The Save Moreton Bay team has commenced the long task of raising the profile of the urgent need to invest in Moreton Bay and it’s catchments to save it from further degradation.

The team visited Manly on Saturday and Cleveland on Sunday. The petition was well received by the public.  We hope to visit many more markets.  If you would like to help with any activities aimed at saving Moreton Bay please contact Jeff at the Queensland Conservation Council.

As it was once said, “Life is a terminal condition. So do the best you can do with the time you have left”.

The 'Save Moreton Bay' team at Cleveland markets

Any help appreciated, whether 30 minutes or a couple of hours.

If you can attend please let Jeff Poole know via email at connections@qccqld.org.au or call him  ph: (07) 3221 0188

Communications Officer Queensland Conservation 166 Ann St, Brisbane 4000 connections@qccqld.org.au (07) 3221 0188

Entrants for the 2012 Riverprize will soon have to decide whether to apply for the Australian Riverprize or the Thiess International Riverprize.

The Australian Riverprize and the Thiess International Riverprize are awarded by the International River Foundation each year for excellence in river basin management. Australian applicants are eligible to apply for either award, but they can only enter one category each year.

< click here to read more >

An ancient seagrass that spans up to 15 kilometres and weighs more than 6,000 metric tonnes may be more than 100,000 years old – making it the oldest living organism, Australian researchers have found (Norrie, 2012)

< click here to read more >

Celebrating World Wetlands Week – 11th February 2012.

For more details < click here >

According to recent studies No-fishing zones implemented to protect the Moreton Bay ecosystem have proven their worth in light of last year’s flooding however the coral reefs and seagrass habitats are still at risk.

The research has shown that having a small number of select areas where fishing is not permitted results in higher numbers of fish grazing on algae, which in turn maximises the chance for corals to recover.  < click here to read more >

The ARI research has also monitored energy reserves within seagrass plants which shows that seagrass meadows near Stradbroke Island are in poorer condition than expected at this time of year as a result of the flood.

Though December 2011 data  (not yet shown on our reports – see below) from one of our North Stradbroke Island Seagrass Watch monitoring sites (800m SE of the Dunwich ferry terminal) shows that the overall seagrass coverage (approx 40%) hasn’t declined to any great extent.  Let us hope the seagrass health improves as summer progresses, which can normally be expected. We will keep you posted as more data from our North Stradbroke Island sites comes in.

The availability of light is one of the critical factors that affects seagrass survival. It is also light availability that dictates the depth to which seagrass may grow.  It is has been shown that generally species within the genus Halophila are those that can survive in both deeper and more turbid waters. 1.

In coastal waters and estuaries, seagrass meadows are often subject to light deprivation over short time scales (days to weeks) in response to increased turbidity from human disturbances. Seagrass may exhibit negative physiological responses to light deprivation and suffer stress, or tolerate such stresses through photo-adaptation of physiological processes allowing more efficient use of low light. 2.

Recent research (2009) results suggested that Halophila ovalis (a seagrass dugong rely upon for food) is more vulnerable to light deprivation than Zostera capricorni.    While H. ovalis, at depths of 5-10 m, would be more vulnerable to light deprivation than intertidal populations. Both species showed a strong degree of photo-adaptation to light manipulation that may enable them to tolerate and adapt to short-term reductions in light. 2.

Zostera muelleri ssp. capricorni is the most common of all the seagrass species found in Moreton Bay while H.ovalis is also prevalent.

As we review the recent Moreton Bay Seagrass Watch data we will begin to understand how the 2011 floods have affected seagrass and how resilient they maybe.

References:

1. Chp 8. Vulnerability of seagrasses in the Great Barrier Reef to Climate Change

2. Chlorophyll fluorescence measures of seagrasses Halophila ovalis and Zostera capricorni reveal differences in response to experimental shading.

The summer survey of the Bramble Bay intertidal Seagrass Watch sites BB1, BB2 & BB3 located along Nudgee Beach to Sandgate failed to find any seagrass but all is not bad there is still life out there.  See below : )

On a positive note there is a small patch of seagrass (Zostera muelleri & Halophila ovalis) adjacent to the Nudgee Beach Mangrove Watch site, which is only a few hundred metres to the North West of BB1.

Thank you everyone for all your help and support this year, it has made a positive difference. Your time and effort is certainly invaluable and it makes the Moreton Bay Seagrass Watch project a great success.

There will kits available over the next couple of weeks even though the Manly Marine Parks Office is closed so just contact Simon or I via  seagrassmb@gmail.com if you wish to monitor your site.

We hope you have a very Merry Christmas, Safe Travels and we look forward to working with you all again in the New Year.

Best Wishes

Alix Baltais

For those with an iPhone or iPad and going shopping for seafood.

Australia’s Sustainable Seafood Guide provides you with the information necessary to make an informed and ocean-friendly choice about the seafood you put in your shopping basket or on your plate. This app gives you access at your fingertips to recommendations about the sustainability of the seafood found in supermarkets, restaurants and fish and chip shops. If you are interested < click here for more details >