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Subject: SEAGRASS-WATCH BULLETIN - 16 March 2007
SEAGRASS-WATCH BULLETIN
16 March 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
Moreton Bay under threat (Queensland, Australia)
March is Seagrass Awareness Month (Tampa,FL,USA)
Seagrass Waning, Study Says (Tampa,FL,USA)
Green, Green Seagrass (Thursday lsland, Qld, Australia)
Save our seahorses (Persekutuan, Malaysia)
Visayas reefs to be conserved (Philippines)
State questions plans for N. Florida resort (St. Petersburg,FL,USA)
The Nature Conservancy Urges The Public To `Go Green' This St. Patrick's Day
Dying seagrass has City Council's attention (Naples, FL, USA)
Dugong death prompts "Go Slow" message in Moreton Bay (Queensland, Australia)
Naples council endorses county study of sea grass die-off in Outer Clam Bay (Naples, FL, USA)
Matanzas dock plan won't float (Jacksonville, FL, USA)
PUBLICATIONS
Thursday Island training workshop proceedings: 26th February 2007
TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Townsville (Qld): 18th of March 2007
Great Sandy Strait (Qld) Field only: 17&18th March 2007
Singapore: 26th of March 2007
FROM HQ
Giveaways
Future sampling dates
Newsletters
Handy Seagrass Links
NEWS
Moreton Bay under threat (Queensland, Australia)
March 15, 2007, Christine Flatley, Courier Mail
8/07/2007
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It's A haven for turtles and dugongs, an angler's paradise and a natural tourism drawcard just
minutes from one of Australia's major cities. But scientists are warning Brisbane's Moreton Bay
may soon become a barren water wasteland. Mismanagement and overuse have led to
depleted fish stocks and polluted water, and corals, seagrass beds and animals are now under
threat. Scientists say it's a prime example of how the natural beauty of an area can become its
downfall.
"Moreton Bay is an absolute treasure on Brisbane's doorstep, yet it's in danger of being loved to
death by more and more people," director of the Australian Research Council Centre of
Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Dr Terry Hughes, said. "There's no other major city in the
world where you can still see dugongs, whales and dolphins, but unfortunately there are fewer
today than not so long ago. "A lot of people think of Moreton Bay as being a pristine region but
in fact it has been quite changed by people's activities."
Dr Hughes has become a champion for the preservation of the Moreton Bay region, as he
believes it will become one of the country's most important havens for marine species as global
warming threatens to destroy the fragile ecosystems in the north of Australia.
Source & full story: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21392291-3102,00.html
March is Seagrass Awareness Month (Tampa,FL,USA)
March 15, 2007, Tampa Tribune
The seventh annual Seagrass Awareness Celebration is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 31 at
Shoreline Park South, Gulf Breeze. This year's activities will include a marine-themed Easter
egg hunt at 10:15 a.m., live marine life in the touch tanks, "eat a seagrass bed," seining, games,
fishing, arts and crafts, boating safety, fishing, kayaking and more. Radio stations CAT Country
98.7 and Classic Country AM 1620 will broadcast.
Seagrasses are a valuable part of the marine environment and support a thriving million-dollar
fishery. Most commercial and recreationally important fish, crabs and shrimp spend some time
of their lives in seagrass beds. These grass beds help to filter toxins from the water, contribute
to water clarity by trapping suspended sediments, provide food and shelter for juvenile fish,
shrimp and crabs, provide food for manatees, green sea turtles, and migratory birds depend on
seagrass beds for foraging needs! Threats to these important resources include: degraded
water quality, dredge and fill projects and physical impacts from boat propellers.
In Northwest Florida, the "true" marine seagrass species include: shoal grass (Halodule
wrightii), turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum), widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima), manatee grass
(Syringodium filiforme), and some species of Halophila. In the upper parts of the bays, another
ecologically important submerged aquatic plant is tape grass, (Vallisneria americana).
Source & full story: http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20070315/NEWS01/70315020
Seagrass Waning, Study Says (Tampa,FL,USA)
March 15, 2007, By Kevin Begos, The Tampa Tribune
TALLAHASSEE - Florida has lost 300,000 acres of critical seagrass habitat since 1995,
according to a new study that soon will be published by the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
The previous figure of 2.6 million acres has dwindled to 2.3 million in the current estimate, said
Paul Carlson, a research scientist at the institute.
The loss is significant because seagrass beds are important nursery areas for many species of
fish and shellfish prized by commercial and recreational fishermen. Nine of the 11 main
estuaries studied showed declines, Carlson said. The good news is that there were gains in
Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay, where aggressive efforts have been made to reverse decades
of seagrass loss. Experts say poor water quality is the main factor in seagrass decline, but new
bills in the Legislature would target another problem: boaters whose propellers gouge scars in
the beds. Those scars can take years to recover.
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Wednesday morning, a House committee gave unanimous approval to HB 1069, sponsored by
Rep. Will Kendrick, R-Carrabelle. The bill authorizes the Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission to fine boaters who carelessly damage seagrass beds in aquatic preserves. A first
offence would be a $50 fine. The cost would be $250 for a second offence within 12 months,
$500 for a third offence within 36 months and $1,000 for fourth or subsequent offences.
A companion Senate bill adds possible misdemeanour charges for repeat offences, but
Kendrick says that goes too far. If the bill passes, fines would go into a trust fund to rebuild
seagrass habitat. According to the Department of Environmental Protection, there are 41
aquatic preserves across the state, including 30,000 acres in Pinellas County and 8,000 acres
in Hillsborough County's Cockroach Bay.
"Florida's seagrasses sustain recreational and commercial marine industries as well as critical
wildlife habitat," said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole, who estimated that in 2006, seagrass
communities in Florida supported an estimated harvest of $71.4 million for six seagrass-
dependent commercial species of fish and shellfish.
Source & full story: http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB8Q3HKAZE.html
Green, Green Seagrass (Thursday lsland, Qld, Australia)
March 13, 2007, The Cairns Post
TAGAI State College,Thursday lsland Secondary Campus is a Reef Guardian school and it is
our responsibility to protect and conserve seagrass. The Seagrass-Watch program is
sponsored by the Department of Primary lndustries( DPI&F),Torres Strait Regional Authority
(TSRA) and Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and occurs once every
school term.
There are seagrass monitoring sites on Thursday and Horn islands. Hammond lsland has just
recently established a site at one of their beaches. Anyone with an active interest in marine
conservation can become involved. Jane Mellors from DPI in Townsville and other marine
conservationists along with students, teachers, rangers and community members work together
to collect seagrass data to monitor growth and report findings to the DPI&F. ....more
http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
Save our seahorses (Persekutuan, Malaysia)
March 11, 2007, Chai Mei Ling, New Straits Times
They are faithful to their partners, the males care for their young, and they are really cuter than
what their Latin name denotes. Is there any reason why seahorses should not be allowed to live
on? Marine Biology lecturer Choo Chee Kuang believes they are even more faithful than
humans. "When the males are pregnant, female seahorses do not flirt around," says Choo from
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (formerly Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia or
KUSTEM).
The survival of seahorses depends gravely on seagrass beds, just like the endangered turtle
and dugong, which feed on seagrass. Seagrass has a complex root system, which can extend
up to 30cm into the seabed to fix and stabilise sediments.
The seagrass at the Pulai River estuary, where Choo and his team conduct seahorse studies
because of its diverse ecosystem, is located right in the middle of ongoing development. Pulau
Merambong in the estuary is the single largest intertidal seagrass bed in Malaysia. "However,
there are not more than 400 seahorses left in a place this vast," says Choo.
Still, Choo refuses to let his hope of saving the marine life be dimmed and is using the seahorse
as an icon for marine conservation to save seagrass, which will also save other lives, through
the Save Our Seahorses (SOS) organisation....more http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
Visayas reefs to be conserved (Philippines)
March 14, 2007, Sun Star Cebu
8/07/2007
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A company has increased its commitment for the protection of the environment by supporting a
marine conservation program in the Visayas. Danajon bank, one of the rare double barrier reef
formations in the world, is said to be the source of marine biodiversity in the Asia Pacific region.
Located between the islands of Cebu, Bohol and Leyte, the Danajon Bank has a total coastline
of 301 kilometers. It was once very rich and productive, providing marine resources to three
major Central Philippines islands. Its decline commenced in the 1950s with the onset of
destructive fishing, including bottom trawling and the use of dynamite and cyanide. Its coral
reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove forests are now threatened by overfishing, use of illegal
fishing methods, sedimentation and near-shore development.
Chevron Philippines Inc. and Project Seahorse Foundation, an awardee of the Chevron
Conservation Awards, formed a partnership to support the implementation of a program
entitled, "Using Marine Protected Areas as Catalysts to Increase Community-Government-
Private Sector Collaboration in Danajon Bank Conservation."
The project will create a Marine Protected Area in Caubian Island that is part of the double
barrier reef formation of Danajon Bank.
Chevron will provide a grant of P3 million to Project Seahorse Foundation for the project, which
aims to advance the goal of conserving and promoting the sustainable management and
equitable use of the Danajon bank fisheries resources over a two-year period.
Source & full story:
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/03/14/life/visayas.reefs.to.be.conserved..html
State questions plans for N. Florida resort (St. Petersburg,FL,USA)
March 10, 2007, by Craig Pittman, St. Petersburg Times
The massive hotel and condominium resort a St. Petersburg surgeon wants to build in rural
Taylor County suffered a major setback this week, drawing severe criticism from the state's
growth planning agency. The Magnolia Bay Resort has generated controversy because it calls
for blasting a 2-mile-long channel through the Big Bend Seagrass Aquatic Preserve, the state's
largest aquatic preserve and one of the largest stretches of uninterrupted seagrass in North
America.
Resort developer Treasure Island, want to build enough condominiums to add 7,000 residents
to Taylor County, along with a hotel, a helicopter landing pad, a public aquarium, a marine
science laboratory and 280,000 square feet of commercial space - all on 500 acres of swamp
and salt marsh that the local residents call Boggy Bay. The golf course and RV park would
come later.
But the development won't work without the channel - 2 miles long, 7 feet deep and 100 feet
wide - to provide boaters with access to the Gulf of Mexico through the shallow, nearshore
water. The developer has expressed confidence that all the seagrass along the channel's route
could be transplanted.
Living in the Big Bend sea grass beds is Florida's last big, stable population of bay scallops.
The scallops are so plentiful off Dekle Beach that every summer boaters from across the South
swarm down to harvest them. But marine biologists say the channel and the development
would destroy the scallops' habitat, disrupt the natural flow of water in the preserve and funnel
in polluted stormwater runoff.
Source & full story:
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/03/10/Tampabay/State_questions_plans.shtml
The Nature Conservancy Urges The Public To `Go Green' This St. Patrick's Day
March 6, 2007
As St. Patrick's Day approaches this year, The Nature Conservancy urges the public to think
`green' not necessarily of shamrocks and green-dyed beer but of how you can help save our
8/07/2007
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environment. In honor of the day, The Nature Conservancy on Long Island offers 17 things you
can do to help reduce global warming, and protect and preserve our natural habitats and
wildlife. More information can be found at www.nature.org/longisland.
1. Get to know invasive plants. Familiarize yourself with invasive plants and avoid planting
them in your yard. Remove existing infestations.
2. Go native. Replace some lawn with native plants and trees that support and attract
butterflies, bees and birds. A tree that shades your house also saves on energy bills.
3. Pack in, pack out on the beach. Waste attracts predators that prey on shorebirds such as
endangered piping plovers.
4. Be a responsible pet owner. Don't allow your cat to roam outside where it can prey upon
birds and other wildlife.
5. Support conservation. Visit The Nature Conservancy at www.nature.org/newyork.
6. Take a hike! Get out and enjoy our parks, preserves, forests, bays and other natural areas
on Long Island.
7. Decrease chemical dependency. Limit your use of fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides -
they can wind up in our drinking water and our harbors and bays.
8. Teleconference instead of flying. For office meetings, if you can telephone or
videoconference, you will save time, money, and our planet from carbon emissions.
9. Turn down the heat. Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a
home uses. Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house or go to
bed.
10. Dispose of toxins properly. Do not dump chemicals in sewers or on the ground.
11. Slow the flow. Consider upgrading or replacing your septic tank especially if you live
near the water.
12. Tread lightly. Avoid boating, anchoring and shellfishing in seagrass beds.
13. Speak out. Voice your environmental concerns to local lawmakers. Tell them you want
management and restoration of our forests, wetlands, bays and parks.
14. See the light. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. You'll save energy and money.
15. Recycle and use recycled products. Buy products made from recycled paper, glass, metal
and plastic. They use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely
new materials.
16. Inflate your tires. If you own a car, it will get better gas mileage when the tires are inflated
properly, so it will burn less gas and save you some money.
17. Buy renewable energy. Consider adding solar panels to your home.
Source:
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/newyork/press/press2864.html
Dying seagrass has City Council's attention (Naples, FL, USA)
March 6, 2007, by Eric Staats Naples Daily News
A city neighborhood sounding an alarm about a seagrass die-off in Outer Clam Bay got backing
Monday from the Naples City Council. The city-limits line runs through Outer Clam Bay, where
seagrasses and boating access have been a source of contention between Seagate to the
south and Pelican Bay outside the city limits to the north. The City Council agreed to endorse a
county-funded study of what has caused the die-off in the bay at the city's northern end and to
seek a more active role in decisions affecting the bay.
Collier County and Pelican Bay studies since 1994 show that Outer Clam Bay has lost half of its
seagrass beds, which dwindled from 10 acres to between three and four acres, according to the
studies. One county report suggests sea grasses once grew in even more of the bay. The
seagrass die-off has been blamed on changes in the way water flows into and out of Outer
Clam Bay and on pollution in runoff from surrounding developments that trigger algae blooms
that could cloud the water and keep sunlight from reaching the bottom.
Collier County commissioners voted last week to spend up to $40,000 to hire a team led by
seagrass expert Dave Tomasko to study what caused the die-off and what can be done to
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reverse it. Results could be available in six months, the county's coastal zone management
director Gary McAlpin said.
Source & full story:
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/mar/06/dying_sea_grass_has_city_councils_attention/?
local_news
Dugong death prompts "Go Slow" message in Moreton Bay (Queensland, Australia)
March 05, 2007, Media-Newswire.com
The death of a large, healthy male dugong due to boat strike near Moreton Bay's Macleay
Island recently has prompted a reminder from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service ( QPWS)
for boat skippers to "go slow for those below". Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr said
that on Friday 16 February a member of the public reported a boat strike on a dugong after they
felt the impact while travelling on a water-taxi and saw blood in the water. A dugong that
washed up two days later on Macleay Island with boat strike injuries was most likely the same
animal.
Ms Nelson-Carr said since the beginning of 2000, at least 13 dugong had been killed in
Moreton Bay after being hit by a boat, and most had been in the southern part of the bay. "It is
important for skippers to slow down in the shallower areas of the bay where the dugong feed on
seagrass," she said. In 1997, QPWS introduced five "go slow" areas in critical turtle and
dugong habitat within Moreton Bay MarinePark. Rangers have been working with ferry
operators to reduce boat strike impacts on dugong outside those "go slow" areas.
QPWS District Manager Miles Yeates said the dugong had been tagged by a University of
Queensland researcher in 2003 on Moreton Banks in the northern part of the bay, and had not
been recorded again until it washed up dead on Macleay Island in the bay's south. "Ironically,
the carcass with its tag has provided us the first confirmed movement of a dugong from one
part of the bay to another", Mr Yeates said. "The dugong was healthy and eating seagrass at
time of impact, we found fresh seagrass in its mouth." Ms Nelson-Carr said the Moreton Bay
Marine Park Zoning Plan review had begun and would examine the strategies currently in place
to help conserve significant species such as dugong. Dugong are classed as vulnerable to
extinction. The large herbivores feed on seagrass and can grow to 500kg and 3m
long........more http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
Naples council endorses county study of sea grass die-off in Outer Clam Bay (Naples, FL,
USA)
March 5, 2007, Naples Daily News
Naples City Council agreed this morning to endorse a county study of what has caused a sea
grass die-off in Outer Clam Bay. Collier County intends to spend $40,000 on the study, to be
led by seagrass expert Dave Tomasko, in the wake of concern from city residents in Seagate
and Naples Cay about the die-off.
The city-county line runs through the middle of Outer Clam Bay, which has become a source of
contention between city neighborhoods to the south and Pelican Bay to the north. Seagate
Homeowners Association President Dave Buser has blamed Pelican Bay for neglecting the sea
grasses in Outer Clam Bay in favor of a mangrove restoration project farther north. County and
Pelican Bay studies since 1994 show that Outer Clam Bay has lost half of its seagrass beds,
which have dwindled from 10 acres to between 3 and 4 acres. Besides endorsing the county
study, the City Council agreed it wanted a more active role in decisions affecting Outer Clam
Bay
Source:
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/mar/05/naples_council_endorses_county_study_sea_gr
latest
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Matanzas dock plan won't float (Jacksonville, FL, USA)
March 3, 2007, by David Hunt, Florida Times-Union
ST. AUGUSTINE - From the Florida 312 bridge, a marshy section of the Matanzas River looks
untouched, the water calm as a storm of emotions brews along the banks. A developer's
request to build a dock here big enough to hold 100 boats has some people up in arms,
concerned about everything from the seagrass to the pleasant view - an increasingly rare sight
in the nearly built-out city. "I've probably gotten more comments and opinions from the public on
this one than from any other issue I can remember," said Councilman George Gardner, a
former mayor. "The primary concern with all the development in St. Johns County is we're
losing our scenic vistas and environmental land."
Source & full story: http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/030307/met_8300876.shtml
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PUBLICATIONS
Thursday Island training workshop proceedings: 26th February
2007 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/training.html#Proceedings
McKenzie, LJ and Mellors, JE (2007). Seagrass-Watch: Guidelines for Torres Strait Land & Sea
Rangers. Proceedings of a training workshop, Port Kennedy Association Hall, Thursday Island,
Torres Strait, 26th February 2007 (DPI&F, Cairns). 36pp (1.20Mb)
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TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Townsville (Qld): 18th of March 2007 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/training.html#wrkshop07
Singapore: 26th of March 2007 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/training.html#wrkshop07
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FROM HQ
Giveaways http://www.seagrasswatch.org/shop.html#GIVE1
Seagrasses of Australia
Phytoplankton Guide
Manual for Assessing Fish Stocks on Pacific Corral Reefs (only 1 left)
Seagrass Biology
Bookmarks
Stickers
Future sampling dates http://www.seagrasswatch.org/sampling.html
Seagrass-Watch News Issue 27 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/newsletters.html
Handy Seagrass Links http://www.seagrasswatch.org/links.html
************************************************************
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed in this bulletin 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
8/07/2007
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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 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 Parks & Wildlife Service
(EPA), the David & Lucile Packard Foundation and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries.
Seagrass-Watch Bulletin is compiled by Len McKenzie & Rudi Yoshida.
8/07/2007