Expanding Traditional Owner led seagrass monitoring and restoration in the Girringun TUMRA
Role
Principal Investigator
Description
Girringun elders and rangers have discussed the emerging Australian blue carbon market and are interested to learn more about what it means for Girringun clans and the health of their country. While progress has been made to include blue carbon in international and national policy and finance mechanisms, the full integration of coastal management activities as part of a climate mitigation strategy has not yet been realised. Estimates of organic carbon storage by seagrass meadows considering inter-habitat variability are essential to understand their potential to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) and derive robust global and regional estimates of blue carbon storage. Girringun Aboriginal Corporation sees this project as an opportunity to investigate the potential to improve the health of our coast, trial new technology to map seagrass/ blue carbon habitat, estimate carbon value in sea country, increase ranger skills, and learn more about carbon storage in the TUMRA region and how emissions can be reduced in sea country. The project is designed to use a two-way knowledge approach, incorporating Indigenous knowledge (IK) and western science and technology in the Girringun TUMRA. Through this project GAC aims to continue their collaboration with JCU and CDU and form a new partnership with UQ. GAC have chosen these university partners due to their scientific expertise in seagrass and carbon research and experience working with Traditional Owners and Indigenous Ranger groups. This project includes Traditional Owners for six coastal clan groups in the Girringun TUMRA.
Date
14 Feb 2024 - 01 Aug 2025
Project Type
CONTRACT_RESEARCH
Keywords
Seagrass;blue carbon;Great Barrier Reef;Mapping;restoration;benthic habitats
Funding Body
Girringun Aboriginal Corporation
Amount
108464
Project Team
Chris van de Wetering;Alexandra Carter;Lucas Langlois;Nathan Waltham;Amrit Mishra