York, P.H., Davies, J.N., and Rasheed, M.A. (2014) Long-term seagrass monitoring in the Port of Mourilyan: 2013. Report. TropWATER, James Cook University, Cairns.

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Abstract

Key Findings: 1. Seagrasses have failed to recover since the large declines that occurred from 2008 associated with the impacts of two major cyclones and intense wet La Nina climate conditions over multiple consecutive years.

2. Seagrasses in Mourilyan Harbour were in a poor state with two of the five monitoring meadows absent and a further two with biomass (density) and area well below the historical long term average.

3. The foundation species (Zostera muelleri ssp. capricorni) that had been continually present since monitoring began in 1993 was absent for the fourth consecutive year.

4. The lack of recovery was despite improved growing conditions in 2012 and 2013 and was likely due to a lack of seagrass propagules. Seedbank surveys over the last two years have found very low densities of Z. muelleri seeds, with a high likelihood of remaining seeds being unviable.

5. In a regional context, seagrass at all long-term monitoring sites in the wet and dry tropics regions underwent severe declines from 2009-11. While there have been varying levels of recovery between sites, Mourilyan Harbour remains the only location where no recovery of the key high biomass foundation species has occurred.

6. It is likely that assisted restoration will be required to re-establish viable Zostera muelleri in Mourilyan Harbour, given the lack of a viable seedbank and the areas isolation from any healthy nearby populations from which seeds or propagules could disperse.

Item ID:	39844
Item Type:	Report (Report)
Keywords:	seagrass, monitoring, assessment
Additional Information:	Access: This report is openly accessible from the link to TropWATER's Technical Reports web page above. Copyright: Please refer to the copyright statement in the report.
Funders:	Ports North
Date Deposited:	28 Aug 2015 04:20
FoR Codes:	05 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 0502 Environmental Science and Management > 050206 Environmental Monitoring @ 50% 05 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 0502 Environmental Science and Management > 050204 Environmental Impact Assessment @ 50%
SEO Codes:	96 ENVIRONMENT > 9605 Ecosystem Assessment and Management > 960507 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Marine Environments @ 50% 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9605 Ecosystem Assessment and Management > 960503 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Coastal and Estuarine Environments @ 50%
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