SEEDS FOR SNAPPER

The CYCSA was again used as the centerpiece for the second year of the Seeds For Snapper seagrass restoration project in December 2021 to January 2022 in partnership with fishing conservation charity OzFish Unlimited. The Seeds for Snapper project is made possible by Green Adelaide Landscape Board and receives support from a vast number of government and community organisations such as SARDI Aquatic Sciences, the Estuary Care Foundation, EPASA, BCF (Boating Camping Fishing), the Largs and Tennyson Dunes groups and Aquatic Biosecurity Pty Ltd. This year the OzFish project attracted 15% more volunteers, gathered more seagrass fruit, processed more seagrass seeds and deployed more sandbags to three new areas in Gulf St Vincent. Seagrass loss in South Australia is a major issue for coastal protection. Seagrasses provide a range of benefits including nutrient sequestration, reduction of wave action erosion, reducing sand movement and providing significant habitat for a wide range of aquatic species. Restoration of the area known as the ‘blue line’ (the seagrass line) and moving it closer to shore has also been identified as a priority issue for the community in social surveys. Seagrass has an added benefit as one of the most efficient natural habitats to rehabilitate as a carbon sink to counter climate change in Australia. It performs well and, in some cases, better than grasslands, salt marsh, mangroves and rainforests. Addressing seagrass loss is addressing a significant coastal risk to prevent further decline of our aquatic species and the industries that depend upon them. Seagrass provides nursery and foraging habitat for our local fish species which have seen recent decline. The CYCSA believes in supporting initiatives such as this to do what we can to help. “It was great to see so many enthusiastic people volunteering to help with this project this year,” said Adam. The value of seagrass for the fisheries alone is worth $21,600 per hectare of seagrass, per annum. South Australia has significantly degraded seagrass meadows in Gulf St Vincent because of a number of impacts which has seen over one-fifth of our seagrass lost. Adelaide’s metropolitan waters were the site of a seagrass strip mining lease in the early 1900s where the fibres were used in men’s suits, ropes and as packing in explosives. From 1949-1995 seagrass was then impacted by the constant high nutrients being pumped out to Gulf St Vincent from sewerage treatment outfalls along the coast. These sewerage outfalls have since been turned inland and are tertiary treated by government using innovative techniques and transforming waste products into resources for agriculture. Several polluting industries in the Port River have also been shut down through not being able to meet national water quality guidelines. However, whilst these impacts have suitably been addressed by the South Australian Government, seagrass meadows require active remediation as natural seagrass recruitment, even in the absence of pollution and storm events, is extremely slow. Project management was undertaken by OzFish SA State Manager and Managing Director of Aquatic Biosecurity Pty Ltd, Dr Michael Sierp, with volunteer assistance from local Ozfish Chapter members.

“Approximately 15,000 seagrass fruits of the species Posidonia australis were harvested off metropolitan beaches from Aldinga to North Haven by around 350 volunteer beachcombers. Just the number of registered volunteers alone is a sign of how the community values its marine environment.” “OzFish also saw over 80 people attend their information evening at the CYCSA which launched the program and they have almost reached one hectare of sandbag deployment,” said Dr Sierp. The fruits were again processed in the ‘pop up’ collection tanks on site at the CYCSA to produce germinated seeds. These are then sown into sandbags which are dispersed at specific locations determined by SARDI researchers where the seagrass will grow. CYCSA General Manager, Adam Hays said ”It was great for the CYCSA to host the Seeds for Snapper project again this year to continue with the Club’s environmental stewardship principles. Offsetting carbon and efforts towards stopping the sand movement along the gulf which build up in the marina are initiatives supported by the CYCSA”. CYCSA members who would like to get involved in taking sandbags out to sea or harvesting and processing seagrass fruits this year can get involved at: www.ozfish.org.au The project has been featured on ABC Radio National and a segment on ABC Landline television -Saving Seagrass: People power restoring seagrass meadows - ABC News

Dr Michael Sierp