Synthesizing Three Decades of Seagrass Spatial Data from Torres Strait and Gulf of Carpentaria (Old ID 27428)
Role
Chief Investigator
Description
The Gulf of Carpentaria and Torres Strait have globally significant seagrass habitat that provide food for threatened dugong and turtle, and habitat for commercially important fish and prawns. Key to understanding, managing, mitigating risk, and monitoring seagrass in this remote region is reliable data on seagrass distribution and species composition and how these changes through time. Data on seagrass has been collected in these areas since the 1980s, but data location and storage from these efforts remains disparate, in many cases not publicly available, and in some cases has already been lost. Our study will compile, validate and synthesize historical seagrass spatial data to create a publicly available database accessible on eAtlas. This product will provide end-users with a valuable spatial resource to assist management and monitoring of seagrass in the region.
Date
01 Sep 2021 - 10 Jun 2022
Project Type
GRANT
Keywords
Seagrass;Torres Strait;Dugong;gulf of carpentaria;Green Turtle;spatial data
Funding Body
Torres Strait Regional Authority, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
Amount
51837
Project Team
Rob Coles;Michael Rasheed;Skye McKenna