Gulf Coast Regional NRM Assessment
Gulf Coast Regional NRM Assessment
- Author(s): Tait, Jim, Rizvi, Sarah , Dale, Alan, Gunn, Riki, Connor, Sarah , Cunningham-Reid, Anne
- Published: 2015
Abstract: The South East Gulf of Carpentaria’s coastal and marine zone is not widely recognized for its outstanding biodiversity; however it contains unique ecosystems of global significance. Among such assets one can find breeding marine turtle populations, submerged patch reefs and extensive sea grass beds. The ecosystem also includes a significant proportion of the world’s dugong population, endangered sawfish, river sharks and three species of rare inshore dolphin. The coast comprises nationally important coastal wetlands, and is host for internationally recognised migrating shore birds and nationally significant breeding populations of water birds. The health and productivity of the coastal and marine zone is also reflected in traditional, recreational and commercial fisheries that produce over $50m of crab, prawn and finfish product whilst supporting a growing tourist industry and providing material and cultural sustenance for Indigenous people. Given a small population and limited intensive land use or industrial development, the status of most natural assets within the South East Gulf’s coastal and marine zones are relatively well preserved. In fact, many such ecosystems are considered to be ‘near pristine’ when compared to more developed regions of Australia. However, what we know is far outweighed by what we don’t know about the Gulf’s coastal and marine zone due to limited scientific investigations and data collected in the region. The condition of these valuable ecosystems is being negatively affected by grazing along the coastal zone, pests, weeds and an unmanaged fire regime. For marine areas, the most significant impacts are associated with commercial fishery catch including non-target bycatch species, disturbance of the environment via trawling and marine debris from Asia. Locally, port operations and recreational fishing tourism engender significant impacts. More educational material regarding fisheries regulations and marine sustainability may be needed to target visiting anglers. There is also an emerging issue due to the influence of turbid flood waters in big wet seasons, from erosion in Gulf river basins and elevated sediment loads impacting on the marine environment. Given the Gulf region’s naturally varied climate and its low lying coastline, projected climate change and sea level rise poses significant impact risks to the coastal zone and communities. Some impacts brought about by a rise in sea level are already evident as eroded beaches and salt water incursion into coastal wetlands. Coastal areas will experience further changes in response to sea level rise. More extreme cyclones and storm surges with major disruption to coastal, near shore, marine and estuarine ecosystems are expected. To be effective Natural resource managers, a much greater and integrated understanding of river basin, coastal and marine ecosystems is required. Currently, there is a lack of coordinated or ongoing system scale monitoring within the Gulf’s coastal and marine environment. This is in stark contrast to other coastal areas of Queensland with high value marine biodiversity assets. Obvious examples include the Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Bay catchments. The influence of sea grass meadows and catchment scale water quality on marine environments are priority for ongoing research.