Carter, Alex, Collier, Catherine, Groom, Rachel, McMahon, Kathryn, Angus, Laura, Frouws, Anna, Hamill, Will, Pryor, Jade, Alai, Jesse, Barrett, David, Proctor, Megan, Smith, Caitlin, and Torres Strait Regional Authority Land and Sea Rangers (2026) A Ranger-led seagrass monitoring toolkit for northern Australia: connecting Sea Country knowledge with scientific practice. In: AMSA 2026: Delegate Handbook. 262. p. 173. From: Australian Marine Sciences Association 2026 Conference, 30 August - 3 September, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

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Abstract

Seagrass meadows across northern Australia support dugongs, green turtles, and coastal fisheries of deep cultural, conservation and economic significance. These ecosystems face increasing pressures, yet detecting and responding to change requires monitoring that is consistent, repeated, and spatially appropriate — capacity that in remote northern Australia lives with Indigenous Ranger programs. Rangers’ knowledge of culturally significant areas, sites of concern, and observed environmental change is irreplaceable for co-designing monitoring that is relevant, targeted, and grounded in long-term relationships with Sea Country — shaping where monitoring happens, what questions are asked, and how change is understood. Emerging technologies are transforming what is possible in marine monitoring, and Rangers are at the forefront of deploying them. Method choice must still be matched to habitat, resources, and the management question, whether pinpointing localised impacts or tracking large-scale resource condition for megafauna. To support Ranger groups, we are co-developing a decision-support toolkit, including publicly available operating procedures, species guides, and training videos, that puts the right method in the right hands. Workshops build Ranger skills in emerging technologies and image analysis, while accessible data platforms ensure that data is managed with community control and contributes to a growing picture of seagrass condition across northern Australia.

Item ID:	93629
Item Type:	Conference Item (Abstract / Summary)
Date Deposited:	26 Aug 2026 02:42
FoR Codes:	31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3108 Plant biology > 310801 Phycology (incl. marine grasses) @ 50% 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4104 Environmental management > 410402 Environmental assessment and monitoring @ 50%
SEO Codes:	21 INDIGENOUS > 2104 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and culture > 210402 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander connection to land and environment @ 30% 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1805 Marine systems and management > 180501 Assessment and management of benthic marine ecosystems @ 30% 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1802 Coastal and estuarine systems and management > 180201 Assessment and management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems @ 40%
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