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Project 1.1.3 - Condition, trend and risk in coastal habitats: Seagrass indicators, distribution and thresholds of potential concern

Project Leader:  Dr Michelle Waycott, James Cook University.

Project 1.1.3 will deliver cost effective monitoring and assessment of the region’s seagrasses including an assessment of threats and human impacts and improved knowledge of the distribution of seagrass habitats.  The project is based on a strategy of using community and industry resources and co-investment to enhance and broaden the scope of the program.  Outputs of the project will have a strong spatial component including production of GIS layers for seagrass mapping areas.

Outputs from Project 1.1.3 will contribute to the development of the Integrated Report Card for the Great Barrier Reef.  The time series of data on dynamics and resilience of seagrass meadows collected by Queensland's Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries at many coastal locations through North Queensland will be a major source of information for determining appropriate performance thresholds based on quantitative indicators like cover and leaf density.  As with corals and reefs, it is obvious that very low seagrass cover at a single site will not always be a meaningful indicator of a problem of environmental quality although it must be acknowledged that there is more potential for local impacts in the coastal zone from point source pollution and other factors (e.g. sedimentation) associated with development.

Project 1.1.3 has two objectives.  Objective (a) will deliver results through four discrete sub-tasks (a1-4).

(a) Assessing the status and trend of seagrasses of the Great Barrier Reef:

    • Seagrass-Watch (community-based seagrass assessment and monitoring);

    • Seagrass status and trend in coastal areas at risk - detailed monitoring and mapping;

    • Improved spatial knowledge of key intertidal and shallow subtidal seagrasses; and

    • Long-term changes in deep seagrasses and algae.

    (b) Assessments of habitats at high risk from direct impacts from human activity in the Great Barrier Reef.

    Project 1.1.3 Downloads

    Project 1.1.3 AIMS QDPI&F De'ath, G. et al. (2008) Spatial distributions and temporal change in distributions of deep water seagrasses in the Great Barrier Reef region
    Joint report by AIMS and QDPI&F researchers for Project 1.1.3. [pdf 413.5 kb]


    Project 1.1.3 QDPI&F Coles, R. et al. (2007) Status and Trends of Seagrass Habitats in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
    Report by Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries that provides a summary of the state of knowledge of Queensland seagrasses and which outlines the gaps in knowledge that still remain and issues confronting management agencies responsible for protection and development of coastal waters. [pdf 4.7 Mb]


    Project 1.1.3 QDPI&F Rasheed, M. et al. (2008) Coastal seagrass habitats at risk from human activity in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area: Review of areas to be targeted for monitoring
    This report by researchers from the Northern Fisheries Centre in Cairns details the results of a workshop involving regional seagrass experts and end users of seagrass monitoring information. The report identifies key coastal seagrass risk areas in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and examines how well the current research program addresses information requirements in these areas. Also included are recommendations for developing the seagrass status and trends program in the future. [pdf 6.4 Mb]


    Seagrass-Watch Newsletters

    Seagrass-Watch is the largest scientific, non-destructive, seagrass assessment and monitoring program in the world.  Since 1998, when the program commenced operations in Australia, Seagrass-Watch has now expanded internationally to eighteen countries.  Monitoring is currently occurring at over 205 sites.  Seagrass-Watch involves many MTSRF researchers.

    Further information is available at the Seagrass-Watch website.  Seagrass-Watch newsletters can be downloaded here.

    All Content © Reef & Rainforest Research Centre 2006