bells” have been ringing in the scientific community since reports last year revealed the significant decline in coral over the Great Barrier Reef. The release of today's document reflects the concern of the scientific community about the environmental impact of proposed coastal port development and increases in shipping and dredging in areas surrounding the reef. It asks the government to cease construction, encouraging companies to better utilise existing facilities, and to improve and regulate shipping to stop further damage to the reef. The delicate situation of the Great Barrier Reef led Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne to announce on Monday that her party would take an active stance against new policies regarding offshore dumping and dredging in these waters, with a call for dredge spoil to be disposed of on land. Ranee Crosby, the Port of Townsville acting chief executive, told the Townsville Bulletin that the Greens’ policy is "completely impractical", claiming that ports need to dredge. She says there are “national guidelines for the placement of material at sea, it has to be clean material... it's natural sediment... [and] anything that is contaminated material has to go to shore and be treated”. A report conducted by Abbot Point Port suggests that “impacts to marine water quality as a result of dredging... are likely to be small and temporary in nature”. However, Possingham said that although dredge spoil is just mud, it can remain suspended in the water for a long time and has a “very big and repeated negative impact on corals and seagrass”. “What the Australian public don’t know is how much of the threat comes from sediments,” said Possingham. “Sediments are stirred up by dredging and dumping of dredge spoil.” He said that the positive outcome of the government’s $200 million reef rescue package was likely to be negated if dredging continues. “The science is being ignored and there has been an obvious disregard for very likely effects of large-scale dredging on coastal habitats including coral reefs and iconic wildlife such as turtles and dugongs,” he said. A main point of contention in the declaration is the use of independent peer-reviewed research to monitor and manage the environmental impact of industry on the Great Barrier Reef. Though the World Heritage Committee’s decision to downgrade the Great Barrier Reef to a ‘heritage site in danger’ has been postponed until next year, scientists want the document to highlight to the government and the Committee their concern about the current management of the Great Barrier Reef coastline. “The reef is important to millions of people. Given the rate of decline we need to work out ways of reducing environmental impacts. The Australian public should have some clear options, otherwise port expansion and industrialisation will be the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said Possingham. More information: Click Here
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GTMO volunteers help to capture and tag manatees 04 June 2013, The Wire 14(37):8-9, by Spc. Raechel Haynes A large calf was caught in the channel. Although the team was unable to capture the mother, they did a full health assessment and marked the calf for future identification. The calf was quickly released and reunited with her mother. The manatees will now be tracked via satellite providing the USGS regular updates as to the movements of the manatees. This was a great team effort for the USGS team as volunteers from GTMO volunteer team helped as spotters, boat crew, and medical crew. The USGS team will return to GTMO in October 2013 to conduct another round of tagging.
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Coal terminal developer questions dredge spoil research30 May 2013, ABC Local The developer of the Abbot Point coal terminal in north Queensland says it has concerns about new research which suggests dredge spoil moves further than previously predicted The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) revealed the draft research at this week's Senate hearings. It found that dredge spoil could concentrate in very sensitive areas likes seagrass beds and inshore coral reefs. It also suggests that strong dispersal of the sediment may lead to less of an effect on those areas. North Queensland Bulk Ports plans to dredge at Abbot Point near Bowen. In a statement, the company says it has reviewed the research but it is concerned about the ability of the modelling to accurately predict the risk to the reef. GBRMPA spokesman Dr Russell Reichhelt says it is still reviewing the study, but it will be released later this year as part of a comprehensive assessment of the reef. Yesterday, Queensland Senator Larissa Waters said the Federal Government needed to request more information about plans to dump dredge spoil at sea from the Abbot Point coal terminal. Senator Waters says the company needs to be up-front with the public too. "The obligation on them is to speak not only with fisher folk but also then be clear about what they're proposing," she said. "Clearly this proposal is up in the air, the details aren't yet resolved. "Environment Minister [Tony Burke] should not make a decision until we know the full details of what's going to get dumped where and the full impacts of that are understood." More information: Click Here
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Pesticides authority open to reviewing diuron ban29 May 2013, ABC Online The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Management Authority (APVMA) says it would consider reviewing a ban on the use of the herbicide diuron. The APVMA has told a federal budget estimates hearing it is no longer concerned about the herbicide's impact on the biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland. It said it would consider reviewing the ban if new evidence and research on the herbicide's use in cane farms was submitted. North Queensland Senator Ian Macdonald says cane farmers desperately need the authority to lift the ban. "They no longer think that it's a problem for the reef," he said. "They do think it's a problem for primary and secondary waterways, but again I think the farmers, through Reef Rescue and other programs, have done all the work necessary to make sure these chemicals don't flow on unwantedly into streams and rivers." Senator Macdonald says it is time for the ban to be lifted. "The authority said that they were no longer concerned about the impact of the chemical on the reef biodiversity," he said. "They indicated they had discounted that some time ago. "What their concern was now was the impact on aquatic life in primary and secondary waterways and streams." More information: Click Here
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Dredge spoil may have wider reaching impacts29 May 2013, Mackay Daily Mercury THE dumping of dredge spoil on the Great Barrier Reef from port developments along the Queensland coast could have effects as big as sediment run-off, Senate estimates was told on Tuesday. Under questioning during hearings in Canberra, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority scientist Dr Adam Smith made the comment. The revelation come as the July deadline for Environment Minister Tony Burke to consider the approval of a 3 million cubic metre dredging project at Abbot Point, near Mackay. Dr Smith said new research which included ocean currents had shown the impacts of dumping dredge spoil on the reef could be more extensive than previously thought. His comments mirrored some he made during a closed door meeting with Abbot Point port extension proponents in March this year. In that meeting, Dr Smith said while the Commonwealth had a policy on offsetting environmental impacts, the GBRMPA did not. "The impacts of any dredging spoil disposal both directly and indirectly will be much bigger with other aspects such as water quality, biodiversity and impact on other users to be considered," the minutes of the meeting read. GBRMPA representative Andrew Skeat also spoke during the meeting. He said more recent work had suggested the quantum of suspended sediments moving up and down the coast due to dredging remobilisation was "in the same order of magnitude as what is coming out of the rivers". Mr Smith confirmed Mr Skeat's statement, saying it depended on the assumptions made, but that it was "roughly in the same order of volume". Minutes of the meeting also show North Queensland Bulk Ports' chief executive Brad Fish said the protection of the reef was "paramount", and the ports wanted to work with the authority for the best outcome. "If we take the position that we stop development, (it) would put doubt on future projects and therefore funding for on-going protection of the Great Barrier Reef," the minutes read. Authority chief executive Dr Russel Reichelt said the full results of the research could not yet be released. He told Estimates that once the authority passed on the results to the Minister Burke, the Minister would then decided when to release the findings. Australian Marine Conservation Society campaigner Felicity Wishart said it was crucial the public was made aware of "all evidence around the impact of dredging now". "This throws into question all the port expansion plans up and down the reef," she said. "Where is the data? What are the facts? Are the state and federal government receiving inadequate advice or ignoring proper advice?" The NQBP circulated a statement on Wednesday, which said the port was experience in dredging campaigns, having completed 19 in the region without incident. However, the statement said the ports had "concerns with regards to the suitability of the modelling used in the research to accurately assess impact and prediction of risk" to the reef. More information: Click Here
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Corps aims to replant seagrass28 May 2013, Florida Today The Indian River Lagoon may soon undergo a transplant. Water managers plan to harvest seagrass from healthier spots of the lagoon to transplant to the bald spots made barren by years of algae blooms. The St. Johns River Water Management District has applied for a federal permit to transplant seagrass to 30 sites in the lagoon and the Banana River. The sites range from Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge to Titusville, to Vero Beach, according to a public notice released Wednesday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The public has until June 12 to comment on the project, before the corps decides whether to permit the experiment. The district hopes to transplant the grasses this summer. “They want do it as soon as possible,” said Tamy Dabu, who’s reviewing the permit for the agency. Biologists hope to restore some of the almost 74 square miles of seagrass lost since 2009, much of it clouded out by algae blooms. Seagrass provides prime habitat for fish, crabs and other marine life and is considered a key barometer of the estuary’s overall health. Each acre of seagrass supports about 10,000 fish and $5,000 to $10,000 in economic activity in the lagoon region, according to water management district and other studies. According to the corps’ public notice, seagrass would be harvested — with hand tools only, no machinery — and manually installed at the recipient study sites. The restoration sites would be 100 meters from shore and cover about 100 square meters of the lagoon bottom. The planned cost for the three-year transplant project is $85,000, according to Hank Largin, a water management district spokesman. Donor sites where seagrass will be harvested include just off Pine Island on Merritt Island, just north of A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway in Titusville and near Vero Beach. Dabu said the grass at harvested donor sites grows back quickly. “It’s almost like doing a sod cut, with a plug,” Dabu said. “What’s amazing is you would never know. There’s not a scar or anything like that.” Sebastian Inlet is one of the proposed sites that would get transplanted grass. Similar grass transplants there have shown success along the inlet’s interior, patching boat propeller scars and other barren spots. The Sebastian Inlet District had to transplant grass to make up for seagrass impacted by an August 2007 dredging of the channel. “We had extreme success,” Martin Smithson, the inlet’s director, said of that transplant. “We had a trend of increasing seagrass.” But the grass inside the inlet started dying in summer 2011, and ultimately 80 percent vanished. Smithson stops short of blaming recent algae blooms. “We didn’t see the type of bloom that blocked the sunlight,” Smithson said. “That’s what shocked us. We just didn’t think that there was enough sunlight blockage to contribute to that massive die-off.” The lagoon has undergone severe seagrass loss since 2011, when an unprecedented phytoplankton “superbloom” clouded out the sunlight seagrasses need to grow. A brown tide bloom that first struck the lagoon last summer re-emerged last month in the northern lagoon and southern Mosquito Lagoon. The same algae species, Aureoumbra lagunensis, bloomed almost eight years in a row in Laguna Madre, Texas, making it the longest harmful algae bloom ever recorded. In all, the lagoon has lost an estimated 47,000 acres of seagrass since 2009. Not only grass has died. As many as 100 manatees may have perished from the same mysterious illness since July 2012, state wildlife biologists suspect. And at least 32 bottlenose dolphins have floated up dead in the lagoon since Jan. 1, as well as 250 to 300 brown pelicans since February. Biologists also are investigating a large silver mullet fish kill that struck the southern lagoon and the St. Lucie River estuary in early May. The transplant project is subject to review by other federal, state, and local agencies. “It’s a viable project, but we need to know why these seagrasses aren’t naturally coming back in these areas,” Dabu said. More information: Click Here
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Bay anglers might snare something big29 May 2013, South Coast Register RESEARCHERS from the University of Wollongong are running an experiment on Jervis Bay seagrass between Murray’s Boat Ramp and Hole-In-The-Wall from now until August. Fishermen have been asked to avoid the area as a total of 36 cages have been placed within the seagrass meadow to help researchers, who have partnered with Booderee National Park and Jervis Bay Marine Park, to determine the importance of the seagrass meadows for organisms in Jervis Bay. The cages measure 1.5m by 1m by 0.5m and have been placed at depths between two to five metres. Fishermen have been asked to avoid fishing so damage to fishing equipment and the research cages can be avoided. Seagrass meadows are considered important marine ecosystems that provide food and shelter for a number of threatened and endangered species, including the green sea turtle and dwarf seahorse. Other species relying on the seagrass include the Australian salmon, rock flathead, mullet, herring, cobber, King George and blue rock whitings, black bream, garfish, six-spine leatherjacket, gummy shark, blue swimmer crab, endeavour and tiger prawns, western rock lobster and squid. Posters and signs have been placed around Jervis Bay with details about the research and areas to avoid. More information: Click Here
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Researchers sow seeds of seagrass transplant success27 May 2013, Science Network Western Australia WESTERN Australian researchers have had a major breakthrough by successfully transplanting seagrass – considered the forests of the marine world – in a section of Cockburn Sound. Seagrasses occur around most of the world’s coastal areas and have a number of important roles including sediment (sea floor) and coastline stabilisation, providing food for invertebrates and vertebrates (such as dugongs and turtles) and nutrient cycling. They are also the only flowering plants within the marine environment. But seagrasses have been in decline globally for years. Locally, meadows at Cockburn Sound have decreased by 77 per cent since 1967 due mainly to eutrophication, industrial development and sand mining. Seagrass trials since the 1980s nationally and internationally have been largely unsuccessful, and costly. But a study by researchers from UWA’s Oceans Institute and Murdoch University, in collaboration with the Kings Park’s Botanic Garden and Parks Authority has bucked the trend with a successful four-year transplant trial at Cockburn Sound. UWA’s Oceans Institute Professor Gary Kendrick says with this trial, held between 2004 and 2008, researchers had changed their methodology by looking at the quality of the sediment or soil and the genetic quality of the donor plant, rather than just the water conditions. Sprigs of the species Posidonia australis, sourced from a naturally occurring seagrass meadow on Parmelia Bank, at the northern end of Cockburn Sound, were also securely anchored at 50cm shoot plantings into bare sand at the 3.2 hectare trial site. Prof Kendrick says at the end of the trial, the meadow had become healthy and self-sustaining, and levels of genetic diversity were also very high. “The transplants flowered and produced seed for the first time in 2010 and it now looks like Posidonia australis meadows in other places around Cockburn Sound,” Prof Kendrick says. Prof Kendrick says the genetic diversity of the seagrass chosen and the choice of site may have helped with the success of the Cockburn Sound trial. But he says the trial’s success will help other researchers attempting to restore seagrass meadows. “We analysed over 200 trials in 17 nations since the 1980s and the best success of seagrass trials seems to indicate that transplanting sprigs on an industrial scale of more than 10,000 plants will lead to greater success,” he says. Despite the success of the Cockburn Sound trial, Prof Kendrick says survival rates of seagrass since the 1970s are still quite poor, with a survival rate of around 30 per cent.
More information: Click Here
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Annual health check shows Moreton Bay's turtle population on the rebound23 May 2013, Herald Sun MORETON Bay's turtle population is continuing to show signs of recovery following the devastating 2011 floods. The Environment Department's Dr Colin Limpus yesterday led an annual health check of the bay's turtles on the eve of World Turtle Day today. A small sample of the population were wrangled in the water and brought aboard a departmental barge to be weighed, measured and given a general health check to gauge how the 10,000-strong population was coping compared to last year. Dr Limpus, the department's chief scientist (aquatic threatened species), who was accompanied by Environment Minister Andrew Powell on the trip, said the signs were good. But he warned the animals were still under threat from boat strikes and plastic wrap and containers making their way into Moreton Bay "After the 2011 floods, we found that almost no females in Moreton Bay prepared for breeding last year," Dr Limpus said. "That's not a surprise because of the way the seagrass was damaged. But with the seagrass recovering, then we should see the breeding rate come up." Mr Powell said he was keen to ensure the health checking program was replicated in other turtle habitats across the state, including Port Curtis and areas further north. "We need to improve our understanding of turtles; where they go, what they do, what they eat and what are the causes of declining population," he said. "We have quite a significant residential population of green turtles in particular here in Moreton Bay. "What we are seeing is the turtle populations are rebounding well and they are tracking in a positive direction," he said. Dr Limpus also raised concerns about the dwindling population of loggerhead turtles in the bay, with longline fishing in the open ocean continuing to claim the lives of juveniles that would otherwise eventually make their way into Moreton Bay to breed. "Over the last 20 years we have seen that arrival rate dropping right away down," he said. "These days we've got to work hard to find a recently arrived loggerhead." More information: Click Here
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Tough times for turtle centre22 May 2013, ABC Local A Queensland turtle rehabilitation centre is calling on the Federal Government for funding as the "sentinels of the sea" continue to struggle post-Cyclone Yasi. Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre released three turtles in front of more than 50 visitors and tourists on Fitzroy Island on Tuesday. One volunteer openly wept as she said goodbye to 'Princess', whom she'd nursed for more than a year. Co-founder of the centre, Dr Jennie Gilbert says while public releases are raising awareness about turtles in the region, managing the volunteer organisation's facilities in Portsmith and the island is expensive. "With Fitzroy Island we've literally run out of money," she says. "It's cost a fair bit to set up and we estimate every year that it's somewhere between $80,000 and $100,000 a year to run the centre. "We depend on locals and companies donating money to us to keep this rolling. "But I think everybody needs to get behind this and really work towards saving these animals. They need our help and we need money to do that." Hailed by Shadow Environment Minister Greg Hunt as one of the best run volunteer programs in the southern hemisphere, Dr Gilbert says she'd like to see the Coalition's pledge of $300,000 matched by Labor if they win this year's election. The three turtles released all were spotted suffering from starvation, a sign Dr Gilbert says the Great Barrier Reef is still recovering from damage caused by Cyclone Yasi. "It's an indicator on the health of the ocean," she says. "The sea grass beds that were wiped out ... that's green sea turtles food source. So they had no food and became opportunistic eaters." "Some were literally starving to death." More information: Click Here
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Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to decide on ''mega-port'' for GBR20 May 2013, Herald Sun A DECISION on a "mega port" for the Great Barrier Reef will be made within 40 days, the Australian Marine Conservation Society says. The proposal by North Queensland Bulk Ports to dredge three million tonnes of seabed at Abbot Point, near Bowen, is now in the hands of Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke. The society's Felicity Wishart says the minister has until early July to decide whether or not to accept the proposal. "This dredging plan will support the creation of the world's biggest coal port, less than 50km from the Whitsunday Islands," Ms Wishart said in a statement. "If approved it will clear the way for at least four new terminals, condemning Abbot Point into a mega port and shipping superhighway." Ms Wishart says if Mr Burke gives his approval he will be going against a UNESCO recommendation not to develop areas along the reef. "The reef is a tourism mecca; it's the envy of the world," she said. "It provides the basis for a sustainable tourism industry and the feeding and breeding ground for unique and rare marine life." UNESCO has recommended to the World Heritage Committee that the reef be listed as a World Heritage site that is "in danger". The committee will meet early next month, although it may defer its decision until next year. Brad Fish, head of Bulk Ports, has previously said the firm has gone to great lengths to assess whether dredging will have any environmental impacts. It could possibly make the water cloudy over a short period and damage or destroy seagrass, but would unlikely affect other flora and fauna, he said. The dredging, which will allow coal-loading ships to dock at the port, will likely be carried out in the next year if the development gets the green light. Comment has been sought from Mr Burke.
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Seagrass carbon sinks fast disappearing16 May 2013, The Conversation Rising sea levels will lead to a drastic decline in seagrass stocks, a new study has found, but reducing water pollution may help offset the effects. Seagrass is crucial to slowing climate change because of its remarkable capacity to absorb greenhouse gases, with some experts saying it is as important as forests in the fight against global warming. The study, conducted by University of Queensland researchers published in the journal Global Change Biology, examined seagrass meadows along Queensland’s Moreton Bay. The researchers calculated that seagrass there will decline by as much as 17% by 2100 if sea levels rise by 1.1 metres, unless water quality is improved or humans retreat from coastlines. “Management to improve water quality will provide present and future benefits to seagrasses under climate change and should be a priority for managers seeking to compensate for the effects of global change on these valuable habitats,” the authors wrote in their study. Threats Seagrasses are important for maintaining biodiversity, habitats and offsetting carbon emissions. However, they will only flourish in a suitable substrate) — the mud, sand and sediment in which seagrasses live. The study looked at changes to water depth and clarity and the presence of roads, houses and other developments along inundated coastlines. Seagrass meadows are under threat from urban development, declining water quality and increases in water depth due to sea level rise, which reduce the amount of light that can penetrate the water’s surface and reach the underwater foliage, they found. “A scenario including the removal of impervious surfaces, such as roads and houses, from newly inundated regions, demonstrated that managed retreat of the shoreline could potentially reduce the overall decline in seagrass habitat to just 5%. The predicted reduction in area of seagrass habitat could be offset by an improvement in water clarity of 30%,” the researchers said in their paper. Dr Megan Saunders, a researcher at the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland and the study’s lead author, said the study’s findings should be used by government agencies who are responsible for managing coastal environments. “If they want to maintain biodiversity, habitats for fisheries feeding grounds for turtle and dugong, and the key role that seagrass plays in sequestering carbon, they need to know how it’s likely to change over time,” Dr Saunders said. “We are going to have to plan for the migration of coastal ecosystems, such as seagrass, due to sea level rise if we are to maintain the ecosystem services they provide,” she said. Cutting our own legs off Dr Peter Macreadie, Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow and a seagrass expert with the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), said he was not surprised by the new findings. “My colleagues and I at UTS predict, based on recent global estimates of seagrass decline, that if nothing is done to halt seagrass decline there will be none left in 50 years time,” he said. “And that doesn’t take into account the effects of climate change; we just hit 400 ppm atmospheric CO2 for the first time in human history. The last time that happened was three million years ago, and it caused sea temperatures to go up by about 5 degrees Celsius and sea levels to rise as much as 40 metres.” Dr Macreadie said that if nothing was done, the research suggests that seagrasses are in big trouble. “These ecosystems provide immensely valuable ecosystem services to humanity, so not doing anything about their decline is equivalent to cutting our own legs off.” Ugly ducklings Carlos Duarte, Director of the University of Western Australia’s Oceans Institute, said the new study study offers a tool to managers to evaluate remedial actions for seagrass meadows. “Whereas most studies have documented losses, this study takes a different approach at apportioning the stresses on seagrasses and projecting future losses in response to different scenarios, which is where the strength and innovation of the study rests,” said Dr Duarte, who was not involved in the study. “Seagrass ecosystems are the ugly ducklings of marine conservation, yet they play key roles in sequestering CO2, protecting our coastlines and maintaining biodiversity.” |
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'Blue carbon' emissions on the increase: scientists15 May 2013, The Sydney Morning Herald The equivalent of Japan's annual carbon load is being released each year as a result of the destruction of the world's coastal and ocean ecosystems, an expert says. Addressing a workshop in Sydney on Wednesday, the University of Technology's (UTS) Professor Peter Ralph said the issue had become critical. Mining and other human activities are contributing to the emissions, which are stored in seagrass, salt marshes, mangroves and surrounding sediments, and are known as blue carbon. "Unfortunately these critical ecosystems are being destroyed worldwide at a rapid pace," said Prof Ralph, who is executive director of the UTS Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster. "It's estimated that this destruction releases as much as a billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year into the atmosphere and oceans, almost the equivalent of Japan's yearly emissions." Emily Pidgeon, from Conservation International, says understanding the science of blue carbon could help formulate future climate policy. "It's only because of the science (involved) that we are are beginning to understand the richness and value of these systems to the carbon cycle, which underpins the question of climate change," she told AAP. The three-day blue carbon workshop continues on Thursday. More information: Click Here
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Seagrass on the decline15 May 2013, UQ News Seagrass along Moreton Bay will drastically decline as sea levels rise, a University of Queensland study has found. The study, published in international journal Global Change Biology this week, reveals that unless water quality improves or human populations retreat from coastlines, seagrass will continue to decline, dropping by as much as 17 per cent by 2100. Lead author Dr Megan Saunders from UQ's Global Change Institute said the findings showed a significant proportion of valuable seagrass habitats would be lost without action to offset the affects of climate change. “Seagrass meadows not only help to slow climate change by sucking up a large portion of the world's plant-stored carbon, but they also benefit livelihoods, food security, fisheries, biodiversity, shoreline protection and other ecosystem services,” Dr Saunders said. The study investigated what would happen if roads, houses and other developments along inundated coastlines retreated landwards with rising seas and found this scenario reduced the decline of seagrass to just five per cent over the same period. It concluded the decline could be further offset by a 30 per cent improvement in water clarity, as seagrass needs relatively high levels of sunlight to survive. Typical measures to improve water clarity – an important indicator of a water body's overall health, include better sewerage treatment, planting out and protecting riverbanks, and reducing run-off of harsh chemicals such as fertilisers. The study was the work of an interdisciplinary group of scientists at the Global Change Institute, who are investigating effects of sea level rise in coastal areas. Along with salt marshes and mangroves, seagrass meadows are a blue carbon ecosystem, a valuable system that is responsible for sucking up more than half of the world's plant-stored carbon. More information: Click Here
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Landholders and farmers get support for Great Barrier Reef protection10 May 2013, Sail World Landholders and farmers will receive assistance in reducing the run-off of damaging chemicals into the Great Barrier Reef, under a $200 million extension to the Reef Rescue program. Starting in 2008, Reef Rescue has already stopped over 92,000 tonnes of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment and around 1,300 kilograms of pesticide from leaching into the Great Barrier Reef. That is the equivalent of around one million wheelbarrows. Due to the program's success to-date, the Gillard Government today announced an additional $200 million in funding to ensure the extension of the Reef Rescue program until 2018. Reef Rescue helps farmer's lift on-farm productivity. It also plays a crucial role protecting the Great Barrier Reef, with run-off from farms causing coral bleaching and algae growth and smothering seagrass and coral reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world's greatest treasures and the Gillard Government is committed to its protection. Reef Rescue is also a highly successful partnership between Government, farmers, indigenous owners and other land managers along the Queensland coast. Reducing their chemical and fertilizer use is good for farmers as well as being good for the reef. Since 2008 more than 3,200 land managers from Cape York to Bundaberg have benefited from Reef Rescue and its associated grants and management tools. Reef Rescue has been expanded to include improved management of wetland and riparian areas, as well as improving urban water runoff. The program includes support for Research and Development and partnership funding for on-farm investments. Water Quality Grants are provided to farmers to improve the quality of the water running off their land and improve their land management practices. Reef Rescue is driven by farmers. For every dollar the Government has invested in Reef Rescue farmers have contributed around $1.80. This demonstrates their commitment to Reef Rescue and protecting the Reef. Reef Rescue's second phase will continue to support the development of new cutting-edge water quality technologies and fund the control of crown of thorns starfish. Reef Rescue is being funded as part of the Gillard Government's $2 billion Caring for our Country natural resource management initiative, which supports volunteers, farmers and community groups to make a real difference to their local environment. For more information on the Reef Rescue program or the Caring for our Country initiative, visit www.nrm.gov.au. More information: Click Here
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Dugongs are safer in Torres Strait than Townsville10 May 2013, Helene Marsh Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science at James Cook University, The Conversation
“How many are there?” and “how are they doing?” are the first questions people usually ask about species of conservation concern. These seemingly straightforward questions are tough to answer when it comes to the dugong. What we do know is that dugongs are generally safer in remote areas, where traditional hunting is the major pressure, than they are around coastal urban areas where they are affected by habitat loss, gill netting, and vessel-strikes, rather than hunting. We don’t know how many dugongs there are globally or in Australian waters. Estimating dugong numbers is difficult because the animals mostly live in turbid water and tend to surface discreetly, often with only their nostrils breaking the surface. Our best estimates mostly come from aerial surveys combined with sophisticated statistical models. About one-fifth of the dugong’s range is in Australia. Dugong habitat extends from Shark Bay in Western Australia, along 24,000 km of our northern coastline to Moreton Bay near Brisbane. Our genetically healthy dugongs are the most abundant marine mammals in our northern coastal waters. While aerial survey data indicate more than 70,000 dugongs, the number is certainly higher. Large parts of the remote coasts of Western Australia and the Northern Territory have not been surveyed recently, or at all. The status of Australian dugongs varies greatly. Shark Bay supports a large dugong population with minimal human pressures, making it the most secure dugong population in the world. On the other hand, the urban coast of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) region between Cairns and Bundaberg poses many threats to dugongs. Torres Strait is the world’s largest dugong habitat. Surveys conducted by my group at James Cook University show that the region contains a remarkable 58% of the habitat supporting high densities of dugongs in Queensland, as illustrated by the map below.
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Burke to consider UNESCO reef report in port assessments09 May 2013, ABC Online Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke says he will take UNESCO's recent report on the health of the Great Barrier Reef into account when he assesses port development proposals in Queensland. Among them is the proposal to dredge Trinity Inlet in Cairns to improve shipping access in and out of the far north Queensland city. It is undergoing an environmental impact study before being sent to the Federal Government for approval. Mr Burke says resolutions from UNESCO will help guide his decisions. "The World Heritage Committee doesn't directly dictate principles in that way to Australian law," he said. "What does happen is I have to make sure that we're guarding what are World Heritage principles under the Act, and resolutions that come from the World Heritage Committee help inform that judgment. "Certainly when I'm making decisions now about how to protect World Heritage values, the sorts of information and the sorts of decisions that have been coming out of the World Heritage Committee provide a very significant level of guidance in those decisions." More information on Cairns: Click Here More information: Click Here
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'Red List' introduced to protect at risk ecosystems09 May 2013, ABC news A team of international scientists is drawing up a "Red List" identifying ecosystems on the brink of extinction - and Australia appears eight times. The global report is similar to what already exists for animal and plant species that are threatened, vulnerable or on the brink of extinction. Led by a team of Australian scientists, in co-operation with the United Nations affiliated conservation body the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the study aims to assess every major ecosystem around the world by 2025. Twenty ecosystems around the world have been assessed so far, across six continents and three oceans. The Coorong lagoons, Karst rising springs (Mt Gambier), coastal sandstone upland swamps (Wollongong), marshes and lakes in the Murray-Darling Basin (Warren) are listed as critically endangered. The seagrass meadows (Spencer Gulf), the Coolibah-black box woodland (Walgett) and the semi-evergreen vine thicket (Inverell) are listed as endangered. Click Here for more
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UN Threatens to List Great Barrier Reef as Endangered08 May 2013, LiveScience.com Ahead of the meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee in Cambodia next month, the UN has warned the governments of Australia and Queensland state that the Great Barrier Reef could be added to the List of World Heritage in Danger, if certain actions and plans aren't put in place by those governments, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Government representatives are not happy about the possibility and are working to prevent the listing. "Australia would be the only developed country in the world to have a world heritage site on [the] endangered list. It would be a huge international embarrassment and it would be a big blow to our tourism industry," Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters said, as quoted by the Morning Herald. Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke said the report published by the UN didn't take into account several government initiatives and that Australia was working with the World Heritage Committee to ensure the protection of the reef. Ahead of the meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee in Cambodia next month, the UN has warned the governments of Australia and Queensland state that the Great Barrier Reef could be added to the List of World Heritage in Danger, if certain actions and plans aren't put in place by those governments, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Government representatives are not happy about the possibility and are working to prevent the listing. "Australia would be the only developed country in the world to have a world heritage site on [the] endangered list. It would be a huge international embarrassment and it would be a big blow to our tourism industry," Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters said, as quoted by the Morning Herald. Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke said the report published by the UN didn't take into account several government initiatives and that Australia was working with the World Heritage Committee to ensure the protection of the reef. The UNESCO World Heritage List is a group of 962 spots that have particular cultural or natural value. A list of those sites considered to be endangered by armed conflict, natural disasters and development is also kept to draw attention to their plight. More information: Click Here Image: Satellite image shows islands of the Great Barrier Reef. Photo credit: NASA/Landsat 7
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Scientist says reef health report a wake-up call08 May 2013, ABC News An environmental scientist says it would be an embarrassment for the Australian Government if the Great Barrier Reef ended up on the World Heritage 'in danger' list. Professor Helene Marsh from James Cook University is among 200 delegates attending a reef conference this week in Cairns in far north Queensland. She is calling for stronger action to protect the reef. "We need to be much more strategic and more careful about how we use the land," she said. "I think we have to be deeply concerned about the quality of the water that goes from the land into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon." She says UNESCO's recent report on the health of the reef is a wake-up call. "There needs to be more careful consideration about how many ports, where we put our ports, and the control over such developments," she said. "We need to look at a lot of that very critically." However, north Queensland Senator Ian Macdonald says there should not be too much emphasis placed on the UNESCO report. "Australia has been managing ships through the Barrier Reef for decades now - be they coal ships, bauxite ships or any other ships - and I think we do a pretty good job," he said. "This scare tactic by UNESCO and some of the radical green groups just doesn't help Australia and is not based on facts. "Nobody really understands what UNESCO's on about - they do seem to be taking agendas that are foreign to Australia. "While it may have some impact on tourism, I think that's unfortunate and unnecessary. "The reports from the Australian scientists clearly show that the reef is in good shape." More information: Click Here
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Fears mega ports will 'industrialise' Great Barrier Reef08 May 2013, CQ News THE Australian Marine Conservation Society said recent moves by the state government show their intent to industrialise the Great Barrier Reef. Campaign director Felicity Wishart said publicly available documents submitted by the Queensland government to the senate inquiry show they are refusing to stop projects that will damage the reef. "The government has said the proposed measures to protect the reef will make new developments take too long and be too expensive," she said. "It beggars belief that they remain committed to mega ports built in the Fitzroy Delta and at Abbot Point." Ms Wishart used Gladstone's Curtis Island as an example of disregard for the environment. "The damage to World Heritage values meted out in Gladstone on Curtis Island demonstrates that current environmental protections are not good enough," she said. Minister for Environment Andrew Powell described Ms Wishart's actions as scaremongering. "I am confident that as a government, alongside the federal government, we are doing all that is necessary," he said. Mr Powell said the state government had scaled back plans for Abbot Point and committed $35 million every year to invest in reef protection, plus established the Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership. More information: Click Here Image: Felicity Wishart from the Australian Marine Conservation Society spoke at a Save the Great Barrier Reef protest outside the Queensland Government's executive building in Brisbane. Photo Credit: Rae Wilson
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Green Sea Turtles Use Protected Areas, Study Finds30 April 2013, LiveScience.com If you protect it, they will use it. Green sea turtles do actually make use of protected areas to nest and feed, according to a study that tracked female turtles that came ashore to lay eggs in Florida's Dry Tortugas National Park. Until now, it wasn't clear where these green sea turtles went after nesting and how much they might use nearby reserves. In this case, the animals spent much of their time in the nearby Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary eating sea grasses and algae. The turtles, which are endangered in Florida and threatened throughout their range, make shorter migrations than green sea turtles elsewhere in the world. That's perhaps because they don't have to go far to find food, according to a statement by the U.S. Geological Survey, whose scientists were involved in the research. "Our goal was to better understand what types of habitats they used at sea and whether they were in fact putting these designated areas to use," said the study's lead author and USGS researcher Kristen Hart, in the statement. "This study not only shows managers that these designated protected areas are already being used by turtles, but provides insight into the types of habitats they use most." Researchers tracked green sea turtles by fitting them with GPS tags in the Dry Tortugas National Park. The study, published this week in the journal Biological Conservation, also made use of a large habitat map of the nearby ocean created by combining 195,000 seafloor images. By combining the location of the turtles and the habitat map, researchers found the turtles spent much of their time in shallow sea grass beds and "degraded coral reefs that have been overgrown by a mixed assemblage of other organisms, such as sea fans, sponges and fire coral," according to the statement.
More information: Click Here Image: A female green turtle crawls out of the water to dig a nest and lay her eggs. Photo Credit: A.G. Saño/Conservation International |
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Dead dugong discovered east of Phuket prompts local resident action20 April 2013, Phuket Gazette A dead dugong was found floating just off the coast of Koh Pu in Krabi by a local crab fisherman yesterday morning, prompting villagers to take action. The young marine mammal was discovered with a long gash across its snout in front of the Baan Koh Pu village port and was dragged to shore by villagers before it was reported to the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC). This is the first report issued to the PMBC by the local residents, who were unaware that it was important and necessary to report such matters, explained the village Kamnan, Samran Raden. “This is at least the third one we have found dead since October last year,” Mr Samran said. Before being notified of the possible death of at least two more dugong last year, Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, who heads the PMBC Endangered Species Unit, had already voiced concern over the dramatic rise in the number of dugong deaths in the Andaman region. In 2011, only four of the vegetarian mammals were found washed ashore, while 12 were reported in 2012. “The increase in deaths is a serious issue,” Dr Kongkiat said earlier this year. “It’s the highest number we’ve seen in the past 20 years.” Dr Kongkiat believes the deaths were caused by fishing equipment and boats, as a number of the animals were found wrapped in nets or had wounds consistent with those inflicted by the propeller blades of fishing boats. “The deep gash on the body of the 1.12-meter dugong we found today, as well as other injuries to its body, are consistent with injuries sustained from being hit by a boat propeller,” Dr Kongkiat said. The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species, lists the dugong as a “species vulnerable to extinction”. More information: Click Here Image: The dugong was found with a deep gash across its snout consistent with an injury inflicted by a boat propeller. Photo Credit: Kritsada Mueanhawong
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Reef Plan Second Report Card19 April 2013, The State of Queensland (Department of the Premier and Cabinet) The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan) Second Report Card measures progress from the 2009 baseline towards Reef Plan’s goals and targets. It assesses the combined results of all Reef Plan actions up to June 2010. The Second Report Card was produced as part of the Paddock to Reef program. Key findings Overall, progress towards Reef Plan targets has been encouraging; however, it will take time for these achievements to translate into improved marine condition.
The condition of the marine environment remained moderate overall in 2009–2010. This ranking comprises moderate scores for water quality and coral and a poor score for seagrass which has declined over the past four years. Major positive change has been observed in the catchments. Overall, across the Great Barrier Reef region, there has been good progress by land managers towards Reef Plan targets. 20% of sugarcane growers, 11% of graziers and 18% of horticulture producers have adopted improved management practices. As a result of this change, the estimated average annual pollutant loads entering the reef have reduced—nitrogen by 4%, phosphorus by 2%, sediment by 2% and pesticides by 8%. The greatest proportional catchment load reduction leaving reef catchments was the pesticide load with an estimated 1254kg (8%) less. Loss of wetlands and riparian areas has also slowed in recent years. It is expected that the cessation of broad scale clearing under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 at the end of 2006 and the protection of wetlands under the State Planning Policy in 2011 will lead to further reductions in loss when subsequent periods are reported on. There were moderate to poor results for wetlands and riparian indicators in the Burnett Mary region. This was mainly due to conversion of swamps for agriculture and some urban use. The significant progress has been driven primarily by the Australian Government’s Reef Rescue program along with Queensland Government and industry-led initiatives. More information: Click Here
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Seagrass light stress bioindicators established17 April 2013, Science Network Western Australia SCIENTISTS researching light stress indicators in seagrass have gathered and analysed international research in the field to narrow-down 119 variables to 19 robust bioindicators of light stress that can be incorporated into monitoring programs. The collaborative research between Edith Cowan University’s Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research and James Cook University’s School of Marine and Tropical Biology was published in Ecological Indictors. Researchers searched ISI Web of Science and retrieved peer-reviewed publications that documented the responses of sea grasses to light reduction. The research proposed a set of 19 consistent and robust bioindicators that respond to the pressure of light reduction and can indicate different timescales and levels of pressure. These include: those that respond early and reflect sub-lethal changes at the scale of the plant, such as rhizome sugars, shoot carbon to nitrogen ratio, leaf growth and the number of leaves per shoot; and those that respond later, reflecting changes at the meadow-scale, such as shoot density or above-ground biomass. Co-author and Edith Cowan University’s Dr Kathryn McMahon says seagrasses provide significant ecosystem services like food and habitat for other organisms, nutrient filtering and carbon storage. She says effective monitoring and detection of change and management is increasingly important as Australia faces some of its biggest dredging programs ever in combination with the affects of global climate changes. “So a synthesis of the most robust bioindicators is timely and will be of use to managers worldwide who are designing and running programs to assess the impact of human activities that result in light reduction,” Dr McMahon says. According to the study, coastal zones are highly valued for their ecosystem services and their socio-economic benefits but are exposed to multiple pressures at an increasing rate including eutrophication, construction works for ports and marinas, increased sediment runoff, fisheries activities and aquaculture and degradation. “Scientists and managers need to know what is the best way to detect if seagrasses are experiencing light reduction, and therefore to detect if they are under stress.” The 58 published papers covered eight of 11 sea grass genera and 18 species with a wide geographic range and only studies with a control were included. In each study the response of each variable to light reduction was categorised into no effect, reduce or increase. Where studies tested intensity and durations of light reduction, the consistency of responses at these different levels was also assessed. More information: Click Here
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Are Australian dugongs catching a cold?15 April 2013, ABC Science Online Dugongs in one of Australia's largest populations appear to be getting sick and dying as a result of exposure to cold water, say researchers. If confirmed, the findings may have implications for dugong conservation strategies. The findings are reported in a recent issue of the journal Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. Dugongs (Dugong dugon) are a member of a small group of aquatic mammals called sirenia - or sea cows - that don't like cold water, says marine epidemiologist, Dr Mark Flint, of the University of Queensland. In the US, the closely related endangered manatees Trichechus manatus is known to gather around warm water that comes out of power plants when it gets cold. In the past decade, manatees in Florida have been dying from a condition known as cold stress syndrome (CSS), which occurs when the animal is exposed to water temperatures lower than 17 or 18°C. The animals' skin becomes cracked and susceptible to opportunistic infections and they can die within a few days, says Flint, who has worked on manatees suffering CSS in Florida. Animals with chronic CSS can die after several weeks, during which time they lose weight and their body fat atrophies. "When you cut them open [they're body fat is] just like water instead of being that nice white stuff you expect to see," says Flint. Now, Flint and colleagues have documented signs of what could be CSS in dugongs, recovered from Moreton Bay in southeast Queensland, which is home to one of the largest populations of the animals in Australia. "It's exceptionally important because it's a large population. We know there's about 1000 dugongs in Moreton bay," says Flint. "It's probably about the best-studied group of dugongs in the country."
Between 2010 and 2012, the team, which included veterinary pathologist Dr Helen Owen, carried out post mortems on 14 dugongs collected from Moreton Bay by government authorities. While there were obvious explanations for four of the deaths, ranging from a twisted gut to a blunt trauma likely from a boat, 10 of the dugongs had more mysterious symptoms, says Owen. "They were emaciated and had increased burdens of parasites, and most had thickened fissured skin," she says. This looked suspiciously like cold stress syndrome, which Owen says is thought to be due to a suppressed immune system, making the animal prone to opportunistic infections. The CSS hypothesis was supported by the record of water temperatures in areas where the dugongs are known to graze. These records showed that during the year, water dropped below 20°C, sometimes to less than 15°C. There is some evidence that dugongs head out of Moreton Bay into the warmer coastal waters of the East Australian Current. But, say the researchers, even outside the bay, water could still get below 20°C in the coldest months of the year, and this would prevent dugongs from escaping persistent exposure to cold water and the risk of CSS. "Based on this study, like Florida manatees, it appears the dugongs of southeast Queensland develop clinical signs consistent with CSS when water temperatures drop below 20°C," write the researchers. Although they note that while most dugongs died in winter, some of them also died in summer, which could be due to chronic cases of CSS persisting into the warmer water periods.
Research shows water temperatures at the level of seagrass, is lower than surface temperatures which means dugongs would be exposing themselves to colder water to feed. The researchers say habitat disruption could force dugongs to feed on seagrass in deeper and colder water and increase their risk of CSS. They say maintenance of seagrass pastures in the warmer areas of Moreton Bay during winter may aid in the conservation of this vulnerable species. Flint says researchers are not sure if CSS a recent phenomenon and is on the increase. It could have always have been there, but only now be being picked as a result of greater surveillance. Alternatively, CSS could be increasing due to environmental factors, he adds. More information: Click Here Image: This dugong has cracked and fissured skin consistent with chronic cold stress syndrome. Photo Credit: Caroline Gaus /University of Queensland)
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Seagrass Blue Carbon Blues10 April 2013, IAN As one of the outputs of the recent Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis workshop on “Australian seagrass habitats: Condition and threats”, Prof. Bill Dennison composed a song which Kieryn Kilminster from Western Australia Department of Water was able to convince her husband, Gary Cox, to set to music and then record. The scientific background to the song is the concept of ‘Blue Carbon‘.
Blue carbon is the term given to the ability of oceanic plants to absorb some of the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from fossil fuel burning. Coastal vegetation like seagrasses, mangroves and salt marshes can form productive ecosystems and the carbon that is sequestered from the atmosphere can be trapped and buried as peat (Fourqurean et al., 2012). The reason that we may have the blues is the global loss of seagrass meadows (Waycott et al., 2009), just when we need their blue carbon sequestration the most. Seagrasses have a high light requirement (in excess of ten percent surface light). The depth maxima of seagrasses often approximates the depth that a white circular disc (Secchi) can be seen when lowered over the side of a boat (Dennison et al., 1993). Seagrass are often known as the coastal canary, due to their high light thresholds, and we have made the case that we should take decisive action when seagrasses are lost (Orth et al., 2006). More information: Click Here
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Tiny grazers play key role in marine ecosystem health02 April 2013, Phys.Org
Tiny sea creatures no bigger than a thumbtack are being credited for playing a key role in helping provide healthy habitats for many kinds of seafood, according to a new study by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and U.S. Geological Survey. The little crustacean "grazers," some resembling tiny shrimp, are critical in protecting seagrasses from overgrowth by algae, helping keep these aquatic havens healthy for native and economically important species. Crustaceans are tiny to very large shelled animals that include crab, shrimp, and lobster. The researchers found that these plant-eating animals feast on the nuisance algae that grow on seagrass, ultimately helping maintain the seagrass that provides nurseries for seafood. The grazers also serve as food themselves for animals higher on the food chain. Drifting seaweed, usually thought of as a nuisance, also plays a part in this process, providing an important habitat for the grazing animals that keep the seagrass clean. "Inconspicuous creatures often play big roles in supporting productive ecosystems," said Matt Whalen, the study's lead author who conducted this work while at VIMS and is now at the University of California, Davis. "Think of how vital honeybees are for pollinating tree crops or what our soils would look like if we did not have earthworms. In seagrass systems, tiny grazers promote healthy seagrasses by ensuring algae is quickly consumed rather than overgrowing the seagrass. And by providing additional refuge from predators, fleshy seaweeds that drift in and out of seagrass beds can maintain larger grazer populations and enhance their positive impact on seagrass." Comparison of algae fouling on eelgrass with and without grazers. Copyrighted photo courtesy of Matthew Whalen/UC Davis. Copyrighted photo courtesy of Matthew Whalen/UC Davis. USGS scientist Jim Grace, a study coauthor, emphasized that seagrass habitats are also quite beneficial to people. "Not only do these areas serve as nurseries for commercially important fish and shellfish, such as blue crabs, red drum, and some Pacific rockfish, but they also help clean our water and buffer our coastal communities by providing shoreline protection from storms," Grace said. "These tiny animals, by going about their daily business of grazing, are integral to keeping healthy seagrass beds healthy." In fact, the authors wrote, if not for the algal munching of these grazers, algae could blanket the seagrasses, blocking out sunlight and preventing them from photosynthesizing, which would ultimately kill the seagrasses. Seagrass declines in some areas are attributed partly to excessive nutrients in water bodies stimulating excessive algal growth on seagrasses. "Coastal managers have been concerned for years about excess fertilizer and sediment loads that hurt seagrasses," said J. Emmett Duffy of Virginia Institute of Marine Science and coauthor of the study. "Our results provide convincing field evidence that grazing by small animals can be just as important as good water quality in preventing nuisance algae blooms and keeping seagrass beds healthy." The USGS scientists involved in this study serve as members of a worldwide consortium of researchers examining the health of seagrasses. This research by Virginia Institute of Marine Science and USGS researchers is the first in a series of studies worldwide on seagrass ecosystems. More information: The study, "Temporal shifts in top-down versus bottom-up control of epiphytic algae in a seagrass ecosystem," was published in the recent issue of Ecology, a journal by the Ecological Society of America. www.esajournals.org/toc/ecol/94/2 More information: Click Here
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Kaipara is 'last harbour standing'02 April 2013, Auckland stuff.co.nz Young west coast snapper "hot spots" in the Kaipara Harbour are being investigated as concerns about their feeding grounds continue. "The Kaipara is the major harbour for west coast juvenile snapper habitats, so it is a really key place," NIWA Auckland marine ecologist Mark Morrison says. "We know it's under stress from sedimentation and other land-based impacts that degrade key habitats." These habitats include seagrass meadows and horse mussel beds, which have now largely disappeared from most harbours in northwest New Zealand, Auckland Council marine scientist Jarrod Walker says. They are thought to have been smothered by silt from roading and building sites, and from farming and forestry. The effects of plankton blooms caused by nutrients washed off the land may also have contributed, he says. Manukau and other west coast harbours were also once important nurseries for species like the west coast snapper. But their seagrass meadows have virtually gone. Kaipara is the "last harbour standing" as a snapper nursery on the west coast, Dr Walker says. The harbour still has broad expanses of seagrass meadows which can support high numbers of juvenile snapper, trevally, parore, spotties, piper, pipefish, and other species. These are feeding grounds and also give them protection from predators. Sediment affects cockles and scallops in the harbour by reducing the time spent eating as they have to sort through the sediment for food - so they're smaller and not so robust. This also affects their reproduction as they need to be a good size to breed. Much of the sediment comes down the Northern Wairoa River, some of it reaching the southern Kaipara, Dr Walker says. Potentially this has an impact on the seagrass meadow just south of the Hoteo River, also a sediment source. The worst culprit in the south is the Kaipara River which has high silt levels for its size. The river drains from the Waitakeres. Measures are under way to reduce runoff sediment with some farms around the harbour planting and using other land management practises as part of work by the Integrated Kaipara Harbour Management Group. This group includes the Auckland Council, Kaipara and Whangarei District Councils, Northland Regional Council, conservation groups, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Primary Industries, NIWA and Land Care Research, iwi, and Fonterra. NIWA took seagrass meadow samples in the southern harbour during March. Scientists mapped shallow water habitats using aerial photography, showing seagrass areas. The study will examine what components of these habitats are most important to small fish, Dr Morrison says. The maps also show patches of Asian date mussels, an invasive species that has formed large beds. Combined with fish sampling, they show where fish nurseries are, and allow monitoring of their health through cost-effective remote sensing. "In the past, we have done broad scale fish studies across many harbours, but this study will provide very detailed information on New Zealand's largest harbour, linking fish to fish habitats identified by remote sensing," Dr Morrison says. Scientists collected fish using small, hand-hauled, fine-mesh beach seines, pulled up onto a specially designed ramp deployed from an oyster barge. They sampled 80 to 100 sites across 300 square kilometres in the southern Kaipara. "The research will then help us identify which factors are most critical, so that the most important habitats can be identified, mapped, and protected," Dr Morrison says. The aerial photography was funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries because these habitats are important for fish stock and ecosystem based fisheries management and marine spatial planning. The fish sampling research is funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Regular testing of suspended sediment in the harbour goes back 20 years. More information: Click Here Image: FISH NURSERY: The Kaipara holds the last significant seagrass meadows on the west coast, important for young fish like these spotties.
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Removing seagrass from Glenelg 'futile'26 March 2013, Yahoo!7 News Heavy machinery was back clearing seagrass from Glenelg beach, South Australia, today, but experts say the process is a waste of money. Over the weekend, hundreds of tonnes of seagrass washed up on the shore at Glenelg, causing a stink for visitors. The Holdfast Bay Council has brought in heavy machinery to clear up the mess before the Easter break, but experts say the build-up on the shoreline might not be moved for weeks. “The beach looks quite unattractive to swim in at present,” one beachgoer told 7News. “I did notice the smell as soon as I walked up.” Glenelg is not the only South Australian beach to fall foul to the seagrass, with beaches at Lady Bay and along the south coast being coated as well. Experts say the council is facing an uphill battle, and even with the help of heavy machinery, it could take weeks for nature to take its course. “They have got to realise that putting it back into the water means that it’s just going to come back onto the beach while these conditions are like this,” marine biologist Peter Fairweather told 7News. Experts also believe the big wash-up of seagrass, fish, and dolphins in the past few weeks are related. “The fact that it’s occurring in lots of different bits of the South Australia coastline, around the same sort of time, points to the something that’s a big cause,” Prof Fairweather said.
More information: Click Here
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Wild Arabia 2013 episode 3 - Shifting sands08 March 2013, BBC In a rapidly changing Arabia, wildlife finds surprising opportunites and allies. Tagging dugongs is not an easy task, but necessary to help track their movements and protect regions of the gulf from future development
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Relative density of dugongs along the coast of Queensland and adjacent Northern Territory waters based on 25 years of JCU aerial surveys 
