Bryant, C.V., Wells, J.N., and Rasheed, M.A. (2019) Port of Townsville Annual Seagrass Monitoring Survey: October 2018. Report. TropWATER, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia.

PDF (Pulished Version) - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only

Abstract

Seagrasses have been monitored annually in the Port of Townsville since 2007. Each year seagrass monitoring meadows representing the range of different seagrass community types found in Townsville are mapped and assessed for changes in area, biomass and species composition. These metrics are then used to develop a seagrass condition index (see Appendix 1 for further details). In addition to the annual monitoring assessments, all seagrasses within the greater port limits are re-mapped every 3 years (last done in 2016).

Average above-ground biomass declined in more than half of the monitoring meadows, but still remained in good or very good condition in all ten meadows.

Townsville seagrasses were impacted prior to 2012 by regional-scale climate events that also resulted in declines to seagrasses in other areas of tropical eastern Queensland, including Cairns, Mourilyan, Bowen/Abbot Point and Gladstone. The greatest losses in Townsville were recorded in the Cape Cleveland and Cape Pallarenda meadows and their subsequent expansion drove gradual increases in total meadow area in the following years. While individual meadow area varied, the total area of seagrass continued to increase in 2018 following the declines between 2007 and 2011 and was the second largest total seagrass area since monitoring began.

Item ID:	80153
Item Type:	Report (Report)
Copyright Information:	© James Cook University, 2019.
Date Deposited:	29 Aug 2023 23:03
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%
Downloads:	Total: 2
	More Statistics