NESP MaC Project 1.13 – Synthesizing three decades of seagrass spatial data from Torres Strait and Gulf of Carpentaria 2021-2022 (JCU)

Research Project

Researchers: Alex Carter (Principal investigator) ,  Lawrey, Eric, Dr. (Point of contact) ,  eAtlas Data Manager (Point of contact)

Brief description This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub small-scale study - "Synthesizing three decades of seagrass spatial data from Torres Strait and Gulf of Carpentaria". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. The Gulf of Carpentaria and Torres Strait have globally significant seagrass habitat that provide food for threatened dugong and turtle, and habitat for commercially important fish and prawns. Key to understanding, managing, mitigating risk, and monitoring seagrass in this remote region is reliable data on seagrass distribution and species composition and how these changes through time. Data on seagrass has been collected in these areas since the 1980s, but data location and storage from these efforts remains disparate, in many cases not publicly available, and in some cases has already been lost. Our study will compile, validate and synthesize historical seagrass spatial data to create a publicly available database accessible on eAtlas. This product will provide end-users with a valuable spatial resource to assist management and monitoring of seagrass in the region. (i) Identify key seagrass habitat and migration corridors for dugong and turtles in the Gulf of Carpentaria and Torres Strait. (ii) Identify regions where seagrass information is deficient (knowledge gaps) (iii) create a foundations for models assessing exposure to risk (water quality and other environmental impacts, climate change, etc) (iv) provide essential information for management, planning, and developing long-term monitoring plans Planned Outputs • seagrass data [spatial dataset] • Final technical report with analysed data and a short summary of recommendations for policy makers of key findings [written]

Notes Credit
Team members: Alex Carter (James Cook University (JCU)),Skye McKenna (JCU), Rob Coles (JCU), Michael Rasheed (JCU)

Notes Credit
National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine and Coastal Hub

Notes Credit
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE), Australian Government

Notes Credit
In addition to NESP (DAWE) funding, this project is matched by an equivalent amount of in-kind support and co-investment from project partners and collaborators.

Data time period: 2021-09-01 to 2022-09-01

-17.75016,86 -9.09317,86

-13.421665884165,90