Reason, C.L., Wilkinson, J., and Carter, A.B. (2022) Eastern Torres Strait intertidal benthic survey: Ugar, Campbell and Nepean Islands. Report. TropWATER, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia.

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Abstract

Torres Strait’s Eastern Cluster is an ecologically important region in the traditional land and sea country of the Kemer Kemer Meriam Nation. The area contains important seagrass foraging grounds for green turtles, and the most important green turtle rookeries in Torres Strait for the northern Great Barrier Reef population. Seagrass meadows also provide food for dugong, and habitat for sea cucumbers that are an important fisheries resource in the region.

- This report describes a large‐scale survey in March 2022 of reef‐top and island intertidal benthic habitats, including seagrass, algae and coral at Ugar, Nepean and Campbell Islands and surrounding reefs.

- 1604 + 260 hectares of intertidal seagrass was mapped across seven intertidal meadows. Ugar Island (Stephens) had the largest meadow (1397 + 222 hectares) with the highest biomass and species diversity. The six smaller, low biomass meadows occurred on reef‐tops close to Ugar, and at Nepean and Campbell Islands.

- Seven seagrass species were recorded during the survey, but most meadows were dominated by two common reef‐associated species Thalassia hemprichii and Cymodocea rotundata.

- The meadows are similar in area and species composition to surveys conducted 13 years prior, which indicates the region’s intertidal meadows provide a relatively stable habitat and foraging ground for marine herbivores.  Extensive algae habitat and coral communities were also mapped. Erect macrophyte algae was the dominant algae community. Hard coral cover was as high as 90% at some survey sites.

- Seagrass information presented in this report is available on eAtlas (eatlas.org.au) and can be used to inform the Ugaram Dugong and Turtle Management Plans.

We recommend the establishment of long‐term, meadow‐scale monitoring at Ugar Island to improve condition assessments and management of seagrass and other benthic habitats in the Kemer Kemer Meriam Nation.

Item ID:	79424
Item Type:	Report (Report)
Keywords:	Seagrass, Torres Strait, Ugar Island, monitoring
Copyright Information:	© James Cook University, 2022
Funders:	Torres Strait Reqional Authority
Date Deposited:	25 Jul 2023 01:59
FoR Codes:	41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4104 Environmental management > 410402 Environmental assessment and monitoring @ 100%
SEO Codes:	18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1802 Coastal and estuarine systems and management > 180201 Assessment and management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems @ 100%
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