Seagrass-Watch E-bulletin 13 August 2007
SEAGRASS-WATCH E-BULLETIN
13 August 2007


Seagrass-Watch's electronic news service, providing marine and coastal news of international and national interest.
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IN THIS BULLETIN
NEWS..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Pesticides still pouring into reef waters (Australia)............................................................................................................................................ 1
Barrier Reef needs $300m clean-up: WWF (Australia) ..................................................................................................................................... 2
Okinawa dugong added to 'red list' (Japan) ...................................................................................................................................................... 2
SOS to save Sungai Pulai estuary (Persekutuan, Malaysia) ............................................................................................................................ 2
Very Alive And Very Well: Mumford Cove's eelgrass recovery a scientific marvel (New London, CT, USA).................................................... 3
Losing paradise - Negril's beaches eroding (Kingston, Jamaica)...................................................................................................................... 3
Lower Thu Bon River wants recognition as biosphere reserve (Hanoi,Vietnam) .............................................................................................. 3
Florida's Fishery Conservation Is A Model That Works (Tampa, FL, USA) ...................................................................................................... 4
Fisheries Office extends po trap amnesty (Phuket,Thailand)............................................................................................................................ 4
Pollution in bay expected to worsen: NOAA report calls region 'most impaired' (USA) .................................................................................... 4
Imbalance in nutrients threatens coastal areas (USA) ...................................................................................................................................... 4
"Super Suckers" Slurp Invasive Algae Off Reefs (Washington, DC, USA) ....................................................................................................... 5
Research Needed on Imperiled Coral Ecosystems (Reston, VA, USA)............................................................................................................ 5
GALLERY ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Bushland Beach, Townsville (Qld) : 28 July 2007 ............................................................................................................................................ 5
TRAINING WORKSHOPS...................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Broome, Western Australia, September 1st - 2nd 2007.................................................................................................................................... 6
PUBLICATIONS ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Marine Ecology Group publications................................................................................................................................................................... 6
FROM HQ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
NEW Giveaways - Seagrass-Watch bookmarks ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Seagrass-Watch Shop ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Virtual Herbarium .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Giveaways......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Future sampling dates....................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Seagrass-Watch News Issue 29 ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Handy Seagrass Links ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Please note: links to sources were active on date of publication. Some sources remove links periodically.

NEWS
Pesticides still pouring into reef waters (Australia)
August 13, 2007, by Wendy Frew, The Sydney Morning Herald
Eight of the 10 main rivers flowing into Great Barrier Reef waters have breached Queensland's water
quality guidelines, polluting the country's most valuable tourist attraction with increased amounts of toxic
chemicals. The herbicides atrazine and diuron were present at river mouths, inshore reefs and intertidal
seagrass monitoring locations, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority report said.
Monitoring over the past 12 months confirmed pesticides were "an ubiquitous contaminant" in the inshore
areas of the reef, the Annual Marine Monitoring Report 2006 said. The high level of pollution could not
come at a worse time because of the reef's vulnerability to rising ocean temperatures caused by climate
change. By 2030, coral bleaching - the death of coral caused by the warming of the oceans - could result
in a dramatic fall in the number of visitors to the reef.
The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan released by the Australian and Queensland governments in
October 2003 aimed to halt and reverse the decline in the quality of water entering the reef within 10
years. The 2006 report, the second annual report so far, indicated that that may be a bigger challenge
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Seagrass-Watch E-bulletin 13 August 2007
than originally thought, noting that the use of pesticides in the reef's catchments had increased in recent
years, particularly in agricultural and urban areas.
more........................http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
Barrier Reef needs $300m clean-up: WWF (Australia)
August 9, 2007 Brisbane Times
Conservationists say the federal government either invests $300 million on a Great Barrier Reef clean-up
or risks its destruction.
International conservation organisation WWF said the reef was endangered by 14 million tonnes of
chemicals and mud washed from farms onto the reef each year. New research released by the University
of North Carolina also showed Pacific coral reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef, are dying faster than
ever before because of climate change, disease and coastal development.
WWF Australia program leader Nick Heath called on the government to improve farming practices to avoid
damaging run-off. "The federal government must act now to give the reef its best chance of avoiding future
degradation," Mr Heath said. "Substantial new investment is critical to accelerate the take-up of world's
best farming practice in the most polluting catchments along the Great Barrier Reef coast."
Recent analysis shows a public investment of $300 million and a private industry co-investment of $340
million could halve pollution on the reef, Mr Heath said. Opposition climate change spokesman Peter
Garrett on Wednesday called on the government to introduce a climate change plan before the reef was
irreversibly damaged.
more........................http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
Okinawa dugong added to 'red list' (Japan)
August 6, 2007, The Asahi Shimbun
The Environment Ministry has added 461 species, including the "critically endangered" dugong, to its list of
wild flora and fauna threatened with extinction. The additions, part of a review of the entire "red list," bring
the total number of threatened species to 3,155. The dugong, a seagrass eating mammal that, in Japan,
is spotted only in waters off Okinawa's main island, was assessed for the first time.
The ministry's red list classifies wildlife into several categories, including "extinct," "threatened" and "near-
threatened." "Threatened" is further divided into IA (critically endangered), IB (endangered) and II
(vulnerable). The new list, released Friday, added the dugong to the IA group because fewer than 50 are
believed to be surviving off the Okinawa island.
The seas near Henoko point in Nago, where a new U.S. airfield is planned, contain the seagrass on which
dugongs feed. Those opposed to relocating the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma functions from
Ginowan in the same prefecture to Henoko say building the airfield would destroy the sea cow's feeding
grounds.
more........................http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
SOS to save Sungai Pulai estuary (Persekutuan, Malaysia)
August 2, 2007, New Straits Times
PONTIAN: "The marine world needs friends -- don't let development destroy the Sungai Pulai estuary.
I've been there and seen the seahorses." This plea from Sara Lourie of Canada echoes the feelings of
more than 500 people worldwide who responded to a campaign by local environmentalists to save the
estuary.
The online petition by Save Our Seahorses (SOS) action committee has collected more than 500
signatures in a bid to stop a local company from building a chemical industries estate at the estuary. SOS
action committee chairman, Choo Chee Kuang said response to the petition was overwhelming and he
was confident that in a couple of days, SOS would reach its target of collecting 5,000 signatures.
"We want the Department of Environment to review a Comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment
(CEIA) report done by a consultant for the development of the estate. SOS' petition at
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/help-save-the-seahorse since its posting on Monday evening, has seen a
stream of responses from as far as Romania. The federal and state Department of Environment have
remained silent on the matter.
more........................http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
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Seagrass-Watch E-bulletin 13 August 2007
Very Alive And Very Well: Mumford Cove's eelgrass recovery a scientific marvel (New London,
CT, USA)
August 8, 2007, by Judy Benson TheDay
Groton -- Usually the phrase "canary in the coal mine" is used to describe a danger sign, often of
something going wrong in the environment. But marine scientist Jamie Vaudrey talks about a metaphoric
canary that's singing loud and sweet in one of southeastern Connecticut's scenic coastal inlets on Long
Island Sound, signaling not danger but an environmental success story of international significance.
This harbinger of ecosystem health -- the waist-high, sinuous green blades called eelgrass -- grows in
abundance at the bottom of Mumford Cove, forming a perpetually swaying underwater meadow where
young scallops, crabs, winter flounder, and other juvenile fish and shellfish like to live and grow, and older
fish like to feed.
Such was not the case 20 years ago, and the story of how the eelgrass that had historically flourished in
the cove fell into a 40-year decline, then regenerated from a few surviving shoots to its current lushness is
one Vaudrey loves to tell. It's also one without parallel in the Northeast, and very rare worldwide.
Full story & source: http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=cf05c85a-9e6d-4750-8dc6-aa72eb2bbe5a
Losing paradise - Negril's beaches eroding (Kingston, Jamaica)
August 5, 2007, Jamaica Gleaner
It's probably Jamaica's finest: sparkling, fine white sand and dazzling orange sunsets, all year long.
Welcome to the beaches of Negril, one of Jamaica's most natural tourist resorts, boasting seven miles of
sand along parts of the coastline of Westmoreland and Hanover. However Negril's beaches are eroding
rapidly, environmentalists perceive; much of it is due to storm surges, but also significantly to human
activity.
Some hotels, particularly large all-inclusives, have been guilty of removing seagrass beds from the ocean -
a principal source of white sand for Negril beaches. They contribute somewhere in the region of 40 per
cent of sand in Negril, studies show. "If you look at aerial photos over the last couple of years ... you will
see that there is a gradual shrinking of the seagrass area in Negril and that is a part of the reason why the
sand budgets have shifted," Henry explains.
While hotels aren't the only ones guilty of removing seagrass beds, NEPA has been putting in measures to
ensure the seagrass remains where developments emerge on the beach. With new hotel developments,
for example, while NEPA allows for some seagrass to be removed, the removal is not absolute, Henry
points out. Hotels must relocate the seagrass to another section of the beach. Non-compliances
constitutes a breach under the Beach Control Act.
Full story & source: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070805/lead/lead8.html
Lower Thu Bon River wants recognition as biosphere reserve (Hanoi,Vietnam)
August 3, 2007, by Vu Trung, VietNamNet Bridge
The National UNESCO Committee of Vietnam has asked the central province of Quang Nam to urgently
make scientific records of the lower section of the Thu Bon River to submit to UNESCO for consideration
as a world biosphere reserve. This area includes the complex of Hoi An ancient town, Cu Lao Cham sea
reserve, and the lower section of the Thu Bon River.
Cu Lao Cham archipelago is a tectonic plate stretching to the southeast of the granite block running from
Bach Ma-Hai Van-Son Tra, which was formed more than 230 million years ago. Through changes in
nature, many caves have been formed inside the granite block. This archipelago also has nearly 5,200ha
of water surface, with 165ha of coral and 500ha of seagrass. Scientists have also identified 202 species of
fish, four species of tiger shrimp and 84 species of mollusks living there, many of which are named in the
Vietnam Red Book.
Tran Minh Ca, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Nam province, said that Quang Nam
was preparing documents to submit to the Chairman of the National UNESCO Committee.
Full story & source: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2007/08/725643/

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Seagrass-Watch E-bulletin 13 August 2007
Florida's Fishery Conservation Is A Model That Works (Tampa, FL, USA)
August 3, 2007, By Frank Sargeant, The Tampa Tribune
People, wildlife and wild fish usually don't mix well. With Florida growing at 1,000 people per day for years,
it would seem likely that populations of all wild creatures here would be in severe decline. But oddly
enough, that's not the case, thanks to more than a quarter-century of careful fish and wildlife management,
strongly backed by a conservation-minded public.
But the model has worked amazingly well here, with outdoors people among the strongest lobbyists for
habitat conservation as well as effective fish and wildlife management rules.
Thanks to greatly improved sewage treatment over the last 25 years, the water is much cleaner and clarity
has increased dramatically. That has resulted in a re-growth of seagrass in many areas where it had died
out between 1950 and 1980. And, Tampa Bay has one of the most active shoreline restoration programs
in the nation, with thousands of acres of productive wetlands being created on former industrial
wastelands. The combination of cleaner water, more shoreline and increased vegetation means a vibrant
food chain, which results in more and bigger fish.
Full story & source http://sports.tbo.com/sports/MGBU8JTBV4F.html
Fisheries Office extends po trap amnesty (Phuket,Thailand)
August 1, 2007, Phuket Gazette
The Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office (PPFO) has given fishermen until August 28 to apply to continue
using po traps, shallow-water fish traps made by stringing a net between stakes stuck in the seabed,
although the traps have been outlawed since 1996.
The announcement follows the passing of the July 29 deadline set by the PPFO for all total ban on po
traps unless villagers' claims that their traps do not harm sea turtles, dugongs, seagrass areas or coral can
be substantiated. Fears that the traps affect the habitats of sea turtles and dugong prompted the initiative
to remove them from Phuket's waters, especially after a dugong was found dead in a po trap in Pa Khlok
Bay in April.
Villagers from Baan Para Moo 4 claimed that they had been using the traps to make a living for about 30
years, and that their traps had not been causing harm to the natural surroundings, including grazing
dugong. K. Pairho said that there were 50 other areas in Phuket where the PPFO was aware of po traps
being used.
Full story & source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?fromsearch=yes&Id=5872
Pollution in bay expected to worsen: NOAA report calls region 'most impaired' (USA)
August 1, 2007, By Rona Kobell, Baltimore Sun
The Chesapeake Bay ranks among the most polluted estuaries in the nation, and conditions are expected
to worsen as the area's population grows, according to a report released yesterday by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The study looked at pollution from nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, in five regions in the
country and concluded that the Mid-Atlantic region, which stretches from Cape Cod to the Chesapeake,
was the most impaired. More than one-third of its estuaries register more pollution now than they did in the
1990s.
The bright spot in the research was Tampa Bay, which lost half its underwater grasses between the 1950s
and the 1980s but has made a significant turnaround in recent years, according Suzanne Bricker, the
study's lead author. Bricker said Tampa Bay officials pushed for upgrades at wastewater treatment plants
and regulated storm water flowing into the bay, resulting in the highest sea grass acreage now since 1950.
Full story & source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.bay01aug01,0,5011736.story
Imbalance in nutrients threatens coastal areas (USA)
August 01, 2007, by Brandon Parker, Sun Herald Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON --Environmental officials warn that too much nourishment where freshwater rivers merge
with saltwater seas is endangering recreational fishing and marine life habitats. Human-related activities
like the burning of fossil fuels and runoff of fertilizer have contributed to a moderate to high imbalance of
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Seagrass-Watch E-bulletin 13 August 2007
nutrients in 65 percent of the nation's major estuaries, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration said Tuesday.
Eutrophication, caused by an excess of nutrients in the water, can result in less dissolved oxygen and loss
of seagrass, and has become a global problem in the last two decades, NOAA said. And officials said
people should not brush off these findings as just another effort to reduce America's reliance on non-
renewable energy sources.
"People should care because (eutrophication) means water that turns green, red or brown, beaches that
are closed and blooms of algae that can cause harm to human health," said Vice Adm. Conrad
Lautenbacher, a NOAA administrator. "It also means the loss of fish, the loss of recreation and, basically,
the loss of the quality of life of our environment along the Coast." NOAA's recommended solutions include
more frequent monitoring of the nation's estuaries via remote sensing devices and establishing firm
guidelines to ensure nutrient concentrations don't reach dangerous levels.
Full story & source: http://www.sunherald.com/201/story/110599.html
"Super Suckers" Slurp Invasive Algae Off Reefs (Washington, DC, USA)
July 30, 2007, by Scott Norris, National Geographic News
In the battle against an exotic seaweed, biologists are employing a rather unusual solution: underwater
vacuum cleaners. The cleaners--called Super Suckers--suck up tons of gorilla ogo, invasive algae that
are killing coral reefs, smothering sea grass beds, and fouling beaches in Hawaii.
Since 2006 the original Super Sucker, a barge-mounted device, has been operating in Kaneohe Bay, on
the island of Oahu, where the seaweed invasion is particularly severe. At a recent scientific conference in
Japan, biologists announced the arrival of "Super Sucker Junior," a smaller and more versatile unit that
can operate in shallower waters and be easily transported between islands.
In Hawaii and elsewhere, scientists have noticed high-diversity coral communities shift to algae-dominated
reefs with greatly reduced species diversity. The problem posed by gorilla ogo and other invasive algae in
Hawaii has been growing in magnitude for a number of years, experts say, and now has become dire.
Full story & source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/070730-super-sucker.html
Research Needed on Imperiled Coral Ecosystems (Reston, VA, USA)
July 30 2007, United States Geological Survey (press release)
Coral ecosystems are being imperiled at regional to global scales by over fishing, climate change, disease,
and exposure to excess sediments, nutrients and contaminants. Scientists believe that recent changes in
reef systems world--wide are unprecedented, according to a report released by the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS) that summarizes these threats and outlines important research actions needed over the
next five years to more accurately forecast future conditions and to better understand and manage
change.
"Coral ecosystems contribute an estimated $30 billion to the global economy, but they are being
transformed rapidly by a combination of local, regional, and global stressors," said Gary Brewer, USGS
Eastern Region Ocean Science Coordinator. "The USGS has developed a robust research plan that
addresses the threats that coral ecosystems are facing," said Brewer.
Coral ecosystems include not only reefs, but interdependent seagrass and mangrove habitats. They are
geological and biological complexes composed of hundreds to thousands of interacting species. The
essential goods and services they provide include sources of food, essential habitat for fisheries and
protected species, biodiversity, protection of coastlines from wave damage and erosion, recreation, and
cultural values for island nations and communities.
Full story & source: http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1713
GALLERY
Bushland Beach, Townsville (Qld) : 28 July 2007 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/gallery.html


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Seagrass-Watch E-bulletin 13 August 2007
TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Broome, Western Australia, September 1st - 2nd 2007 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/training.html#wrkshop07
Location: Department of Environment and Conservation, 111 Herbert Street, Broome
Participants: Environs Kimberley & Kimberley Land Council
Sponsors: Environs Kimberley, Kimberley Land Council & Seagrass-Watch HQ
Contact: Danielle Bain (08 9192 7741 or 0414 841 519 or email dans_al@westnet.com.au)
Registration: http://www.seagrasswatch.org/training.html#wrkshop07
PUBLICATIONS
Marine Ecology Group publications http://www.seagrasswatch.org/meg.html
Seagrass assessment and monitoring reports/publications by the Marine Ecology Group are now available. The Marine Ecology
Group, based at the Northern Fisheries Centre, Cairns (Australia) undertakes pure and applied research and is recognised as a
leading advisor on seagrasses, mangroves and coastal management in northeastern Queensland and the western Pacific. The group
has subprograms for marine plant ecology, ports and shipping research, introduced marine pests and strategic fisheries assessment.
The remaining back catalogue of publications from the group will uploaded in the near future.
FROM HQ
NEW Giveaways - Seagrass-Watch bookmarks http://www.seagrasswatch.org/shop.html#GIVE1
The 13 new bookmarks feature Seagrass-Watch sites, seagrass species, marine life photographs by Seagrass-Watch
HQ and Ria Tan (Wild Singapore). To make your choice of bookmark(s) from the 33 available, download the
SELECTION PDF, note the number of your selected bookmark(s), and send your request (including mailing details) to
hq@seagrasswatch.org.

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
·
Seagrasses of Australia
·
Phytoplankton Guide
·
Seagrass Biology (Volume 2 only)
· Bookmarks

·
Stickers
·
Seagrass-Watch Newsletter 29 (hardcopy)
·
Seagrass-Watch Newsletter 28 (hardcopy)
Future sampling dates http://www.seagrasswatch.org/sampling.html

Seagrass-Watch News Issue 29 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/newsletters.html

Handy Seagrass Links http://www.seagrasswatch.org/links.html
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DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed in this bul etin are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Queensland Government. News articles posted as a free community service for the purposes of non-commercial
education, research and study; review and the reporting of news; and archived for reference of students and researchers as a 'fair dealing' activity under Australian Copyright Law.
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 e-bulletin or on any linked site. Seagrass-
Watch HQ recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to their use of this information and that users carefully evaluate the accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance of the material in the e-bul etin for their
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or recommendations of third parties, which do not necessarily reflect the views 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 and Water Resources) represented in North Queensland by the Reef and Rainforest
Research Centre, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), the Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries and by private donations.
Seagrass-Watch E- Bulletin is compiled by Len McKenzie & Rudi Yoshida.
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