Port of Townsville Seagrass Monitoring Program, Interim Report: October 2021
Other Publication ResearchOnline@JCUAbstract
This report summarises the results of the Townsville Channel Upgrade Seagrass Program (CUSP) 2021 dry season (September/October) survey, and builds on the Long-term Seagrass Monitoring Program (LTSMP) established in 2007. Key findings include: • 1,577 sites were assessed for seagrass in the 2021 dry season (October) survey. • Seagrass in monitoring meadows were in a good condition with the footprint, species composition and density of seagrass at expected levels for this time of year. • Seagrass inside the whole-of-port survey limit covered 17,146 ha. About an 18% increase from the same time last year. Of this distribution: ○ LTSMP meadows covered 7,074 ha ○ CUSP meadows covered 4,417 ha • Ten of the eleven seagrass species that are known to occur in the Townsville region were present in 2021. • Green sea turtles, dugongs and their feeding trails in seagrass meadows were observed during helicopter and boat-based field surveys indicating a high use of the area by megafauna. • So far seasonal assessments suggest the seasonal signal in seagrass density and area in Townsville is not as strong or consistent as other areas in tropical Queensland. • The next seagrass monitoring survey is scheduled for May 2022.
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22/11
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16
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TropWATER
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Cairns, QLD, Australia
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