The seagrass connection to the turtle population

CASSOWARY COAST LMAC SECRETARY: CARMEN WALKER

A healthy seagrass meadow can be likened to the grass in a grazing paddock. The big difference is that seagrass meadows thrive under salty water and attracts special grazers such as green turtles and dugong.

The Mandubarra Indigenous Rangers have recently mapped their region's distribution of seagrass meadows. James Epong, a Mandubarra traditional custodian, says seagrass mapping is helping to build a closer connection to sea country. Our monitoring of turtle nests over the years tells us that healthy seagrass correlates with more turtle nests. Monitoring seagrass health can help us to identify where seagrass rehabilitation works need to be focused on to increase and sustain healthy green turtles and dugong populations.

Mapping will also inform management of erosion control and sediment run-off.

Did you know that seagrass rehabilitation is happening in our region?

James Cook University, Mandubarra and OzFish have joined forces to rehabilitate the seagrass meadows in Mourilyan Harbour, and it's been a great success. Seagrass provides a big bang for buck in our marine ecosystem, and it's well worth facilitating the expansion of the meadows.

These meadows provide ecosystem services day in and day out for free, benefiting humans and marine life. Some ecosystem services include:

• Improved water quality. The grass works like a filtration system by settling out sediment, pollutants and nutrients before reaching the Reef;

• Food and habitat for green turtles and dugongs;

• Nursery conditions for juvenile crabs and prawns;

• Sequesters blue carbon (carbon stored in marine ecosystems);

• A highly efficient generator of oxygen;

• Coastal buffer. Seagrass meadows protect the shoreline from erosion and storm surges in rough weather by slowing the flow and reducing swell.

When you're out boating, please slow down in seagrass territory and refrain from anchoring. Reduce sediment runoff in backyards and work sites by using a cover such as grass, plants or mulch. Seagrass meadows are an ecosystem bursting with life and a big service provider working 24/7, so let's do our bit to keep them tip-top. Sea turtle feeds

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