van de Wetering, C., York, P.H., Reason, C.L., Wilkinson, J., and Rasheed, M.A. (2020) Port of Abbot Point Long-Term Seagrass Monitoring Program 2019. Report. TropWATER, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia.

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Abstract

In 2019 seagrass in the annually monitored meadows at Abbot Point were in an overall satisfactory condition, similar to 2018 and remain in a recovery phase

Inshore seagrass meadows were in a satisfactory condition and offshore seagrass was in a good condition. For offshore seagrass, this was an improvement from satisfactory the previous year and poor in 2017 following TC Debbie.

The 2019 survey also examined all seagrasses within the broader port limits (conducted every 3 years): Seagrass covered a slightly lower area compared to previous surveys, and seagrass biomass across the region was lower than the previous survey in 2016, but greater than 2008 and 2013.

Environmental conditions were favourable for seagrass growth from March through to the end of the year, with only a short period of high rainfall at the beginning of the year.

Successive years of climate impacts on Abbot Point seagrass meadows are likely to have reduced the resilience of seagrass in the area to future natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Continued recovery will be contingent on future weather being favourable for seagrass growth.

Item ID:	80009
Item Type:	Report (Report)
Related URLs:	Publisher
Copyright Information:	© James Cook University, 2020.
Date Deposited:	29 Aug 2023 01:39
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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