Education opportunities for indigenous involvement in marine ecosystem monitoring (T4.1)
Dr Stuart Campbell, Department of Primary Industries

The Torres Strait has some of the most extensive seagrass meadows in northern Australia, which support populations of threatened species and critical fisheries resources. Weather patterns, flood and cyclone events influence the dynamics of tropical seagrass meadows. We can better predict the consequences of such disturbance on seagrass habitats when we monitor seagrass habitat condition.

A community-based monitoring program, Seagrass-Watch, will be developed as a partnership between government and communities to monitor trends in seagrass habitats. Seagrass- Watch protocols combine a series of education and training exercises to develop field expertise in communities and schools. Groups will learn protocols including establishing monitoring sites, biological measurement techniques, data interpretation, photographic techniques and species identification. The program provides education and training opportunities to community groups, students and government agencies. This empowers communities to gain knowledge about the consequences of human and natural disturbance on these important environments. The project will provide Torres Strait people with the tools to assess the condition of seagrass habitats and associated animals.

Information from this project will be useful for government agencies and communities to make management decisions about the protection of habitats, the sustainable use of fisheries resources, and conservation of threatened species.

Objectives

• To provide education and training opportunities for Torres Strait Islanders in biological monitoring of marine plant habitat ecosystems.
• To contribute to scientific excellence in training and facilitate involvement of Torres Strait Islanders in a community-based marine habitat monitoring program for coastal management.
• To integrate education and scientific programs to contribute to the strategic development of the Torres Strait.

Outcomes

• Community and student capacity building of knowledge regarding the ecology of seagrass ecosystems.
• A community based monitoring network for seagrass ecosystem management.
• A toolbox of information, products (education presentations, art installations) and sampling tools (monitoring guides, field identification keys) that will assist Torres Strait people in assessing changes in seagrass condition.
• A toolbox of information to improve decision making for managing marine resources in the Torres Strait and to assist with sustainable management of culturally important threatened species, particularly dugong and turtle.