York, Paul, Coles, Rob, Sankey, Tonia, Omundsen, Sarah, Rasheed, Michael, and Sheaves, Marcus (2016) Assessing the ecological and economic impacts of a drastic decline in tropical seagrass meadows on fish and prawn assemblages. In: 12th International Seagrass Biology Workshop Programme. pp. 63-64. From: ISBW12: 12th International Seagrass Biology Workshop, 16-21 October 2016, Nant Gwrtheyrn, Wales.

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Abstract

Seagrass meadows provide valuable ecosystem services including increased biodiversity and enhanced fisheries production through the provision of nursery habitat, however, global coverage of seagrass ecosystems is declining rapidly. Recently the impact of a tropical cyclone led to the almost complete disappearance of seagrass in a well-studied inlet in northern Australia with little recovery over a four year period. This created a valuable opportunity to combine historical data with renewed sampling where seagrass meadows previously existed to determine the ecological change in juvenile fish and prawn assemblages and evaluate the cost of seagrass loss to fisheries production. We replicated the previous sampling methods to target juvenile fish and prawns for comparison with historical data collected from the early 1990s and 2000s when seagrasses were widespread. Fish abundance and species richness were significantly reduced following seagrass declines and the assemblage composition also differed. Abundances of the major commercial prawn species declined markedly since the loss of seagrass with a potential to have a major economic impact to a fishery that was estimated to be worth of over $1 million per year in 1993. This study highlights both the ecological and economic consequences of seagrass loss in tropical estuaries. Results will allow informed cost-benefit analyses to be made when deciding on the conservation value of seagrass habitats and the implementation of compensatory restoration projects to offset seagrass loss from natural and anthropogenic disturbance.

Item ID:	83787
Item Type:	Conference Item (Abstract / Summary)
Date Deposited:	15 Oct 2024 00:05
FoR Codes:	31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) @ 50% 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4102 Ecological applications > 410203 Ecosystem function @ 50%
SEO Codes:	18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1802 Coastal and estuarine systems and management > 180201 Assessment and management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems @ 70% 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1802 Coastal and estuarine systems and management > 180203 Coastal or estuarine biodiversity @ 30%
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