Port of Townsville baseline survey (B1.8)

Task leader: Dr Kerry Neil, Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

Task associate: NA.

The introduction of exotic pests is the second largest threat to the loss of biodiversity behind habitat destruction. Over 250 exotic marine taxa have been introduced to Australian waters primarily through mariculture and shipping activity. To effectively manage the presence of these taxa, and to halt their spread, we need to know their present distribution and abundance. Ports and marinas are at greatest risk of incurring marine pest introductions as they are the primary destination for vectors of marine pests. To determine whether any introduced marine taxa, of pest status or otherwise, were present within the Port of Townsville the CRC Reef Ports and Shipping Introduced Marine Pests Group undertook a baseline survey of the coastal biota within the port in November 2000 for the Townsville Port Authority. This survey also described the status of native marine assemblages within the Port. The task has been completed and is currently in review at the Centre for Research on Introduced Marine Pests (CRIMP).

The survey indicated that the Port of Townsville represents a biodiverse environment with in excess of 1200 taxa recorded. No designated pests were detected. This information has been utilised by the Townsville Port Authority to assist them in managing their port and in raising public and industry awareness of marine pest issues. The information also goes to underpin the Decision Support System that AQIS manages, which enables the risk of exotic marine organisms introductions (via ballast water) to be managed on a port-by-port basis.