Introduction

This newsletter precedes the next monitoring round for Nov/Dec 2003. We now have 47 sites established but some are yet to be adopted. We will get volunteers set up at more of these sites in time for the next monitoring round. We hope many of you got to see Channel Ten's 'Totally Wild' story on Seagrass-Watch in Moreton Bay recently. Congratulations to volunteers, Debbie and Conor McManus, for braving the TV camera! We have a video of the story if anyone would like to come into the office and see it. Please note that there will be a special seagrass workshop on Sunday the 26th of October and a couple of mudflat spotlighting trips, see last page for details.

Perspectives of a Seagrass Watcher

Beth Clouston

My work mates think I'm a bit nutty, my teenage children roll their eyes back and tell me that they "hope I enjoy watching the grass grow" but I don't care, I love getting out on the mud flats. Like many others interested in conserving the environment I spend too much time in meetings, writing letters or just feeling despair. Being a seagrass watcher gives me an opportunity to get out there "and do it". You don't have to be an expert but just willing to go out and get your feet muddy, learn and watch.

However, it is not just the doing that I enjoy. There are many other benefits. For a start once you are out there ankle deep in mud you are on your own, no one can get to you - no kids or phones. Secondly, I watch with a great group of people that I would otherwise not have met - they always inspire me. Next, our site is at Darling Point at Manly (just north of the boat harbour) so when we are out there on a weekend we can look up from the shimmering seagrass meadows to watch the yachts sail back into the harbour at sunset. It has to be one of the best bay views.

Another benefit is the belief that collecting this information will be useful for the decision makers. By documenting the wealth of living creatures at our site the ecological values of the area may be better appreciated by managing agencies. All in all, being a seagrass watcher has a lot going for it. It is more than just watching the grass grow; it is peaceful, social, educational and just good fun getting muddy.

Port of Brisbane Joins Seagrass-Watch

Wayne Young

The Port of Brisbane Corporation has joined the Seagrass-Watch program, both in providing $10,000 funding for the program and assisting in the establishment of three monitoring sites adjacent to Fisherman Islands.

Did you know that Brisbane has the third largest capital city Port in Australia? The Port of Brisbane imported/exported some $18 billion worth of trade last year and is growing faster than any other Australian Port. All this immediately adjacent to the Moreton Bay Marine Park and the most extensive seagrass bed within Western Moreton Bay.

Port activities are closely managed to ensure that any potential impacts are minimised on these areas, from development control, sediment sampling and analysis and stormwater management. These activities are only part of the overall Environmental Management System accredited to the international ISO 14001 system, the first Port in Australasia to achieve this rating. An important part of this management is the work that the Corporation undertakes in monitoring seagrass communities adjacent to the Port at Fisherman Islands. This takes two forms, involvement in the Seagrass-Watch program and a dedicated seagrass monitoring study.

Dedicated surveys have been undertaken since 2000 by specialist consultants at Fisherman Islands, and two control locations (Manly and Cleveland) to determine if changes are localised, and hence potentially related to Port activities, or more regional in scale, such as a flood or drought.

Surveys

We have proposed three survey periods each year (March/April, July/August and November/December) with the aim of monitoring each site once within each of these periods. The Nov/Dec survey period is approaching so good tides for seagrass monitoring are listed below (times are for Brisbane Bar). Those who have been trained and set up at sites should select a suitable day and then contact Paul to book out the gear. Please let Paul know if you need a hand or can't do a survey for whatever reason, so a backup team can be organised. Four kits are now available.