Light,turbidity,seagrassandwaterqualitytargets
Dr CatherineCollier&Dr AlexCarter
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2017-2019
Project3.2.1:Derivingecologically-relevantloadtargetstomeetdesiredecosystemconditionfortheGreatBarrierReef:acasestudyforseagrassmeadowsintheBurdekinregion
NESPno-regretsprojects2015
Project3.1:Seagrassmappingsynthesis:aresourceforcoastalmanagementintheGreatBarrierReefWorldHeritageArea(Carter,McKenna,Rasheed,McKenzie,Coles)
Project3.3:LightthresholdsforseagrassesoftheGBR:asynthesisandguidingdocumentformanagingseagrass(Collier,Chartrand,Honchin,Fletcher,Rasheed)
Project3.4:Developingandrefiningbiologicalindicatorsforseagrassconditionassessmentsinanintegratedmonitoringprogram(Collier,Langlois,Zemoi,Martin,McKenzie)
Project3.5:AssessmentofkeydugongandturtleresourcesinthenorthernTorresStrait(Carter&Rasheed)
NESPprojects
AlphabeticalDr CatherineCollier,JCUDr MatthewAdams,UQDr MarkBaird,CSIRODr JonBrodie,JCUARCDr AlexCarter,JCUDr RobColes,JCUDr KatherineMartin,GBRMPAMr LenMcKenzie,JCUDr KateO’Brien,UQDr MichaelRasheed,JCUDr MeganSaunders,UQ
3.2.1Projectteam
RIMRePDr JamesUdy,SUSADr EmmaLawrence,CSIRODr BillVenables,CSIRO
Desiredstate
2008
2011
2013
1.Attributesofahealthyecosystem:traditionalvalues
Informalinterviews(Gudjuda,Mandubarra,Yuku BajaMuliku)todiscusstraditionaluseofseagrassmeadows
Moretodo:wouldliketoformalise/documentthetraditionalusebyGudjuda andWulgurukaba.Providefeedbackontheworkwearedoingintohisproject.
2.Indicators
Desiredstateindicators• Seagrassarea*• Biomass*• Speciescomposition
*DependentondataavailabilityforGBR-wideassessment
Indicators– currentandpotentialSeagrassstatus• Spatialextent• Above-groundbiomass/percentcover• Below-groundbiomass,biomassratio• Speciescomposition
Seagrasscondition• Molecularmarkerse.g.metabolomicsandtranscriptomics• Physiologicalindicatorse.g.tissuenutrients,pigmentsandenergeticstatus
Resistance• Carbohydrates– NESP3.4• Geneticdiversity
Recoverycapacity/resilience• Reproductiveeffort• Seedbank
ERTsindicators• Seagrassarea/habitatsuitability• Biomass• Speciescomposition
DesiredstateHabitatclassification
1. Classifybydepth• Intertidal• Subtidal– shallow(<10m)• Subtidal– deep(>10m)
2.Classifybywaterbodies• Offshore• Reef• Coastal• Estuarine
3. Classifybypressures• Plumewater• Cumulativerisk
4.ClassifybyNRMregion
5.Classifybylocalsiteconditions(ClevelandBay)• Sediment• Relativeexposure
Habitatclassification
1. Classifybydepth• Intertidal• Subtidal– shallow(<10m)• Subtidal– deep(>10m)
2.Classifybywaterbodies• Offshore• Reef• Coastal• Estuarine
3. Classifybypressures• Plumewater• Cumulativerisk
4.ClassifybyNRMregion
5.Classifybylocalsiteconditions(ClevelandBay)• Sediment• Relativeexposure
Habitatclassification
1. Classifybydepth• Intertidal• Subtidal– shallow(<10m)• Subtidal– deep(>10m)
2.Classifybywaterbodies• Offshore• Reef• Coastal• Estuarine
3. Classifybypressures• Plumewater• Cumulativerisk
4.ClassifybyNRMregion
5.Classifybylocalsiteconditions(ClevelandBay)• Sediment• Relativeexposure
Habitatclassification
1. Classifybydepth• Intertidal• Subtidal– shallow(<10m)• Subtidal– deep(>10m)
2.Classifybywaterbodies• Offshore• Reef• Coastal• Estuarine
3. Classifybypressures• Plumewater• Cumulativerisk
4.ClassifybyNRMregion
5.Classifybylocalsiteconditions(ClevelandBay)• Sediment• Relativeexposure
Habitatclassification
1. Classifybydepth• Intertidal• Subtidal– shallow(<10m)• Subtidal– deep(>10m)
2.Classifybywaterbodies• Offshore• Reef• Coastal• Estuarine
3. Classifybypressures• Plumewater• Cumulativerisk
4.ClassifybyNRMregion
5.Classifybylocalsiteconditions(ClevelandBay)• Sediment• Relativeexposure
Habitatclassification
1. Classifybydepth• Intertidal• Subtidal– shallow(<10m)• Subtidal– deep(>10m)
2.Classifybywaterbodies• Offshore• Reef• Coastal• Estuarine
3. Classifybypressures• Plumewater• Cumulativerisk
5.Classifybylocalsiteconditions(ClevelandBay)• Sediment• Relativeexposure
4.ClassifybyNRMregion
Habitatclassification– ClevelandBay
PoT fundedannualsurveysDavies,J.N.,andM.A.Rasheed.2016.PortofTownsvilleannualseagrassmonitoring.16/03,TropWATER,JamesCookUniversity,Cairns.
DRAFTHabitatclassification– ClevelandBay
EmmaLawrence,CSIRO
Hu/Hs/CsHu/CsCs/Hu/Zm highbiomassZm/HuZm/HolowbiomassZm highbiomass
ITEM_REL_m< 1.5
depth_cate=Dpsb,Shls
Sediment2=Reef,Rock,Rbbl,Sand
Sediment2=CrsS,Reef,Rock,Rbbl,Sand
WT2< 19.5
ITEM_REL_m>=1.5
depth_cate=Intr
Sediment2=CrsS,Mud
Sediment2=Mud
WT2>=19.5
7.48e+03 : n=2526
8.21e+03 : n=2047 1.26e+04 : n=1221
2.16e+03 : n=631
1.62e+03 : n=387 5.89e+03 : n=592
Error : 0.869 CV Error : 0.872 SE : 0.0231
IndividualspeciesandcommunitycompositionUsingRegressiontreeanalysis:• 10yearsofseagrassbiomass• Sedimentcategory,relativeintertidalexposure,depthcategory,watertype
Defining desired state thresholds
Wearelikelytodevelop:• Desiredstateof‘meadows’withinClevelandBay• DesiredstateofClevelandBay‘region’• GBR:DesiredstateofhabitattypewithinNRM(therewillbegaps)• GBR:DesiredstateofNRM(e.g.areaofhabitatsandspecieswithin
NRM)
• Annualdesiredstate(formonitoringetc)• Long-term(e.g.5or10year)desiredstate(forOutlooketc),which
accountsfordynamics
Stillfinalising themethodologicalapproachgiventheexpandedscope(i.e.GBR-wide)
Light thresholds, acute
Collier,C.J.,K.Chatrand,C.Honchin,A.Fletcher,andM.Rasheed.2016.LightthresholdsforseagrassesoftheGBR:asynthesisandguidingdocument.ReefandRainforestResearchCentre,Cairns.
NESPProject3.3
Light thresholds for seagrasses of the GBRWHA: a synthesis and guiding document
Including knowledge gaps and future priorities
Catherine Collier, Katie Chartrand, Carol Honchin, Adam Fletcher and Michael Rasheed
Final Report
• Reviewedallliteratureonlightthresholds• Summarised intableform• Recommendedlightthresholdsand
managementthresholds
• Acutelightthresholds(e.g.dredging)
Evaluate sediment loads to meet desired state
Acutelightexperiments(seagrassshading)
Acutelightthresholds
Dredgemanagementplans
ReefPlanERT’s
SeagrasshabitatSuitability/abundance
ThisprojectSedimentload
Targets
UpdatedEcologically-relevantsedimentloadtargets(ERTs)
Lightthresholdstomeetdesiredstate
ERTs2018-2019
1.UseRECOM,eReefs topredictseagrassareainClevelandBayunderdifferentloadscenarios(MatthewAdams,UQ&MarkBaird,CSIRO)
2.Habitatsuitabilityusingstatisticalmodels(MeganSaunders,UQ)• Quantifytherelationship:
• betweensedimentloads&seagrassarea• betweenpredicted andobserved
seagrassarea• Predictseagrasshabitatsuitabilitybasedon
loads• Relatetodesiredstate
2017• SeagrasshabitatclassificationfortheGBRandforClevelandBay• eReefs updates:inclusionof‘deepwater’seagrass,pre-Industrialand2013loads
forboundarylayerinRECOM,sheerstressmortality,nutrientuptakebyleaves• Desiredstateanalysisunderway• ExpandedlightmonitoringprograminClevelandBayEngagement• InformalTraditionalownerengagement• AnumberofworkshopsinCairns,TownsvilleandBrisbanewithexternalexperts
andtheRIMReP workinggroup.• EngagementwithRIMReP,GBRMPA,DEE• Emailupdatestoend-users
Majorachievementstodate
2018– 2019Researchactivities• CompletedesiredstateanalysisforClevelandBayandtheGBR• ValidateeReefs benthiclightoutputswithmeasuredinsitulight• DevelophabitatsuitabilitylayersforClevelandBay• IdentifyERTsthatmeetSeagrassDesiredState (eReefs andstatisticalmodels)• Comparetoexistingtargetsandprovideadviceasappropriate.
Engagement• Feedbacktoend-users(GBRMPA,OGBR,EHP,DEE,RIMReP)• Traditionalownersengagement• WorkonLinkageswithotherprojects:Project2.1.5(Lewisetal),Project2.3.1
(Fabricius etal),Project2.1.9(Jonesetal),Project3.1.7(Brooksetal)
Activitiestocome
Defining thresholds in a dynamic habitat
Davies,J.N.,andM.A.Rasheed.2016.PortofTownsvilleannualseagrassmonitoring.16/03,TropWATER,JamesCookUniversity,Cairns.
TSS loads from the Burdekin River, water yearTS
S lo
ads
(kt)
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Defining desired state thresholds
• Dynamichabitat• Canweexpectmaximumconditiontoimprove(asper.LTSP)?• Considerprovidingrecommendationsaboutfrequencyofverygood,
orverypooryears
SettingdesiredstatefortheGBR• Datalimited• Wemaybaseiton:
• representationofhabitattypes• speciescompositionexpectedinhabitattypes• Rangeofexpectedbiomass/coverineachhabitat(withsome
estimateofconfidence).
Habitatclassification
1. Classifybydepth• Intertidal• Subtidal– shallow(<10m)• Subtidal– deep(>10m)
2.Classifybywaterbodies• Offshore• Reef• Coastal• Estuarine
3. Classifybypressures• Plumewater• Cumulativerisk
4.ClassifybyNRMregion
5.Classifybylocalsiteconditions(ClevelandBay)• Sediment• Relativeexposure
Habitatclassification
1. Classifybydepth• Intertidal• Subtidal– shallow(<10m)• Subtidal– deep(>10m)
2.Classifybywaterbodies• Offshore• Reef• Coastal• Estuarine
3. Classifybypressures• Plumewater• Cumulativerisk
4.ClassifybyNRMregion
5.Classifybylocalsiteconditions(ClevelandBay)• Sediment• Relativeexposure