December 2004
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SEAGRASS SCIENTISTS SEE THE BIG PICTUREThe international Seagrass 2004 conference, held from 24-27 September, highlighted the different environmental roles of seagrasses around the world. The 165 delegates from 24 countries also discovered what makes Queensland’s seagrass beds so special.
Australia has more types of seagrass than anywhere else in the world. Dugongs and turtles feast on 15 succulent species off the coast of Queensland, making the Sunshine State the seagrass capital of the world. Sheltered areas created by the Great Barrier Reef have allowed seagrass to thrive, and being a geologically old area, seagrasses have had time to speciate here. Most seagrasses grow close to the edge of the sea, which is also the area under most pressure from human impacts. Conference participants worked together to create conceptual diagrams for seagrass systems around the world. The diagrams show how seagrass systems work, and what drives and threatens these critical habitats. These diagrams could only be developed because Seagrass 2004 was such an international gathering. They are critical tools because they can help managers to understand the system so they can make better choices for future development. Scientists now understand that seagrass systems are different, with threats that vary for meadows around the world. For example, in the Mediterranean, seagrasses are important for stabilising sediment, and the major threat is from urban pollution. In Australia, however, stabilisation is not such an important role for seagrass meadows, while their major threat is from agricultural run-off. The conceptual diagrams can illustrate these differences so that each system can be better understood and managed more effectively. Seagrass is the only flowering plant that can live underwater, and has been growing on the ocean floor since the time of the dinosaurs. In Australia, it provides a vital food source for dugongs and turtles, while seagrass meadows are nursery areas for many commercially important fish and prawns. International participants shared views about the value of seagrass to various countries. In Queensland, seagrass is protected by law, while in other parts of the world, protection is minimal. A guide to the Tropical Seagrasses of the Indo-West Pacific was also launched at the conference. For more information visit Discover the Reef: Seagrass
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