Reef Catchments is coordinating a pilot Seagrass Restoration Project with Central Queensland University to assist recovery of seagrass meadows. Queensland’s seagrass habitats are declining and taking longer to recover from shocks and stresses. To help restore and build resilience in the system, seagrass nurseries have been constructed in tubs on a pontoon at Coral Sea Marina in Pioneer Bay.
The nurseries have seen phenomenal growth rates over the past year, which is attributed to the local seawater being plumbed through the system with only sand filtration. This means a diverse array of ‘critters,’ including sea hares and razor clams, are also introduced to the nurseries, which may be helping the seagrass to thrive. Seagrass flowers and their seeds are collected and cultivated in the nurseries and then used to re-seed the meadows of Pioneer Bay.
Read the Newsletter article here.
Read more about the Seagrass project and the Whitsunday Reef Islands Initiative.
