RAiD 10.71676/95513779
NESP MaC Project 1.8 - Including sediment processes in restoration strategies for Australian seagrass ecosystems (UNSW)

Dates

Start Date
01-Sep-2021
End Date
31-Mar-2022

Titles

Title
NESP MaC Project 1.8 - Including sediment processes in restoration strategies for Australian seagrass ecosystems (UNSW)
Title Type
Primary
Title Type:
Primary
 Preferred full description or abstract.
Start Date
01-Sep-2021
End Date
31-Mar-2022
Language
English

Descriptions

Description

Seagrasses provide resources and ecosystem services critical to the health of coastal ecosystems and human populations. They increase water clarity, stabilise sediments and reduce coastal erosion, sequester carbon, and provide habitat and food to marine animals, including commercially important fish and invertebrates. Across Australia, the loss of >275,000 ha of seagrass meadows and associated ecosystem services—valued at AU$ 5.3 billion—has contributed to the long-term degradation of estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems. Restoration of seagrass is critical for improving the health and function of these ecosystems and sustaining coastal communities and industries that depend on them, yet restoration projects to date typically occur at small scales, driven by local priorities and with variable success.

This project addressed this problem by bringing together scientists and key stakeholders to collate knowledge on seagrass ecology and restoration, and generated a framework to scaling-up restoration nationally. A national workshop with experts identified a shortlist of drivers key to restoration success, including sediment dynamics, microbial communities, hydrodynamics, and species interactions. It highlighted the importance of incorporating seagrass genetics and life histories into site and donor material selection to improve long-term resilience. New technologies such as eDNA, automation, and AI were also assessed for their potential to improve monitoring and reduce costs, while standardised methodologies and molecular tools were recommended to track microbial indicators and site suitability. A key insight from the workshop was the central role of sediment processes in feedback loops that determine seagrass health—providing a foundation for more effective, scalable restoration strategies.

On-ground case studies were conducted in Western Australia and New South Wales to test the proposed restoration framework in collaboration with Indigenous and community partners: sediment quality assessment and manipulation (Gamay Rangers, UNSW); seed and seedling capture using sediment-filled hessian tubes (Malgana Rangers, UWA); and large-scale seed collection for seed-based restoration through the 'Seeds for Snapper' initiative (OzFish and UWA). These trials demonstrated the effectiveness of community-led restoration and reinforced the potential of seed-based methods for scaling up seagrass recovery.
Description Type

Primary
Description Type:

Primary

 Preferred full description or abstract
Language
English

Contributors

Contributor
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2650-5501
Leader
Yes
Contact
Yes
Positions
Position
Principal or Chief Investigator
Position:
Principal or Chief Investigator
 Principal investigator refers to the person(s) in charge of a research project
Start Date
01-Sep-2021
End Date
31-Mar-2022
Roles
No Entries
Contributor
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0276-6064
Leader
No
Contact
No
Positions
Position
Co-investigator or Collaborator
Position:
Co-investigator or Collaborator
 A Co-Investigator is a senior or key investigator involved in a research project who does not have the overall responsibility and authority of the Principal Investigator
Start Date
01-Sep-2021
End Date
31-Mar-2022
Roles
No Entries
Contributor
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3507-1234
Leader
No
Contact
No
Positions
Position
Co-investigator or Collaborator
Position:
Co-investigator or Collaborator
 A Co-Investigator is a senior or key investigator involved in a research project who does not have the overall responsibility and authority of the Principal Investigator
Start Date
01-Sep-2021
End Date
31-Mar-2022
Roles
No Entries
Contributor
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3762-3389
Leader
No
Contact
No
Positions
Position
Co-investigator or Collaborator
Position:
Co-investigator or Collaborator
 A Co-Investigator is a senior or key investigator involved in a research project who does not have the overall responsibility and authority of the Principal Investigator
Start Date
01-Sep-2021
End Date
31-Mar-2022
Roles
No Entries
Contributor
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1956-9382
Leader
No
Contact
No
Positions
Position
Co-investigator or Collaborator
Position:
Co-investigator or Collaborator
 A Co-Investigator is a senior or key investigator involved in a research project who does not have the overall responsibility and authority of the Principal Investigator
Start Date
01-Sep-2021
End Date
31-Mar-2022
Roles
No Entries
Contributor
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5789-8945
Leader
No
Contact
No
Positions
Position
Co-investigator or Collaborator
Position:
Co-investigator or Collaborator
 A Co-Investigator is a senior or key investigator involved in a research project who does not have the overall responsibility and authority of the Principal Investigator
Start Date
01-Sep-2021
End Date
31-Mar-2022
Roles
No Entries
Contributor
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5835-2346
Leader
No
Contact
No
Positions
Position
Co-investigator or Collaborator
Position:
Co-investigator or Collaborator
 A Co-Investigator is a senior or key investigator involved in a research project who does not have the overall responsibility and authority of the Principal Investigator
Start Date
01-Sep-2021
End Date
31-Mar-2022
Roles
No Entries

Organisations

Organisation ID
https://ror.org/03r8z3t63
Roles
Role
Lead Research Organisation
Role:
Lead Research Organisation
 The research organistion administratively responsible for the project; administering organisation
Start Date
2021-09-01
End Date
2022-03-31
Organisation ID
https://ror.org/047272k79
Roles
Role
Other Research Organisation
Role:
Other Research Organisation
 A research organisation such as a university participating in the project, usually hosting Contributors and providing other support
Start Date
2021-09-01
End Date
2022-03-31
Organisation ID
https://ror.org/0384j8v12
Roles
Role
Other Research Organisation
Role:
Other Research Organisation
 A research organisation such as a university participating in the project, usually hosting Contributors and providing other support
Start Date
2021-09-01
End Date
2022-03-31

RelatedObjects

Citation

Kendrick, G., & Austin, R. (2023). 'Seeds for Snapper' 2021 Posidonia fruit collection data [Data set]. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies.
ID
https://doi.org/10.25959/QYP7-TJ13
Type
Dataset
Categories
Output
Citation

Liddell, B. (2023). Locations and health of beachcast fragments of Posidonia in Botany Bay [Data set]. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies.
ID
https://doi.org/10.25959/77RT-S809
Type
Dataset
Categories
Output
Citation

Kendrick, G., & Austin, R. (2023). Shark Bay Malgana seagrass restoration monitoring following transplantation (beta) [Data set]. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies.
ID
https://doi.org/10.25959/G721-4N52
Type
Dataset
Categories
Output

Alternate Identifier

No Entries

Alternate URLs

Related RAiDs

Title
Marine and Coastal Hub (10.71821/418be95a)
Relation
IsPartOf
Relation:
IsPartOf
 Relates a subproject back to its parent project

Access

Type
Open Access
Type:
Open Access
 Open access refers to a resource that is immediately and permanently online, and free for all on the Web, without financial and technical barriers.The resource is either stored in the repository or referenced to an external journal or trustworthy archive.
Language
Text
Embargo Expiry

Subjects

Subject
Environmental management (410404)
Keywords
Text
threatened species
Language
eng
Subject
Environmental rehabilitation and restoration (410405)
Keywords
Text
restoration
Language
eng
Text
ecosystem function
Language
eng
Subject
Climate change impacts and adaptation not elsewhere classified (410199)
Keywords
Text
climate adaptation
Language
eng

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