%0 Generic %D 2021 %T Marine and coastal restoration database %A Jemma Purandare %A Ian M. McLeod %A De Sousa De Saboya, R %A Le Port, A %A Boström-Einarsson, L. %A Reeves, S %A Van Kampen, P %A MacCreadie, P %A Carnell, P %A Wartman, M. %A Eger, A %A Bayraktarov, E %K coastal ecosystems; restoration; database; australia; new zealand %X

The Australian Coastal Restoration Network (ACRN) restoration projects database compiles data from numerous coastal and marine restoration projects located in Australia and New Zealand. As a first version, the data was obtained from publicly available data sources and publications, and from organisations that are conducting restoration projects on corals, mangroves, saltmarsh, seagrass, kelp and shellfish reefs. The ACRN Database is an evolving tool that will be periodically updated with new projects and outputs as they are submitted. Version 1 of the database represents the final deliverable for the NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Project E5 'The role of restoration in conserving matters of national environmental significance'.

Link to database:         www.acrn.org.au/database

%G eng %U https://www.acrn.org.au/database %0 Journal Article %J Global Environmental Change %D 2020 %T Charting two centuries of transformation in a coastal social-ecological system: A mixed methods approach %A Ruth Thurstan %A Ben K Diggles %A Chris L Gillies %A Strong, Michael K. %A Kerkhove, Ray %A Buckley, Sarah M. %A King, Robert A. %A Smythe, Vince %A Gideon Heller-Wagner %A Weeks, Rebecca %A Palin, Fred %A Ian M. McLeod %K Cultural history %K Environmental history %K Historical ecology %K Moreton Bay %K oyster %K Shifting baseline syndrome %X

Oyster reef ecosystems used to form significant components of many temperate and subtropical inshore coastal systems but have suffered declines globally, with a concurrent loss of services. The early timing of many of these changes makes it difficult to determine restoration targets which consider interdecadal timeframes, community values and shifted baselines. On the Australian continent, however, the transition from Indigenous (Aboriginal) to Westernized resource use and management occurred relatively recently, allowing us to map social-ecological changes in detail. In this study, we reconstruct the transformations in the Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) wild commercial industry of central and southeast Queensland, and by extension its reef ecosystems, as well as the changing societal and cultural values related to the presence and use of the rock oyster through time.

%B Global Environmental Change %V 61 %P 102058 %8 7 Mar 2020 %G eng %U https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0959378019311033 %N 326 %! Global Environmental Change %R 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2020.102058 %0 Generic %D 2020 %T Restoration Showcase June 2020 - Webinar Presentation - "Rebuilding Australia's lost shellfish reefs" %A Ian M. McLeod %X

"Rebuilding Australia's lost shellfish reefs" - a presentation for the Restoration Showcase June 2020.

Webinar Link - Restoration Showcase June 2020 - Ian McLeod

%G eng %0 Journal Article %J Frontiers in Marine Science %D 2020 %T Seagrass restoration is possible: Insights and lessons from Australia and New Zealand. %A Yi Mei Tan %A Oliver Dalby %A Gary A. Kendrick %A John Statton %A Elizabeth A Sinclair %A Matthew W Fraser %A Peter I. Macreadie %A Chris L Gillies %A Rhys A Coleman %A Michelle Waycott %A Kor-jent van Dijk %A Vergés, Adriana %A Jeff D Ross %A Marnie L Campbell %A Fleur E Matheson %A Emma L Jackson %A Andrew D Irving %A Laura L Govers %A Rod M Connolly %A Ian M. McLeod %A Michael A Rasheed %A Kirkman, Hugh %A Mogens R Flindt %A Troels Lange %A Adam D Miller %A Craig D H Sherman %K climate change %K coastal %K marine plants %K restoration %K seagrass ecosystems %X

Seagrasses are important marine ecosystems situated throughout the world’s coastlines. They are facing declines around the world due to global and local threats such as rising ocean temperatures, coastal development and pollution from sewage outfalls and agriculture. Efforts have been made to reduce seagrass loss through reducing local and regional stressors, and through active restoration. Seagrass restoration is a rapidly maturing discipline, but improved restoration practices are needed to enhance the success of future programs. Major gaps in knowledge remain, however, prior research efforts have provided valuable insights into factors influencing the outcomes of restoration and there are now several examples of successful large-scale restoration programs. A variety of tools and techniques have recently been developed that will improve the efficiency, cost effectiveness, and scalability of restoration programs. This review describes several restoration successes in Australia and New Zealand, with a focus on emerging techniques for restoration, key considerations for future programs, and highlights the benefits of increased collaboration, Traditional Owner (First Nation) and stakeholder engagement. Combined, these lessons and emerging approaches show that seagrass restoration is possible, and efforts should be directed at upscaling seagrass restoration into the future. This is critical for the future conservation of this important ecosystem and the ecological and coastal communities they support.

%B Frontiers in Marine Science %V 7 %8 14 Aug 2020 %G eng %9 Journal %! Front. Mar. Sci. %R 10.3389/fmars.2020.00617 %0 Report %D 2019 %T Benefits and costs of alternate seagrass restoration approaches %A Abbie A Rogers %A Michael P. Burton %A John Statton %A Matthew W Fraser %A Gary A. Kendrick %A Elizabeth A Sinclair %A Gorman, D %A Vanderklift, M %A Verduin, J %A Ian M. McLeod %K benefit-cost analysis %K integrated economic framework %K non-market value %K restoration %K seagrass %K valuation %X

Integrated economic frameworks can be used to understand the trade-offs between different marine habitat restoration projects, and establish which restoration configurations will deliver the largest benefits relative to costs. Here we use a benefit-cost analysis to explore how key factors influence the viability of seagrass restoration projects in Western Australia. We compared the costs of: replanting and reseeding methods, professional and volunteer-based methods, urban and remote locations, and, different spatial extents. Economic benefits were estimated for the carbon sequestration capabilities of restored meadows, and for the non-market (intangible) values that seagrass habitats generate. With the exclusion of the professional-labour replanting scenarios, where costs exceeded benefits, all scenarios had positive net present values. Contingent on the assumptions made, the most worthwhile investments are larger-scale, volunteer-based restoration projects that employ the reseeding method.

%8 28 Aug 2020 %G eng %0 Book Section %B Coasts and Estuaries - The Future %D 2019 %T Can bivalve habitat restoration improve degraded estuaries? %A Ian M. McLeod %A Zu Ermgassen, P.S.E. %A Chris L Gillies %A Hancock, Boze %A Humphries, Austin %K environmental management %K estuary %K oyster %K oyster reef %K restoration %X

Bivalve habitats have, until recent times, been generally overlooked as an important estuary habitat type. Historically, complex, three-dimensional habitats made up of dense aggregations of bivalves, their shells, associated species, and accumulated sediments were a dominant habitat type in temperate and subtropical estuaries around the world (Stenzel, 1971). These habitats were generally engineered by oyster (generally referred to as reefs) or mussel (generally referred to as beds) species. Until recent times these habitats were primarily managed as an important fisheries resource. Their historical extent and importance are difficult to estimate because bivalve habitats were often decimated before fisheries records were collected systematically, and there may be no remaining visible functioning bivalve habitats. Through the process of historical amnesia, or shifting baselines, successive generations of local people, and managers have grown accustomed to the new norm and have forgotten about the former abundant bivalve habitats

%B Coasts and Estuaries - The Future %7 First %I Elsevier %G eng %U https://www.elsevier.com/books/coasts-and-estuaries/wolanski/978-0-12-814003-1 %M 9780128140048 %& 25 %0 Journal Article %J Marine and Freshwater Research %D 2019 %T Habitat value of Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) reefs on soft sediments %A Ian M. McLeod %A Lisa Bostrom-Einarsson %A Creighton, C. %A D'Anastasi, B. %A Ben K Diggles %A Dwyer, P. G. %A Firby, L. %A Le Port, A. %A Luongo, A. %A Martínez-Baena, F. %A McOrrie, S. %A Gideon Heller-Wagner %A Chris L Gillies %K ecosystem services %K productivity %X

Estimates of the ecological and economic value of ecosystems can provide important information for the prioritisation of conservation and restoration actions. Oyster reefs that were once common in temperate coastal waters have now been largely degraded or lost. Oyster reefs provide a suite of ecological services, including habitat and a food supply for a range of other species. In Australia, there is growing interest in oyster reef restoration, but there are knowledge gaps with regard to their structure and habitat value. Here, we describe the structure of eight remnant Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) reefs and estimate the density, biomass, productivity and composition of mobile macroinvertebrate and infaunal communities associated with them. The oyster reefs had a distinct assemblage of macroinvertebrates, with fivefold higher density of larger (≥2 mm) macroinvertebrates, fivefold higher biomass and almost fivefold higher productivity, than that of adjacent bare sediments. The productivity of infaunal communities was twice as high under oyster reefs than in adjacent bare sediments. Therefore, S. glomerata reef restoration is likely to provide important habitat for macroinvertebrate communities and boost local secondary production.

%B Marine and Freshwater Research %8 28 Oct 2019 %G eng %U https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/MF18197 %! Mar. Freshwater Res. %R 10.1071/MF18197 %0 Journal Article %J Ecological Management & Restoration %D 2019 %T Prospects for seascape repair: three case studies from eastern Australia %A Creighton, Colin %A Prahalad, Vishnu N. %A Ian M. McLeod %A Sheaves, Marcus %A Taylor, Matthew D. %A Terry Walshe %K Coastal wetlands %K ecological restoration %K ecosystem services %K fisheries %K saltmarshes %X

Three case studies spanning tropical, subtropical and temperate environments highlight the minimum potential benefits of investing in repair of coastal seascapes. Fisheries, a market benefit indicator readily understood by a range of stakeholders from policymakers to community advocates, were used as a surrogate for ecosystem services generated through seascape habitat restoration. For each case study, while recognising that biological information will always remain imperfect, the prospects for seascape repair are compelling.

%B Ecological Management & Restoration %8 2 Aug 2019 %G eng %U https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/emr.12384 %! Ecol Manag Restor %R 10.1111/emr.12384 %0 Book Section %D 2019 %T Successful communication for shellfish reef restoration projects %A Ian M. McLeod %K oyster %K restoration %K science communication %K shellfish %X
Effective communication with a variety of stakeholders is essential for the success of shellfish reef restoration projects. It is most often a permitting and funding requirement and, when done well, helps people feel connected to and excited about the project.
 
In contrast, if communication and engagement are not done early and well, this can lead to misunderstanding and mistrust, causing problems and delays. Effective communication needs to be budgeted for and incorporated directly into the project planning. This section of the report describes the key elements of an effective communication strategy for a shellfish reef restoration project.
 

Related information:

%I The Nature Conservancy %P 69-73 %G eng %& 9 %0 Journal Article %J PLOS ONE %D 2018 %T Australian shellfish ecosystems: Past distribution, current status and future direction %A Chris L Gillies %A Ian M. McLeod %A Alleway, Heidi K. %A Cook, Peter %A Crawford, Christine %A Colin Creighton %A Ben K Diggles %A Ford, John %A Hamer, Paul %A Gideon Heller-Wagner %A Lebrault, Emma %A Le Port, ès %A Russell, Kylie %A Sheaves, Marcus %A Warnock, Bryn %E Coen, Loren D. %K mussel %K oyster %K Reef %K restoration %K shellfish %X

We review the status of marine shellfish ecosystems formed primarily by bivalves in Australia, including: identifying ecosystem-forming species, assessing their historical and current extent, causes for decline and past and present management. Fourteen species of bivalves were identified as developing complex, three-dimensional reef or bed ecosystems in intertidal and subtidal areas across tropical, subtropical and temperate Australia. A dramatic decline in the extent and condition of Australia’s two most common shellfish ecosystems, developed by Saccostrea glomerata and Ostrea angasi oysters, occurred during the mid-1800s to early 1900s in concurrence with extensive harvesting for food and lime production, ecosystem modification, disease outbreaks and a decline in water quality. Out of 118 historical locations containing O. angasi-developed ecosystems, only one location still contains the ecosystem whilst only six locations are known to still contain S. glomerata-developed ecosystems out of 60 historical locations. Ecosystems developed by the introduced oyster Crasostrea gigas are likely to be increasing in extent, whilst data on the remaining 11 ecosystem-forming species are limited, preventing a detailed assessment of their current ecosystem-forming status. Our analysis identifies that current knowledge on extent, physical characteristics, biodiversity and ecosystem services of Australian shellfish ecosystems is extremely limited. Despite the limited information on shellfish ecosystems, a number of restoration projects have recently been initiated across Australia and we propose a number of existing government policies and conservation mechanisms, if enacted, would readily serve to support the future conservation and recovery of Australia’s shellfish ecosystems.

%B PLOS ONE %8 14 Feb 2018 %G eng %U http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190914 %! PLoS ONE %R 10.1371/journal.pone.0190914 %0 Report %D 2018 %T Benefit-cost analysis for marine habitat restoration: a framework for estimating the viability of shellfish reef repair projects %A Abbie A Rogers %A Chris L Gillies %A Hancock, Boze %A Ian M. McLeod %A Nedosyko, Anita %A Reeves, Simon %A Soloranzo, Luis %A Michael P. Burton %K benefit-cost %K coastal restoration %K project prioritisation %K project viability %K shellfish reef %X

Coastal habitat loss is a global problem, including degradation of shellfish reefs, coral reefs, seagrass meadows, salt marshes, and kelp and mangrove forests. A growing interest has developed in the ability to restore these habitats as a means to replace lost habitat, restore ecosystem productivity and reduce the impacts of coastal hazards such as erosion and inundation (McLeod et al. 2018). A delegation of experts at the Australian Coastal Restoration Symposium identified numerous key factors affecting the advancement of restoration projects in Australia.

%8 21 Mar 2018 %G eng %0 Report %D 2018 %T Benefit-cost analysis of the Windara shellfish reef restoration project %A Abbie A Rogers %A Anita Nedosyko %A Ian M. McLeod %A Chris L Gillies %A Michael Burton %K benefit-cost analysis %K economic assessment %K non-market value %K Reef restoration %X

Windara Reef is the largest underwater marine habitat restoration attempt made in Australia to construct a native oyster reef. There has been wide-scale loss of shellfish habitats globally, and they are functionally extinct in many parts of Australia including South Australia where the Windara construction is located. Restoration is therefore important for the survival of these habitats, but requires significant financial investment. To justify investments of this nature, it is important to identify the economic benefits and costs of restoration projects, and wherever possible to ensure that these assessments include as many of the non-market values as possible.

Using benefit-cost analysis, we have undertaken an integrated economic assessment of the viability of the Stage Two 16ha restoration project led by The Nature Conservancy. This analysis was inclusive of the tangible, market-based outcomes of the project and also the intangible, non-market social and environmental outcomes. Specifically, the following costs and benefits were included in the analysis:

%8 30 Nov 2018 %G eng %0 Report %D 2018 %T The role of restoration in conserving matters of national environmental significance in marine and coastal environments %A Ian M. McLeod %A Lisa Bostrom-Einarsson %A Craig R. Johnson %A Gary A. Kendrick %A Cayne Layton %A Abbie A Rogers %A John Statton %K ecosystem services %K EPBC %K kelp %K natural resource management %K restoration %K Saltmarsh %K seagrass %K shellfish reef %X

Healthy coastal habitats like seagrass meadows, coastal saltmarsh, kelp forests, coral and shellfish reefs, and mangrove forests (‘blue infrastructure’) are essential to the economic and social well-being of coastal communities. These habitats drive coastal productivity supporting our fisheries and other industries associated with recreation in marine environments, improve water quality, sequester carbon, protect shorelines from erosion, and support thriving biodiversity, including threatened species. These habitats are under pressure from coastal development, climate change, pollution, invasive species and other anthropogenic pressures, which have led to drastic declines in many of our important marine and coastal habitats.

Under the division of powers between the Australian Government and the states under the Australian Constitution, states and territories have the primary responsibility for environmental protection of coastal habitats within three nautical miles of the coastline. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (C’th) (the EPBC Act) enables the Australian Federal Government to join with the states and territories in providing a national scheme of environment and heritage protection and biodiversity conservation. The EPBC Act focuses Australian Government interests on the protection of nine Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES). These include World Heritage Areas and Ramsar wetlands, threatened and endangered species and habitats, and migratory species protected through international agreements, and Commonwealth Marine Areas.

Given the current state of decline in natural ecosystems, there is a general consensus that there are two paths to conserve critical habitats; habitats can either be protected from extractive or destructive human influences (e.g. through national parks, marine reserves, fishery closures, gear restrictions or riparian conservation), and/or actively rehabilitated towards a preferred healthy state (i.e. restoration). Early environmental conservation was primarily focused on the former of these methods, with the establishment of national parks and conservation areas globally, and sector-based management of remaining pressures. However, despite these intensive interventions, many habitats have continued to decline over the past half century. There is increasing recognition that protection by itself is no longer sufficient and interest and demand for rehabilitation in the form of interventions and restoration has been growing. Restoration is now seen as a key element in achieving conservation and environmental management goals internationally. In recent decades, nations such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom have embraced the need for large-scale marine and coastal restoration. Further, restoration also produces economic benefits. For example, restoration activities were recently estimated to contribute almost US$25 billion and 221,000 jobs annually to the United States economy.

In this report we review the state of four ecologically critical coastal marine habitats in Australia; seagrass meadows, kelp forests, shellfish reefs, and coastal saltmarsh wetlands, and evaluate (1) the Commonwealth responsibility for the habitat under the EPBC Act, (2) capacity of habitat restoration to insulate against loss and degradation of MNES, through restoration of key habitats and the species they support, (3) recent advances in restoration with the potential to improve outcomes associated with MNES.

This report demonstrates that each of the four habitats fall under up to six of the nine MNES, by being directly listed as or supporting threatened species or ecosystems, providing habitat for listed migratory species, and being important components of World Heritage Areas, Commonwealth waters, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and Ramsar wetlands. For example, giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) forests are listed as an endangered ecological community; temperate and subtropical saltmarshes are listed as a vulnerable ecological community and three saltmarsh species are listed as vulnerable. In addition, the habitats formed by the two primary reef-forming oyster species are under consideration for listing as endangered ecological communities under the EPBC Act. Coastal saltmarshes provide critical habitat for listed threatened species, such as the green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) and the orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster), and migratory species such as the eastern curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), the Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva), the sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), and the red-necked stint (Calidris ruficollis). Seagrass habitats make up a large proportion of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area and support listed turtle species and dugong. Similarly, kelp forests support a disproportionately high number of endemic species, including several listed under the EPBC At, including the spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus, critically endangered), red handfish (Thymichthys politus, critically endangered), Ziebell’s handfish (Brachiopsilus ziebelli, vulnerable), black rockcod (Epinephelus daemelii, vulnerable) and members of the Syngnathidae family (seadragons, seahorses and pipefish).

%8 18 Dec 2018 %G eng %0 Journal Article %J Ecological Management & Restoration %D 2018 %T Seven pearls of wisdom: advice from Traditional Owners to improve engagement of local Indigenous people in shellfish ecosystem restoration %A Ian M. McLeod %A Schmider, Joann %A Colin Creighton %A Chris L Gillies %K marine restoration %K mussel %K oyster %K Sea Country %K shellfish %X

Oysters, mussels and other shellfish are culturally and economically important resources for coastal communities globally. In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have engaged in the harvest, consumption, ecological management and trade of shellfish and shellfish products for millennia. Shellfish ecosystems have been severely reduced in Australia since European settlement through overharvest using destructive fishing practices, pollution and disease. There is growing interest in the restoration of shellfish ecosystems in Australia to bring back a vastly reduced natural ecosystem, and the ecosystem services they provide such as providing habitat for other species, water filtration and shoreline protection.

%B Ecological Management & Restoration %V 19 %P 98 - 101 %8 16 May 2018 %G eng %U https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/emr.12318 %N 2 %! Ecol Manag Restor %R 10.1111/emr.12318 %0 Journal Article %J Ecological Management & Restoration %D 2018 %T Symposium report: Inaugural Australian Coastal Restoration Symposium %A Ian M. McLeod %A Jemma Purandare %A Chris L Gillies %A Adam Smith %A Burrows, Damien %K coastal %K coral %K mangrove %K restoration %K seagrass %X

Globally, coastal habitat restoration is growing in recognition as a viable management tool to repair and reinstate valuable coastal habitats and species, such as mangrove and macroalgae forests, salt marshes, seagrass meadows, shellfish and coral reefs (Aronson & Alexander (2013), Restoration Ecology, 293; Anthony et al. (2017) Nature Ecology and Evolution, 1420; TNC (2017) Caribbean: A revolution to save coral reefs in the Caribbean and beyond). In Australia, there is increasing interest and investment in coastal restoration and habitat conservation, particularly with respect to growing national concerns around habitat loss, coastal inundation and erosion, loss of fisheries and climate change (Maggini et al. (2013) Protecting and restoring habitat to help Australia's threatened species adapt to climate change; GBRMPA (2017) Reef summit sets new course of action for the Great Barrier Reef). This has led to new community of practices being formed for shellfish reef restoration (Shellfish Reef Restoration Network shellfishrestoration.org.au), seagrass restoration (Seagrass Restoration Network seagrassrestoration.net), and saltmarsh and mangrove (Saltmarsh and Mangrove Network, amsn.net.au) conservation. However, despite this interest, there has been no national coordination, network or society with coastal restoration as a primary focus. The inaugural Australian Coastal Restoration Symposium brought together 60 Australian restoration practitioners, researchers and managers at James Cook University, Townsville for three days from the 31st of August 2017. The symposium goals were to enhance collaboration and national coordination amongst coastal restoration projects and practitioners, as well as to connect researchers and practitioners working in the restoration space with one another. Three international keynote speakers shared their experiences and advice. Delegates were enthusiastic about continuing to meet at future symposiu, meetings and workshops, and noted the value of being able to connect, share project experiences and learnings, and collaborate. The Australian Coastal Restoration Network has been formed with the goal of meeting annually to continue to share knowledge and improve collaboration.

View a video about the symposium by following this link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lukSpo3mM-4

%B Ecological Management & Restoration %V 19 %P E1 - E5 %8 17 Jan 2018 %G eng %U http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/emr.12289 %N 1 %! Ecol Manag Restor %R 10.1111/emr.12289 %0 Report %D 2017 %T Repairing and conserving Australia’s saltmarshes and seascapes %A Colin Creighton %A Terry Walshe %A Ian M. McLeod %A Vishnu Prahalad %A Sheaves, Marcus %A Taylor, Matt %K coastal %K fishery %K prawn %K restoration %K Saltmarsh %X

Australia's coastal marine biodiversity and accompanying benefits such as fisheries have been markedly reduced due to loss of essential inshore habitats. These coastal habitats provide a nursery ground for a multitude of animals, including fish, prawns and birds. Many species depend on inshore habitat during critical early life-stages characterised by rapid growth and development (coastal dependency). These coastal tidally linked wetlands (commonly known as ‘seascapes’) comprise mangrove-lined channels, salt marshes, mud flats, sedge lands and sub tidal and inter tidal channels and gutters. Much of the losses in habitat have occurred as a function of Australia's development for urban, infrastructure and agricultural uses - all of benefit to Australia's economy. While better planning and management could have reduced the impact on our coastal marine biodiversity much of the task ahead for Australia is about land use optimisation - seeking the best patterns of use and management that will maximise overall community benefits. Essentially re-creating or repairing key components of coastal habitat for benefits whether it is commercial or recreational fishing, water quality, biodiversity or carbon sequestration. If these restoration efforts are planned and implemented carefully Australia can maximise benefits from its coastal resources while achieving urban, infrastructure and agricultural development.

%8 12 Sep 2017 %G eng %0 Report %D 2017 %T Underpinning the repair and conservation of Australia’s threatened coastal-marine habitats: Shellfish restoration research - Mid-project update %A Ian M. McLeod %A Chris L Gillies %A Colin Creighton %K coastal %K fishery %K oyster %K restoration %K shellfish %X

Shellfish reef ecosystems were historically overfished to near extinction and their natural recovery is inhibited by a loss of suitable substrate and recruitment. Active repair is therefore required and efforts have begun with the promise of significant benefits. These projects (and future efforts), however, require a detailed understanding of the ecology and benefits to develop appropriate repair methods and to set targets based on natural reference conditions.

This research is focused on the reef-forming shellfish complex dominated by the Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) dominated reefs, which, of the eight known reef-forming species documented in Gillies et al. (2015), are, along with Ostrea angasi (native flat oyster) the most imperilled and have the highest restoration potential.

This work will directly support and underpin the management and restoration objectives of existing shellfish reef repair projects and will assist future projects and management decision-making by developing appropriate methods and setting of repair targets based on natural reference conditions. This work will also quantify some of the benefits of shellfish reefs to inform the business case for shellfish restoration in Australia being developed as part of this project.

%8 15 Sep 2017 %G eng %0 Report %D 2016 %T Shellfish reef habitats: a synopsis to underpin the repair and conservation of Australias environmental, social and economically important bays and estuaries %A Chris L Gillies %A Colin Creighton %A Ian M. McLeod %X

This report describes the historic extent and current knowledge of Australian shellfish reefs and identifies knowledge gaps and future research priorities with the aim of supporting restoration efforts.

Shellfish reefs are complex, three-dimensional living structures, which provide food, shelter and protection for a range of other invertebrate and fish species. They occur in bays, estuaries and nearshore coastal waters in both tropical and temperate regions across every state within Australia. Shellfish reefs largely occur in the intertidal and upper subtidal regions of bays, estuaries and nearshore waters with the exception of the native flat oyster (Ostrea angasi) which can form reefs at depths of up to 30 m. There are more than 2000 bivalve species likely to occur in Australian coastal waters, yet only eight oyster and mussel species are known to form clearly defined reef structures across multiple locations and at scale.

Prior to the 20th century, shellfish reefs were common features of estuarine and coastal systems and were of importance as a food source for Indigenous Australians, with considerable quantities of reef-forming species occurring in coastal food middens. Early maritime explorers such as Cook, Flinders, Eyre and Vancouver regularly referred to extensive shellfish reefs in voyage reports and journals. From early European settlement of Australia, vast quantities of oysters and mussels were harvested for food and as a source of lime for mortar used in the early construction of roads and buildings.

Throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, dredge and hand-harvest oyster fisheries were likely to have occurred in over 150 locations across eastern and southern Australia, including major coastal embayments such as Moreton Bay, Sydney Harbour, Port Phillip Bay, Gulf St Vincent, Derwent River and Princess Royal Harbour. As shellfish resources closest to Australia’s first settlements rapidly became depleted, shellfish fisheries expanded to include more distant bays and estuaries. Whilst the total State or or Australia-wide catch for any one year is unknown, records from single estuaries (e.g. 10 tonnes per week for Western Port, Victoria; 22 million oysters per year from 5 estuaries in Tasmania) indicate oyster fishing constituted some of the largest and most valuable fisheries, and indeed one of the most valuable marine industries, of the 1800s.

From historical fishery reports and media articles it is clear that early harvesting efforts were unsustainable, which led to the regulation of shellfish fisheries from as early as 1853 in Tasmania and South Australia. The oyster industry was the first (of any) fishery to be regulated by legislation in South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, with New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia to follow within 30 years. Yet the regulation of shellfish harvesting did little to halt the destruction of shellfish reefs and by the late 20th century, shellfish reefs had all but disappeared, with all major oyster fisheries closed by 1960.

Today, only a fraction of natural shellfish reefs still survive, notably in Hinchinbrook Channel (Queensland) Sandon River (NSW) and Georges Bay (Tasmania). Poor water quality and sedimentation as a result of catchment clearance, urbanisation and industrial pollution and diseases such as Queensland Unknown (QX) and Bonamia likely exacerbated the loss of historic shellfish reefs and may hinder their natural revival.

Examples from the United States and elsewhere have demonstrated that when restoration occurs at large scales, ecological function can be repaired and ecosystem services can be restored. The process of restoring shellfish reefs can provide both short- and long-term employment opportunities and established reefs can provide long-term economic gains for coastal communities, particularly in fishing tourism and coastal protection. The benefits provided by shellfish reefs include food provision, water filtration, fish production, coastal protection and habitat for other species. Several projects (in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia) have recently begun the process of restoring shellfish reefs for the purpose of recovering a near extinct habitat and to improve fish habitat, water quality and coastal protection. Momentum is continuing to build, with a number of other shellfish reef restoration projects expected to begin across Australia within the next 12-24 months.
 

Related information:

%8 01 May 2016 %G eng %0 Journal Article %J Wetlands Ecology and Management %D 2016 %T Sustainable management of Australia’s coastal seascapes: a case for collecting and communicating quantitative evidence to inform decision-making %A Wegscheidl, Carla J. %A Sheaves, Marcus %A Ian M. McLeod %A Paul Hedge %A Chris L Gillies %A Colin Creighton %K Ecosystem service %K Function %K mangrove %K Saltmarsh %K Seascape %X

Australia’s developed coasts are a heavily competed space, subject to urban, industrial and agricultural development. A diversity of habitats, such as mangroves, saltmarshes and seagrasses, comprise Australia’s coastal seascape and provide numerous benefits including fish productivity, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, coastal protection and recreation. Decision makers need to be able to weigh up the relative costs and benefits of coastal development, protection or repair and to do this they need robust, accessible and defensible data on the ecological function and economic value of Australia’s coastal seascapes. We reviewed the published literature, with a focus on saltmarsh as a vulnerable ecological community, to determine the availability of information on key ecological functions that could inform ecosystem service valuation. None of the publications we reviewed quantified nutrient cycling, coastal protection or recreation functions. Only 13 publications presented quantitative information on carbon sequestration and fish productivity. These were limited geographically, with the majority of studies on sub-tropical and temperate saltmarsh communities between south-east Queensland and Victoria. This demonstrates a lack of quantitative information needed to substantiate and communicate the value of Australia’s saltmarshes in different locations, scales and contexts. Research should focus on addressing these knowledge gaps and communicating evidence in a relevant form and context for decision-making. We discuss four principles for research funding organisations and researchers to consider when prioritising and undertaking research on key ecological functions of Australia’s saltmarshes, and coastal seascapes more broadly, to support sustainable coastal development, protection and repair for long-term economic and community benefit.
 

%B Wetlands Ecology and Management %8 25 Nov 2016 %G eng %U http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11273-016-9515-x %! Wetlands Ecol Manage %R 10.1007/s11273-016-9515-x %0 Report %D 2015 %T Australias saltmarshes: a synopsis to underpin the repair and conservation of Australias environmentally, socially and economically important bays and estuaries %A Colin Creighton %A Chris L Gillies %A Ian M. McLeod %X

Saltmarshes in this report refers to the mosaic of coastal wetland ecosystems that occupy areas of
low energy, intermittent tidal inundation, typically in bays, inlets and estuaries, on sheltered soft
substrate foreshores, often at the foreshore in southern Australia and occurring behind mangroves
in tropical Australia.

Functional role of saltmarshes
Saltmarshes serve multiple functions including sediment trapping, nutrient cycling, dissipation of
wave energy, fish and prawn nursery, net primary production, carbon sequestration and resting and
feeding areas for birds. Saltmarshes are a key component of our estuaries and coastal landscapes
and provide connectivity between freshwater to brackish to tidal and sub-tidal ecosystems.

This synopsis
This report summarises key attributes about our saltmarshes for Queensland (Qld), New South
Wales (NSW), Victoria (Vic), Tasmania (Tas) and South Australia (SA) including:

Resources for preparation of this report were limited. Thus, the study focus could not extend to
include temperate saltmarshes in Western Australia and tropical saltmarshes in Western Australia
and the Northern Territory.

Key findings
This report has found that the challenges Australia faces to repair saltmarshes for the benefit of
Australian coastal communities are substantial. Key aspects include:


Related information


Caption - The sun sets over saltpan habitat in north Queensland

%8 30 Oct 2015 %G eng