❓ The question raises concerns about declining seagrass health in Cockburn Sound, based on the 2014 State of the Sound Report. The answer outlines research and monitoring efforts undertaken by the Cockburn Sound Management Council and concludes that overall environmental quality is improving.
AnsweredQoN 4907Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
What action did the Minister take on the State of Cockburn Sound Report 2014 advice that: grass shoot density (i.e. the main indicator of seagrass health) appears to be trending down at a number of sites across Cockburn Sound. Negative trends at three of these sites were statistically significant in 2013...
Worst affected appear to be the seagrass meadows at two sites off the northern end of Garden Island (GI 3.2m and GI 5.5m), where downward trends were found to be statistically significant in 2013, and at the Kwinana and Garden Island Settlement sites, where median seagrass shoot density has now fallen below the absolute minimum..., in particular: (a) did the Minister specifically request further investigations in regard to the decline in seagrass shoot density, a key indicator of ecological health; and (b) does the Minister still consider Cockburn Sound is in good ecological health?
Worst affected appear to be the seagrass meadows at two sites off the northern end of Garden Island (GI 3.2m and GI 5.5m), where downward trends were found to be statistically significant in 2013, and at the Kwinana and Garden Island Settlement sites, where median seagrass shoot density has now fallen below the absolute minimum..., in particular: (a) did the Minister specifically request further investigations in regard to the decline in seagrass shoot density, a key indicator of ecological health; and (b) does the Minister still consider Cockburn Sound is in good ecological health?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
15 March 2016
Responded by
Minister for Environment
Response time
28 days
(a) The State of the Sound Report 2014 identifies that the Cockburn Sound Management Council is pursuing several research opportunities to better understand the declines in seagrass shoot density recorded at some sites and to identify the potential cause (Executive Summary, page 5). The Report also identifies that the Council is collaborating with the University of Western Australia to undertake a preliminary investigation into the role that sediment quality may have on seagrass decline in Cockburn and Warnbro Sounds (Topic Box 1, page 17).
The Cockburn Sound Management Council has provided a research grant to the University of Western Australia to investigate potential drivers of seagrass decline in Cockburn and Warnbro Sounds.
(b) The Cockburn Sound Management Council reports annually to me on the health of Cockburn Sound. This assessment is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the State Environmental (Cockburn Sound) Policy. The latest report was published in June 2015 and presents the results of monitoring undertaken over the 2013-2014 monitoring period. The report concluded that, overall, the environmental quality of Cockburn Sound is improving.
The Cockburn Sound Management Council has provided a research grant to the University of Western Australia to investigate potential drivers of seagrass decline in Cockburn and Warnbro Sounds.
(b) The Cockburn Sound Management Council reports annually to me on the health of Cockburn Sound. This assessment is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the State Environmental (Cockburn Sound) Policy. The latest report was published in June 2015 and presents the results of monitoring undertaken over the 2013-2014 monitoring period. The report concluded that, overall, the environmental quality of Cockburn Sound is improving.
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