Gladstone Permanent Transect Seagrass Monitoring: October 2012 update report

[Extract] Seagrass is currently being monitored at permanent transects at 10 different locations in Port Curtis and Rodds Bay on a monthly basis. This update report provides results for seagrass percent cover from the most recent monthly survey of permanent transects undertaken from the 15th to 16th October 2012. \ud \ud Seagrass has been monitored quarterly at permanent transects at seven locations in Port Curtis and Rodds Bay since November 2009 (excluding Redcliffe which has been monitored since August 2010) (see maps on pages 3 to 6). The program was established to determine within and among year variation in seagrass condition and form the key sensitive receptor sites for assessing seagrass condition during the Western Basin dredging operation. \ud \ud In September 2011, Gladstone Ports Corporation Limited commissioned additional monthly surveys outside of the regular quarterly monitoring to provide more frequent assessments of seagrass condition during dredging operations. These additional monthly surveys are conducted aerially to avoid damaging sites through repeated on-ground sampling. \ud \ud An additional permanent transect site was established at Wiggins Island (December 2011) due to the development of the Wiggins Island Coal Terminal near the original site. An additional site was also established at Facing Island (March 2012) where changes in meadow distribution resulted in the original site being situated at the edge of the meadow. In August 2012, an additional site was also established at Redcliffe. This site is located adjacent to the main channel where any impacts associated with dredging are more likely to occur. Both the original and new sites at these locations are being monitored to determine if there are significant differences in seagrass communities between sites. \ud \ud In August 2012 three new sites were established in the Narrows region to monitor seagrass during dredging occurring as part of the Narrows Pipeline Crossing (Map 5)