Seagrasses in Port Curtis & Rodds Bay 2013: annual long term monitoring, biannual western basin surveys & updated baseline survey

In brief: Seagrasses have been monitored annually in Port Curtis and Rodds Bay since 2002. In November each year, a set of 13 (and 15 since 2009) core seagrass meadows representing the range of different seagrass community types found in Port Curtis are assessed for changes in biomass (density), area and species composition. Changes in these metrics are then used to develop a seagrass condition index (see sections 2.6 & 3.6 of this report for further details). In addition to these core meadows, since 2009 all seagrasses within the Gladstone Western Basin have been mapped biannually (June and November) to determine the total distribution of seagrasses at both the low (June) and the peak season (November) for seagrass growth. In 2002, 2009 and in November 2013, all of the seagrasses in Port Curtis and the Rodds Bay Dugong Protection Area (DPA) have also been mapped to determine the total distribution of seagrasses in the region. In 2013, the baseline surveys also included adjacent offshore areas in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Map 1). Latest findings from these programs are presented in this report. These findings complement those from a sensitive receptor assessment program which utilises permanent transect sites established at a subset of monitoring meadows to assess seagrass condition during the Western Basin Dredging program. Results from the sensitive assessment program are reported separately