Wirriya Jalyanu Seagrass Festival - celebrating Malgana language, art and science of Shark Bay's Seagrass Ecosystems
Abstract:
This article about the Wirriya Jalyanu Seagrass Festival was published online in the April 2021 edition of the Shark Bay CRC online publication Inscription Post. Seagrass is an important element of the Shark Bay World Heritage Site. The Wirriya Jalyanu Festival promoted connections through learning about the seagrass ecosystem. Activities at the Festival included science, archaeology, cooking, art, dance, land management, and Malgana language. Science talks provided a context for the Festival events. Three invited speakers presented passionately about their research. UWA’s Prof Gary Kendrick spoke about seagrass ecosystems: the foundation of Shark Bay’s fragile marine environment and the impacts of heat waves. Malgana woman and artist Bianca McNeair spoke about turtle tagging fieldwork with Malgana women on Wirruwanna (Dirk Hartog Island), and UWA researcher Dr Ana Sequeira spoke about tracking the movements of turtles and dugong.
The inshore waters of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area connect to the deeper waters of the adjacent Shark Bay Marine Park. Image: Gary Kendrick
Hub researchers are working with Malgana Traditional Owners to assist the natural recovery of seagrasses affected by climate change at the Shark Bay World Heritage Area.
