16 June 2009
Seagrass-Watch's electronic news service, providing marine and coastal news of international and national interest. Abbreviated articles are presented with links to their source.
Seagrass-Watch HQ recommends that readers exercise their own skill and care with respect to their use of the information in this bulletin and that readers carefully evaluate the
accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance of the material in the bulletin for their purposes. You are free to distribute it amongst your own networks.


IN THIS BULLETIN
NEWS.................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Partnership improves species management on Great Barrier Reef (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia)................................................. 1
Bleached seagrass washing ashore, perplexing scientists (Sarasota, FL, USA)........................................................................................... 2
Port, feds working to restore homes' coastal barrier (San Diego, CA, USA).................................................................................................. 2
Minister applauds Pelican Lagoon projects (Kingscote, South Australia, Australia) ...................................................................................... 2
Boaters need to steer clear of nesting, seagrass areas (Corpus Christi, TX, USA)....................................................................................... 2
Environmentalists Release Report Card on Coastal Bays (Salisbury, MD, USA).......................................................................................... 3
Sea debris killing Phuket sea life: marine expert (Phuket, Thailand) ............................................................................................................. 3
Montgomery reef protrudes off the Kimberley coast (Australia) ..................................................................................................................... 3
Reports Show Increase in Seagrass in Atlantic Coastal Bays (Salisbury, MD, USA) .................................................................................... 4
SEAGRASS-WATCH WORKSHOPS 2009......................................................................................................................................................... 4
CONFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
CERF 2009 (Oregon (USA), 1 -5 November 2009)........................................................................................................................................ 4
GALLERY ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Sentosa (Singapore): 10 June 2009............................................................................................................................................................... 4
Torres Strait (Qld, Australia): 27 May - 04 June 2009.................................................................................................................................... 4
FROM HQ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Frequently Asked Questions .......................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Seagrass-Watch News Issue 36 .................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Seagrass-Watch Shop ................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Virtual Herbarium ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Giveaways...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Future sampling dates.................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Handy Seagrass Links ................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Please note: links to sources were active on date of publication. Some sources remove links periodically.
NEWS
Partnership improves species management on Great Barrier Reef (Sydney, New South Wales,
Australia)
06 June 2009, Power Boat - World
Dugongs and marine turtles in the Cape York area will be better protected thanks to an innovative partnership
between marine managers, Traditional Owners and researchers. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
(GBRMPA), in conjunction with James Cook University (JCU) and the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research
Facility (MTSRF), are holding a three-day spatial closures workshop in Cairns with Traditional Owners from the east
coast of Cape York.
James Cook University dugong expert Professor Helene Marsh said the Cape York Turtle and Dugong Spatial
Closures Workshop aimed to work with Traditional Owners to map out a clear way forward for protecting dugongs
and turtles in the area. 'We hope to get a really good picture of the current status of dugong and turtle populations in
the area and use scientific and traditional knowledge to help develop effective strategies to protect and manage
these animals' she said.
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The Traditional Owner groups represented at the meeting are from the east coast of Cape York and include Gudang,
Yadhaigana, Wuthathi, Kuuku Ya'u, Kanthanumpun, Uutaalgnunu Umpila, Guugu Yimithirr, Kuku Yalanji and
Kaurareg.
Sheriden Morris from the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility said the workshop demonstrated the
importance of collaborative relationships to help protect the marine environment. 'This is a great partnership between
Traditional Owners, scientific researchers and management bodies towards a common goal of protecting threatened
species. We're pleased to be part of a project that is delivering meaningful outcomes.'
more....................... http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
Bleached seagrass washing ashore, perplexing scientists (Sarasota, FL, USA)
05 June 2009, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Unprecedented amounts of dead, bleached seagrass, resembling vermicelli noodles or soft white straw, are washing
ashore in clumps from Siesta Key south to Naples. The phenomenon baffles scientists, who speculate that turbulent
weather several weeks ago broke the grasses loose from the bottom of the Caribbean or the Gulf of Mexico. The
blades then likely circulated in a gyre for weeks, getting bleached white by the mixture of sun and salt.
No one knows why so much grass accumulated and scientists who keep tabs on seagrass happenings around the
globe said they could think of no similar event elsewhere. Seagrass blades commonly wash ashore, along with
seaweed, egg casings, tiny crustaceans, and other debris. But usually they wash ashore green and in rather small
quantities.
The grasses are harmless and so bleached that they do not produce an odor. No roots are present among the grass
blades, indicating that a mass die-off of seagrass is unlikely. "A lot of the beds as they produce new leaves the old
ones sort of float to the surface," said Loren Coen, lab director at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation,
which first identified the grasses on Monday as manatee grass, also known as Syringodium. "Unless somewhere
there are large areas of Syringodium that are completely gone, we're assuming it's just turnover."
more....................... http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
Full story and source: http://www.news-press.com/article/20090602/NEWS0109/906020344/1075
Related article: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/jun/01/beaches-inundated-gobs-manatee-grass/
Port, feds working to restore homes' coastal barrier (San Diego, CA, USA)
13 June 2009, San Diego Union Tribune
The San Diego Unified Port District is working with federal engineers to help end the tale of two Coronado bay-front
neighbors who created a small beach by removing rocks in front of their homes, violating environmental law in the
process. Deputy Port Attorney Leslie Fitzgerald said the homeowners are awaiting Army Corps of Engineers approval
to replace the rocks known as riprap, and that the port has been involved in negotiating and facilitating that approval.
The Army Corps wants a detailed plan on how the owners will restore eel grass beds it says were damaged when the
rocks were removed. Without the plan, the Army Corps will not issue a permit allowing the owners to move forward.
Richard Opper, an attorney for the owners, said the homeowners have been working to comply with Army Corps
officials, but several eel grass plans have been rejected. He said the homeowners finally agreed to replant all the
eelgrass in the area. While they didn't feel responsible for the condition of other eelgrass beds, they agreed to replant
it just to get the permit, Opper said.
Fitzgerald said the owners also are required to remove the part of the concrete-block wall's footing that was built on
state tidelands and pay penalties.
Full story and source: http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jun/13/1sz13riprap213213-port-feds-working-restore-homes-
/?metro&zIndex=115942
Minister applauds Pelican Lagoon projects (Kingscote, South Australia, Australia)
14 June 2009, The Islander
Environment and Conservation Minister Jay Weatherill visited Pelican Lagoon while on Kangaroo Island to see the
results of environmental projects that are protecting the lagoon and surrounding areas.
Mr Weatherill also was briefed on seagrass monitoring by the Kangaroo Island NRM board, as well as its Birds on the
Beach - Community Shorebird monitoring project.
Full story and source: http://www.theislanderonline.com.au/news/local/news/general/minister-applauds-pelican-lagoon-projects/1513415.aspx
Boaters need to steer clear of nesting, seagrass areas (Corpus Christi, TX, USA)
11 June 2009, Corpus Christi Caller Times
Texas developed a comprehensive seagrass preservation plan about 10 years ago. This week, some 150 mostly
biologists from government, academia, private and non-profit organizations are in town to discuss this document,
examine new information and to evaluate the successes and shortcomings of an ambitious conservation initiative.
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It is fitting that the Coastal Bend host this workshop. Because about seven years ago, Texas Parks & Wildlife broke
new ground here by adopting the Redfish Bay State Scientific Area as a way to preserve the submerged turtle grass
meadows of this high traffic section of the coast. After a failed volunteer policy that recommended boaters not rip
through this sensitive habitat with their outboard motors the state adopted a more aggressive measure with sharper
teeth in 2006.
Now boaters within this 32,000-acre area are urged to consider the legal and environmental consequences of
running through shallow flats or trying to get up on plane at certain depths. Fines can be as high as $500 for
uprooting any submerged aquatic vegetation.
Full story and source: http://www.caller.com/news/2009/jun/11/sikesoutdoors/
Environmentalists Release Report Card on Coastal Bays (Salisbury, MD, USA)
11 June 2009, WBOC TV 16
On Monday, The Maryland Coastal Bays Program released a report card on the health of Maryland and Virginia's
Atlantic coastal bays. The grades were given to six coastal bays in Worcester and Accomack counties. The overall
grade for the bays was a C+. The Sinepuxent Bay scored the best with a B. The Saint Martin's River and Newport
Bay scored the lowest with a D+.
The report looked at factors including seagrass, hard shell clam populations and water quality. They say one of their
biggest concerns is the over-harvesting of hard shell clams. Scientists say those shell fish help to filter the bays. Run-
off from septic systems, and continued population growth are also to blame for the dwindling health of some bays.
Scientists say pollution from some farming methods could be stifling sea life. But farmers say they are doing their part
to keep the waterways clean.
Full story and source: http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=10496734&nav=menu222_2
Sea debris killing Phuket sea life: marine expert (Phuket, Thailand)
10 June 2009, Phuket Gazette
A leading marine biologist has warned that the dumping of debris into the waters of Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi is
harming marine species in the region.
Speaking at an event to mark the United Nation's first-ever official World Oceans Day on Monday, researcher
Kanjana Adulyanukosol of the Phuket Marine Biological Center's Endangered Species Unit said that sea turtle
populations were the worst affected. Marine mammals such as whales and dolphins were also suffering, said Miss
Kanjana, Thailand's top expert on the country's endangered dugong population.
On the Andaman coast beaches of Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi there have recently been about 40 instances of sea
creatures becoming beached. In more than 70% of these cases, the animals were hurt or killed by fishing implements
or trash, especially plastic, Miss Kanjana said.
Full story and source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2009/article7461.html
Montgomery reef protrudes off the Kimberley coast (Australia)
10 June 2009, NEWS.com.au
A raging torrent of water carved this spectacular landscape off Western Australia's pristine Kimberley coast. What
looks like a river, is actually a deep underwater trench knifing through Montgomery reef, in one of the most remote
and spectacular unspoilt oceans in the world. Montgomery reef, sitting 20km offshore, protrudes from the surface of
the water and low tides expose a deep blue trough that splits the coral formation in two. To the right, the
Montgomery islands are just dots above a swirling ocean. The Kimberley area experiences the second highest tidal
range in the world and the marine environment is among less than four per cent of the ocean left undamaged or not
impacted by human activity.
A new report by WA's Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) states that fringing coral reef in the area
rivals that of the Red Sea and is ''of international significance''.
But developments like the billion-dollar LNG hub proposed for James Price Point, north of Broome, threatened what
makes the area so special, says Josh Coates, the Wilderness Society's Kimberley campaigner. ``The fossil fuel
development would require blasting and extensive and ongoing dredging impacting reefs and will impact heavily on
species including Humpback whales and dugongs,'' Mr Coates told The Sunday Times. The report, which was
developed to provide a scientific base for conserving the area, cited seagrass along the coast as being the most
diversified in the world, with 25 unique species.
Full story and source: http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,27574,25614930-2761,00.html



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Reports Show Increase in Seagrass in Atlantic Coastal Bays (Salisbury, MD, USA)
08 June 2009, WBOC TV 16
In 2008, vital seagrass in coastal bays along the coast of Maryland and Virginia increased 17 percent, according to
the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Leaders in areas like the state and national parks on Assateague
Island that surround the Sinepuxent Bay, say the health and survival of the ecosystem in that waterway are essential.
"Poor water quality influences the land and land conditions influence the water surrounding it. So they are intimately
related," said Chief of Resource Management at Assateague Island National Seashore Carl Zimmerman. "The health
of the bay system is just integral."
Scientists say an abundance of seagrass helps support a healthy ecosystem and is a good indicator of water quality.
"It's an indicator of general well being of the health of the watershed," said Dr. Roman Jesien of the Maryland Coastal
Bays Program. "The more grasses, the better the habitat and water quality."
Full story and source: http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=10485891&nav=MXEF
SEAGRASS-WATCH WORKSHOPS 2009
Australia
Broome, WA, August 23-24 (Registration closes 17th August 09)
For more information: http://www.seagrasswatch.org/training.html#wrkshop09
CONFERENCES
CERF 2009 (Oregon (USA), 1 -5 November 2009)
Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Conference (CERF) will host a seagrass program titled, "Seagrass Ecosystem Health in a Global
Perspective". Seagrass Ecosystem Health in a Global Perspective will include four half day sessions:
· Seagrass Physiological Stress: In Sickness and in Health (SCI-108)
· Seagrass Assessment: Think Globally, Monitor Locally (SCI-105)
· Seagrass Ecological Health: Diagnosing the Canary (SCI-106)
· Seagrass Management and Policy: Proactive Sustainability (SCI-107)
More information: http://erf.org/cerf2009/
GALLERY
Sentosa (Singapore): 10 June 2009http://www.seagrasswatch.org/gallery.html
At the crack of dawn, TeamSeagrass is out on Sentosa to monitor the seagrasses there. We have lots of first timers today.
Fortunately, Sentosa is less difficult to monitor and also, there were regulars to help introduce the methods to the new team
members.
Torres Strait (Qld, Australia): 27 May - 04 June 2009http://www.seagrasswatch.org/gallery.html
All the rangers participated in the monitoring, despite their heavy work schedules and the number of people visiting the island.
Seagrass cover appeared sparser and with no obvious Enhalus fruits like last monitoring. Fresh wrack was very obvious along the
beach. During this trip we also trialled some equipment in relation to subtidal monitoring.
FROM HQ
Frequently Asked Questions http://www.seagrasswatch.org/faq.html
Seagrass-Watch News Issue 36 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/newsletters.html
Seagrass-Watch Shop http://www.seagrasswatch.org/shop.html
Virtual Herbarium http://www.seagrasswatch.org/herbarium.html
Giveaways http:/ www.seagrasswatch.org/shop.html#GIVE1
Future sampling dates http://www.seagrasswatch.org/sampling.html
Handy Seagrass Links http://www.seagrasswatch.org/links.html
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Seagrass-Watch HQ does not guarantee, and accepts no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained in this bulletin. Seagrass-Watch HQ
recommends that readers exercise their own skill and care with respect to their use of the information in this bulletin and that readers careful y evaluate the accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance of the material in the bul etin for
their purposes. This bul etin is not a substitute for independent professional advice and users should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. The material in this bulletin may include the views or
recommendations of third parties, which do not necessarily reflect the views of Seagrass-Watch HQ (or those of the Queensland Government) or indicate its commitment to a particular course of action.

Seagrass-Watch HQ is supported by the Australian Government's Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts) represented in North Queensland by the Reef and
Rainforest Research Centre, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries (part of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation) and by private
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Seagrass-Watch E- Bulletin is compiled by Len McKenzie & Rudi Yoshida.
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