Response of dugongs to large-scale loss of seagrass from Hervey Bay, Queensland Australia

Preen, Anthony; Marsh, Helene

doi:10.1071/wr9950507

Cited by 129 publications

(104 citation statements)

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“…in 1987 to 2422513276 in 1992) was `most likely due to migration' . Similarly, at least part of the decrease in the dugong population in the Hervey Bay region of the southern GBR between 1986 and 1994 was attributed to possible migration of animals out of the region (Preen and Marsh 1995). These data suggest that large movements of dugong populations are possible and might confound any changes in local populations caused by the QSCP.…”

Section: Dugongmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…in 1986 and 1750±257 animals in 1994 (Marsh 1995a ); the decline was probably due to anthropogenic sources of mortality (Marsh 1995a). For example, land clearance, exacerbated sediment runoff during two cyclonic storms in 1992, and this caused a dieback of seagrasses in Hervey Bay and hence a loss of food for the dugongs in the bay (Preen and Marsh 1995) .…”

Section: Dugongmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Effect of the Queensland Shark Control Program on non-target species: whale, dugong, turtle and dolphin: a review

Gribble¹,

McPherson²,

Lane³

1998

Mar. Freshwater Res.

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The Queensland Shark Control Program (QSCP) has recorded a long-term annual mortality of 0.1 humpback whale, 2 ‘small whales’ (species uncertain), 20 dugong, <78 turtles (species and number released uncertain), and <19 dolphin (species and number released uncertain). Available population estimates suggest that the historic impact of the QSCP would have been negligible on whales, 0.5% per year of the dugong population in the southern Great Barrier Reef, minor on green and loggerhead turtle populations, and unknown but probably minor on leatherback turtles and dolphin populations. In response to improved methods between 1992 and 1995 the average yearly mortality fell to 0 humpback whales, 4 dugong, 3 loggerhead turtles (11 turtles in total), and 10 dolphin (species uncertain); this suggests no impact on whales, 0.1% per year of the dugong population of the southern Great Barrier Reef, 1.6% of the yearly indigenous harvest of green turtles in eastern Australia, and 0.2% per year of the loggerhead turtle population in Queensland. Lack of population estimates and species identification precluded impact calculations for dolphin. The number of rare, vulnerable and endangered marine animals killed in the QSCP gear each year is in tens rather than thousands and the effect of this incidental mortality on their populations is probably minor.

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Section: Dugongmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Dugongmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of the Queensland Shark Control Program on non-target species: whale, dugong, turtle and dolphin: a review

Gribble¹,

McPherson²,

Lane³

1998

Mar. Freshwater Res.

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“…J. D. Hooker, 1858 , Coles et al 2003. Such meadows are often spatially expansive , Coles et al 2003 and are particularly important food sources for dugong Dugong dugong and green turtles Chelonia mydas (Bjorndal 1985, Preen & Marsh 1995. The intertidal and coastal location of these meadows makes them susceptible to large climatic events, such as flooding , Campbell & McKenzie 2004, drought (Cardoso et al 2008) and elevated temperature (Campbell et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term climate-associated dynamics of a tropical seagrass meadow: implications for the future

Rasheed¹,

Unsworth²

2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

103

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The long-term changes of tropical intertidal seagrass, mainly Halodule uninervis and Halophila ovalis meadows and their relationship to climate are poorly documented. Developing a greater understanding of the effects of climate on seagrass meadows is critical for estimating the effects of future climate change scenarios. Here we document the temporal dynamics of coastal intertidal seagrass in tropical northeast Australia over 16 yr of detailed monitoring. This study is the first to directly relate such change to long-term climate variability in the Indo-Pacific region and southern hemisphere. Regression modelling was used to relate seagrass biomass and meadow area measurements to climate data. The aboveground biomass and area of the meadow were correlated with the interacting factors of air temperature, precipitation, daytime tidal exposure and freshwater runoff from nearby rivers. Elevated temperature and reduced flow from rivers were significantly correlated (R 2 = 0.6, p < 0.001) with periods of lower seagrass biomass. Results of this study have important implications for the long-term viability of seagrasses with regard to climate change scenarios. Modelling of our findings indicates that future higher temperatures could be detrimental to Indo-Pacific intertidal, coastal and estuarine seagrass meadows.KEY WORDS: Climate change · Global warming · Halophila ovalis · Halodule uninervis · Temperature · Rainfall · Indo-Pacific · Queensland · Australia Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 422: [93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103] 2011 been lost at an unprecedented rate from a variety of anthropogenic influences (Waycott et al. 2009). Predictions of the influence of climate change scenarios on seagrass (Short & Neckles 1999, Harley et al. 2006, Poloczanska et al. 2007, Waycott et al. 2007) are largely based on incidences of seagrass loss associated with extreme weather (Cardoso et al. 2008, Micheli et al. 2008 as reported in short-term experimental studies (Campbell et al. 2006). Long-term studies directly measuring seagrass changes and how they are correlated with climate are rare. Such studies are restricted to the Mediterranean Sea and coastal areas of Florida (Marba & Duarte 1997, Tomasko et al. 2005; no similar studies have been reported for the tropical Indo-Pacific region.Throughout the Indo-Pacific region, turbid estuarine and coastal environments commonly contain abundant and productive intertidal seagrass meadows dominated by the small colonising floral species of Halodule uninervis (Forssk.) Aschers., 1882 and Halophila ovalis (R.Br.) J. D. Hooker, 1858, Coles et al. 2003. Such meadows are often spatially expansive , Coles et al. 2003 and are particularly important food sources for dugong Dugong dugong and green turtles Chelonia mydas (Bjorndal 1985, Preen & Marsh 1995. The intertidal and coastal location of these meadows makes them susceptible to large climatic events, such as flooding , Campbell & McKenzie 2004, drought...

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“…Aerial surveys (Marsh and Saalfeld, 1989;Preen et al 1997), land-based and boat-based observations (Anderson 1982(Anderson 1994Aragones 1994) and satellite tracking data (Marsh and Rathbun 1990) indicate that dugong distribution is closely associated with seagrass beds. Algae is known to occur in food samples from dugongs (Heinsohn and Birch 1972;Marsh et al 1982;Erftemeijer 1994;Preen 1995) but its presence in the diet has been described as incidental (Marsh et al 1982) or linked to large-scale losses of seagrass (Spain and Heinsohn 1973;Marsh et al 1982;Preen and Marsh 1995). This note contains opportunistic observations of long-term feeding by D. dugon on algal covered rocky reefs in the Darwin region of the Northern Territory.…”

Section: Scott D Whitingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Foraging studies throughout their range indicate that their diet is dominated by seagrass (Marsh et al 1982;Preen 1995;Preen and Marsh 1995;Anderson 1998;Das and Dey 1999). Aerial surveys (Marsh and Saalfeld, 1989;Preen et al 1997), land-based and boat-based observations (Anderson 1982(Anderson 1994Aragones 1994) and satellite tracking data (Marsh and Rathbun 1990) indicate that dugong distribution is closely associated with seagrass beds.…”

Section: Scott D Whitingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rocky Reefs Provide Foraging Habitat For Dugongs In The Darwin Region Of Northern Australia

Whiting¹

2002

Aust. Mammalogy

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DUGONGS (Dugong dugon) are large mammalian herbivores found in tropical and sub-tropical waters from the east coast of Africa to Vanuatu in the western Pacific Ocean (Rice 1998). Foraging studies throughout their range indicate that their diet is dominated by seagrass (Marsh et al. 1982; Preen 1995; Preen and Marsh 1995; Anderson 1998; Das and Dey 1999). Aerial surveys (Marsh and Saalfeld, 1989; Preen et al. 1997), land-based and boat-based observations (Anderson 1982 1994; Aragones 1994) and satellite tracking data (Marsh and Rathbun 1990) indicate that dugong distribution is closely associated with seagrass beds. Algae is known to occur in food samples from dugongs (Heinsohn and Birch 1972; Marsh et al. 1982; Erftemeijer 1994; Preen 1995) but its presence in the diet has been described as incidental (Marsh et al. 1982) or linked to large-scale losses of seagrass (Spain and Heinsohn 1973; Marsh et al. 1982; Preen and Marsh 1995). This note contains opportunistic observations of long-term feeding by D. dugon on algal covered rocky reefs in the Darwin region of the Northern Territory.

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Response of dugongs to large-scale loss of seagrass from Hervey Bay, Queensland Australia

Cited by 129 publications

References 0 publications

Effect of the Queensland Shark Control Program on non-target species: whale, dugong, turtle and dolphin: a review

Effect of the Queensland Shark Control Program on non-target species: whale, dugong, turtle and dolphin: a review

Long-term climate-associated dynamics of a tropical seagrass meadow: implications for the future

Rocky Reefs Provide Foraging Habitat For Dugongs In The Darwin Region Of Northern Australia

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