Darwin Harbour Seagrass Survey, Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia.
The Department of Land Resource Management (DLRM) will commence the fifth year of Darwin Harbour seagrass surveys at Casuarina Coastal Reserve tomorrow.
DLRM Marine Ecosystems Director, Tony Griffiths said the surveys will be undertaken as part of international Seagrass-Watch monitoring program with the Northern Territory Government.
“DLRM staff and Parks and Wildlife Commission of the NT (PWCNT) rangers will spend the next two day assessing seagrass cover at two sites in waters adjacent to Casuarina Coastal Reserve,” Dr Griffiths said.
“Seagrasses are the main diet of dugongs and green turtles and provide a habitat for many smaller marine animals, some of which, like prawns and fish, are commercially important.
“They also absorb nutrients from coastal run-off and stabilise sediment, helping to keep the water clear.
“That’s why monitoring is so important; it raises awareness on the condition and trends of nearshore seagrass ecosystems and provides an early warning of any major environmental changes in Darwin Harbour.
“We all need to work together to protect the valuable seagrass along our coasts, and projects like this one give PWCNT rangers the opportunity to get involved and learn how they can monitor the condition of this important habitat.”
The surveys follow Seagrass-Watch guidelines when assessing and collecting samples from their quadrats, which are monitored on an annual basis.
The data from these sites will be submitted to the organisation, where it will become part of national database.
Seagrass-Watch is the largest scientific, non-destructive, seagrass assessment and monitoring program in the world, with monitoring occurring at over 300 sites across 17 countries.
It originated from community concerns about seagrass loss and community interest in science, as well as government objectives in long-term monitoring of critical fisheries habitats.
Ends
Media
Darwin Harbour Seagrass Survey, Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia.
The Department of Land Resource Management (DLRM) will commence the fifth year of Darwin Harbour seagrass surveys at Casuarina Coastal Reserve tomorrow.
DLRM Marine Ecosystems Director, Tony Griffiths said the surveys will be undertaken as part of international Seagrass-Watch monitoring program with the Northern Territory Government.
“DLRM staff and Parks and Wildlife Commission of the NT (PWCNT) rangers will spend the next two day assessing seagrass cover at two sites in waters adjacent to Casuarina Coastal Reserve,” Dr Griffiths said.
“Seagrasses are the main diet of dugongs and green turtles and provide a habitat for many smaller marine animals, some of which, like prawns and fish, are commercially important.
“They also absorb nutrients from coastal run-off and stabilise sediment, helping to keep the water clear.
“That’s why monitoring is so important; it raises awareness on the condition and trends of nearshore seagrass ecosystems and provides an early warning of any major environmental changes in Darwin Harbour.
“We all need to work together to protect the valuable seagrass along our coasts, and projects like this one give PWCNT rangers the opportunity to get involved and learn how they can monitor the condition of this important habitat.”
The surveys follow Seagrass-Watch guidelines when assessing and collecting samples from their quadrats, which are monitored on an annual basis.
The data from these sites will be submitted to the organisation, where it will become part of national database.
Seagrass-Watch is the largest scientific, non-destructive, seagrass assessment and monitoring program in the world, with monitoring occurring at over 300 sites across 17 countries.
It originated from community concerns about seagrass loss and community interest in science, as well as government objectives in long-term monitoring of critical fisheries habitats.
Ends
Media