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Subject: SEAGRASS-WATCH BULLETIN - 24 February 2007
SEAGRASS-WATCH BULLETIN
24 February 2007
Seagrass-Watch's electronic news service, providing marine and coastal news of international and national interest.
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NEWS
Great Sandy Strait Fauna & Flora Watch wins local environment award (Queensland,
Australia)
February 23, 2007
Community Group, Great Sandy Strait Fauna & Flora Watch, has won the The Burnett Mary
NRM Coastal Community Award for 2007. The Award is for excellence in activities that have
contributed to the significant improvement of local coastal and/or marine environments,
including estuaries, dune systems, wetlands and saltmarsh ecosystems.
Spokesperson for the group, Mr Gordon Cottle said that the group was thrilled to win the award,
and that special thanks must go to group members, Robyn Bailey, Paul Bailey, Hanne Larsen
and Pat Cottle. "A wonderful achievement for such a small group." GSSFFW is an active
participant of the Seagrass-Watch program, monitoring 18 sites throughout the Great Sandy
Strait.
Seagrass-Watch HQ would like to congratulate Gordon, Pat, Robyn, Paul and Hanne on their
wonderful achievement, and tireless effort in monitoring the Great Sandy Strait. A job well done
and an award well deserved!!! .......... more http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
Action to save Reef (Queensland, Australia)
February 23, 2007, The Courier Mail
Pesticide run-off may be polluting larger areas of the Great Barrier Reef than originally thought.
A series of satellite images obtained by CSIRO scientists have confirmed for the first time that
sediment plumes travel to the outer reef and beyond.
It was originally believed the plumes - which can contain pesticides, herbicides and other micro
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pollutants from river systems- affected only the inner Great Barrier Reef lagoon and the inner
reef corals. But the new images, taken by NASA's MODIS satellite by GeoScience Australia's
Alice Springs site between February 9 and 13, show they are travelling up to l35km offshore.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is overseeing the implementation of the l0-year,
$40 million Reef Water Quality Protection Plan to improve land management practices in the
catchment area. It's a plan that Dr Dekker believes should be supported by farmers, tourism
authorities and the government. He said revegetating areas around waterways would help
catch the sediments before they reached the ocean.......... more
http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
Delegation supports port land takeover (Bradenton, FL, USA)
February 22, 2007, Lyndsey Lewis - Bradenton Herald
TALLAHASSEE - Manatee County lawmakers Wednesday agreed to support a bill that would
transfer control of an area of submerged land off Port Manatee from the state, potentially
opening the door to increasing commercial activity at the port. The bill, filed by state Rep. Ron
Reagan, R-Bradenton, would shift control of about 400 underwater acres to the Manatee
County Port Authority. If the measure eventually passes and is signed by Gov. Charlie Crist, the
port authority would have more leeway to dredge the port's basin. "If we get more ships coming
in, there'll be more money coming in," Reagan said.
The bill could also help the port authority beef up security around the area and protect several
acres of seagrass near the port. Although port officials have already started work on some of
these measures, greater local control "basically cuts down on the time they need to do these
things in the future," Reagan said.
The port authority is made up of members of the Manatee County Commission, but David
McDonald, executive director of Port Manatee, said members' roles with those organizations do
not intertwine. Since the port authority and county commission are "two separate entities,"
McDonald said, Manatee County doesn't have to worry about shouldering additional costs if the
bill passes. McDonald also emphasized that, even with plans to dredge the area's basin,
several precautions have been taken to protect the environment as officials clear a path for
large ships. "I think it's going to be a very win-win situation," he said.
Glenn Compton, who oversees the environmental watch group ManaSota-88, isn't entirely
convinced. "I'd have doubts about the port's ability to manage any environmentally sensitive
land above and beyond what they're trying to do," he said. Even with efforts to protect
seagrass, Compton said, dredging the basin could have negative effects on marine life in the
area.
Source & full story: http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/16753474.htm
Australian Government Envirofund (Canberra, Australia)
February 2007
The Australian Government Envirofund is the local action component of the Australian
Government's $3 billion Natural Heritage Trust. It helps communities undertake local projects
aimed at conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable resource use.
Community groups and individuals can apply for grants of up to $50,000 (GST inclusive) to
carry out on-ground and other actions to target local problems. Applications for Round 9 close
at 5pm on Friday 27 April 2007. Your signed original application must be received at the
Envirofund office in Canberra on or before that date. ........ more
http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
Koh Yao villagers stage pier protest (Phuket,Thailand)
February 20, 2007 - Phuket Gazette
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PHANG NGA: About 30 protectors have been camping out for over a month on Klong Son
Beach on Koh Yao Yai, demanding the government scrap plans for a pier to be built there by a
large land developer.
The protesters comprise poor Muslim residents of Village 3 and representatives from non-
governmental organizations supporting their cause. The villagers see the project, which
includes dredging of 100,000 tons of seabed sediment to build an offshore breakwater, as a
threat to the marine environment that they rely on to make a living. The villagers began their
protest after the project had been approved by all relevant government agencies during a July
20 meeting chaired by Phang Nga Governor Winai Buapradit.
Earlier this month, National Human Rights Commissioner Vasan Panich told the Gazette that
the site is part of "tsunami protection" zone, one of many coastal areas protected from
development in order to leave intact natural barriers to any future tsunamis. K. Vasan said that
the proposed construction would "certainly" affect offshore seagrass beds that sustain the
area's highly-endangered dugong population.. ........ more
http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
First aerial survey to map dugong numbers (Bangkok, Thailand)
February 14, 2007, Bangkok Post
The first aerial survey of marine life along the Gulf of Thailand coast will begin next week. The
10-day operation will focus on the dugong population and the condition of the seagrass bed, the
animal's only food, Marine and Coastal Resources Department chief Nisakorn Kositrat said.
The project, jointly implemented with the Foundation for Preservation and Development of Thai
Aircraft, will last from Feb 19 until 28. The foundation will provide two aircraft along with senior
pilots. The department will send marine experts to collect information. The operation will cover
350 kilometres of coastal area in Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat provinces, said Mrs
Nisakorn. Information obtained from the survey would be used in the drafting of a national plan
for marine species conservation.
In the first stage, the operation will focus on dugongs and the seagrass bed. If successful, the
project will be expanded to other animal species and marine resources, including sea turtles,
mangrove coverage and coastal erosion, said Samran Gesorn, the project's chief pilot.
There are few dugongs left in Thai waters, including the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman
Sea. A recent departmental survey found the number had increased from 126 in 2005 to 128
last year, a much-needed boost to efforts to preserve the rare creature and the seagrass bed.
There are 500 square kilometres of seagrass bed in the Andaman Sea, and only 25 sq km in
the Gulf of Thailand......... more http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
SunWest stalls at costly canal (St. Petersburg, FL, USA)
February 20, 2007By CHUIN-WEI YAP St. Petersburg Times
A multimillion-dollar canal to the Gulf of Mexico looks set to be the first major hurdle for
developers behind SunWest Harbourtowne, a 2,300-acre proposal to develop a limestone mine
on Hudson's coastline.
For the developer, Sun West Acquisition Corp. needs as much as $6-million to dredge the 21/2-
mile, 10-foot-deep channel, said top Sun West executives R. Victor Taglia and Robert
Carpenter. The company is searching for money but is running out of luck at state and federal
levels, executives said Monday. "The channel drives this project," Carpenter said. "The county
has pentup demand for public access to deep water." But for environmentalists, the canal
represents a battleground over the seagrass that lines Hudson's coastal marshes and supports
its rich ecosystem.
Sun West's developers downplayed the expected environmental damage Monday, saying they
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had found a path through the marsh that is largely free of seagrass and is lined instead with
sand and limestone. "The Sun West mine is going to be a battle for Middle Earth," said Clay
Colson, an environmental activist, jokingly referring to the epic war in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of
the Rings.
The county has a stake in the canal because of its new 312-acre park, across from Sun West's
proposed inland marina, that touts public access to the gulf. Pasco got the park and $3-million
in exchange for giving up its court dispute with Sun West over the mine's ownership. Sun
West's proposal calls for 2,900 homes, a golf course, a 250-room hotel and convention center,
and 33 acres of stores, scattered around five brilliant-blue lakes carved out by limestone
mining. But it is the 32-acre marina and boat lift and its 100-foot-wide canal that have become
the focus.
The dredging project could take as long as six months and needs permits from the Army Corps
of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Protection. Sun West is scheduled to
make its formal development applications in May. "The inland marina would be dredged
through some of the finest seagrass in the state," Colson said. "It's the most devastating thing
they could do."
Source & full story: http://www.sptimes.com/2007/02/20/Pasco/SunWest_stalls_at_cos.shtml
Seven years of science keeps Reef great (Townsville, Australia)
February 12, 2007
After seven years of studying the Great Barrier Reef, the Cooperative Research Centre for the
Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (CRC Reef) has closed its doors, leaving a legacy of
better understanding of reef systems and their key threats, as well as a collection of expert
advice which has significantly influenced policy and management of coral reefs throughout the
world.
The centre, which operated from 1999 until 2006, provided a basis for partnerships between
reef managers, tourism and fishing industries and research providers. "It has been a privilege
to be part of this venture which has created a network of research providers, research users,
educational institutions and communities working towards common goals," said Sir Sydney
Schubert, Chairman of CRC Reef.
CRC Reef undertook collaborative research that informed on the major issues facing reef
managers and industry including: biodiversity conservation, emerging tourism and recreation
pressures, global warming, and the effects of overfishing and water quality on reef systems.
"Results from CRC Reef's research were transmitted in ways that users could understand and
really use, said Sir Schubert. Our Scientists went beyond the data to provide expert opinion and
form consensus views on major issues." In 2003, CRC Reef expanded its scope into the Torres
Strait to work in partnership with Torres Strait islanders to address sustainable use of marine
resources in the region.
More information about the achievements of CRC Reef can by be found in a booklet entitled
'World Heritage Research: Making a Difference'......... more
http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
Barnegat Bay has breathing trouble, expert says (Atlantic City, NJ, USA)
February 11, 2007 By DONNA WEAVER (Press of Atlantic City)
Increasing nitrogen levels are destroying certain marine species and ecosystems in the
Barnegat Bay, according to a research professor at the Rutgers University Institute of Marine
and Coastal Sciences in New Brunswick.
"When a bay is overenriched, it causes a change in species and specific ecosystems. These
changes include losing important seagrass at the bottom of the bay and that leads to a loss of
shellfish," Michael Kennish said.
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Kennish said 75 percent of New Jersey's seagrass is located in Barnegat Bay and Little Egg
Harbor. In 2006, a group of Rutgers researchers concluded the amount of seagrass was
extremely low in Barnegat Bay -- in fact, the lowest the team had ever seen. The amount of
seagrass in Barnegat Bay dropped by 50 percent, and the amount in Little Egg Harbor
decreased by 88 percent, they found.
Seagrass is the critical habitat of organisms like the blue crab and scallops. According to
Kennish, if this habitat is wiped out, so are the organisms that live there.
Source: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/story/7195453p-7050204c.html.
Lee creeks owe 'disgusting' algae to development (Fort Myers, FL, USA)
February 19, 2007, By Kevin Lollar, The News-Press
Ulva -- its name is kind of melli-fluous; its living sheets of thin, translucent, bright green
cellulose are kind of pretty, and you can eat it (very high in iron and protein). Also known as sea
lettuce, Ulva is a genus of macroalgae, and it's fouling two Lee County creeks and parts of the
county's Charlotte Harbor shoreline.
"It's disgusting," said Aaron Adams, head of Mote Marine Laboratory's Charlotte Harbor Field
Station. "I come up here fishing sometimes, and it grosses me out." This is one algal bloom that
can't be blamed on releases from Lake Okeechobee. Nutrients in the water triggered huge algal
blooms in the river and Caloosahatchee estuary. Many people blame continuing algal blooms
solely on Okeechobee releases, but the Ulva-choked Yucca Pen and Culvert creeks are almost
20 miles north of the mouth of the Caloosahatchee and far from any Lake Okeechobee
influence.
In some ways, the Ulva problem at Yucca Pen and Culvert creeks is a microcosm of Southwest
Florida's algal blooms. Ulva in the creeks covers the shallow creek bottom, thus reducing
habitat for juvenile snook and other fish. In the flats outside the creeks, huge patches of Ulva
smother seagrass beds -- seagrasses are important for many fish and other marine life, and
when algae blanket seagrasses, the natural estuarine community disappears. Ulva covers large
areas of oyster bars. As filter feeders, oysters are important to the estuary because they
remove pollutants from the water. The decomposition of dead algae sucks oxygen from the
water and can create a dead zone.
Standing knee-deep in Ulva at Yucca Pen Creek recently, Adams expressed frustration at the
continued unplanned development that turns creeks into nutrient shotguns and at the lack of
government effort to reduce nutrient loading. "It has happened elsewhere, so it's not like people
can say they didn't know it was going to happen here," Adams said. "A few years ago I said it
wasn't a matter of `if' but `when and to what severity.' I just didn't think it would happen this
soon. "The light bulb should be going on somewhere. What are people waiting for?"
Source & Full story: http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20070219/NEWS0105/70219005/1075
Investigation into sinking barge begins (Queensland, Australia)
February 12, 2007 news.com
Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) has started investigating why a barge started sinking
during a cyclone off the coast of far north Queensland last week. MV Wunma was carrying
5000 tonnes of zinc concentrate when it was swamped by heavy seas whipped up by cyclone
Nelson in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Ten crew members had to be winched to safety, and there were fears the ship would sink
before a salvage team could secure it. The 113-metre barge was stabilised on Saturday and
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arrived in Weipa this morning, where investigations and repairs will be carried out.
Mining company Zinifex, which owns the Wunma, had been warned in an academic report in
2002 there was a high risk it would spill its load or sink in a cyclone. However, Zinifex is now
confident the barge's cargo will remain secure. The damage to the barge had caused
community concern that any spillage of the toxic cargo could result in an environmental
disaster. The gulf is home to a wide variety of fish, plant and animal species and has one of the
largest dugong seagrass beds in the region............. more
http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
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TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Thursday Island (Qld): 26th of March
2007 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/training.html#wrkshop07
Location: PKA Hall Thursday Island
Time: 8:30am 4:30pm
Participants: Land & Sea Centre Rangers (Hammond & Horn Islands)
Sponsor: Land & Sea Management Unit (TSRA)
Contact: Jane Mellors (ph 07 47222655 fax 07 47782970 mob 0417076309 Email
jane.mellors@dpi.qld.gov.au) or Miya Isherwood (ph 4069 2957)
Townsville (Qld): 18th of March 2007 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/training.html#wrkshop07
Location: Arcadia Bay SLSC at the Rockpool on the Strand
Time: 8:30am 4:30pm
Participants: Townsville-Thuringowa Seagrass-Watch
Sponsor: Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM
Contact: Adam King (Project Officer-Coastal Education Ph 07 4721 4077)
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GALLERY
Shelly Beach (Townsville, Qld): 19 February 2007 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/gallery.html
Magnetic Island (Townsville, Qld): 18 February
2007 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/gallery.html
"Summer monitoring by our U3A Earth and Sea Class was carried out on the 18 Feb 2007.
The tide was late and very marginal while being the only real option for this month.
Nevertheless, everything went well." Text: Don Kinsey
Bushland Beach (Townsville, Qld): 18 February
2007 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/gallery.html
"There were 14 of us who ventured out, to Bushland Beach, however, the 800mm odd of rainfall
that we have received over the past three weeks made the water quite muddy. There were also
strong winds out to sea, which increased the tide by 10cm." Text: Lux Foot
Great Sandy Strait (Qld): 02-04 February 2007 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/gallery.html
"A most productive, enjoyable and interesting weekend. Four sites were monitored: Boonoroo
(BN1) done by Gordon, Hanne and Pat on the 02 Feb, Poona (PN1& PN2) done by Robyn and
Hanne on the 3rd Feb and Tinnanbar (TN1) done by Gordon, Robyn and Pat, on the 4th Feb. "
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Motupore Island (PNG): 26 & 31 January 2007 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/gallery.html
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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 5 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
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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
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 Environment & Heritage) 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