About the Author

Alex is the Projects and Events Coordinator for CAFNEC. When she is not whispering to the mangroves she spends her time rollerskating or taking her drone to the beach or up mountains.

Citizen scientists in action on the Barron River.

Stilted Mangroves next to the Jack Barnes Boardwalk in Cairns near the airport.

When is the best time to monitor Mangroves? The dry season. Between April and October are generally the best monitoring times with more predictable weather patterns. So that leaves about 6-7 months to get on the water and collect data. Not so fast. We have to consider the tides. Any good boater will know what the conditions are going to be like before getting on the water. The best tide to go out for MangroveWatch is on a rising tide or sometime around what’s called a neap tide. Neap tide happens twice a month and occurs when high tides are a little lower than average and low tides are a little higher than average. I go to willyweather.com to check on the tides to determine when is the ideal time to monitor. What does this look like? It’s best to start at the mouth of the estuary and travel upstream on a rising tide to avoid running aground or getting stuck in shallow water.

A rising tide may happen in the morning or afternoon and with that, you will have to determine the position of the sun at that time of day. We cannot collect good quality data if we are shooting into the sun because the glare interferes with the picture. It is best to film with the sun on our backs. For example, if the rising tide is in the morning and we are traveling north upstream, we will film on the left side of the boat facing the western shoreline.

After a monitoring plan has been put in place we need to resource a boat and a skipper. CAFNEC does not own a boat for MangroveWatch and unless we have the proper facilities to store one or the time to maintain one we never plan to. We rely heavily on volunteers with their own vessel and boating experience to collect data and if we can’t find anyone to donate a vessel we do budget for vessel hire as a last resort.

Now we begin to recruit Mangrove Champions (dedicated volunteers) for data collection. We have 5 roles necessary to complete shoreline video assessment: boat driver, photographer, videographer, GPS operator, and notetaker (plus me as I teach everyone how to do their roles). It’s good to have 5 people, it’s possible with 4, you can get by with 3 on board and combine jobs if necessary. Generally, volunteers are available on the weekend so we need to find a neap tide that happens on a weekend (or close to it) to make the most of the conditions and give volunteers enough time to practice and collect a substantial amount of data.

A few days before we offer a training workshop, we need to make sure the equipment is charged, there is enough space on the memory cards, and we have enough blank data sheets and cheat sheets to guide the process. Don’t forget the first aid kit as well.

After we recruit Champions, we offer a PowerPoint training session as an introduction to the program so that participants feel more prepared to collect the data and identify threats and values in the mangroves more easily. 

There have been times when MangroveWatch has been planned for weeks, sometimes months, in advance and then a sudden rainstorm develops the day before and is projected to last for a few more days. We can’t control the weather or the moon so we just reschedule and adapt to the situation. This year has been a demonstration of how climate change has impacted CAFNEC’s ability to do its citizen science work. The wet season usually ends in early April but this year it lasted through May and impacted our monitoring schedule. MangroveWatch is more enjoyable with sunny conditions and no rain to damage the equipment or dampen spirits.

If the conditions are good and we have enough volunteers and resources, a successful MangroveWatch is guaranteed. Volunteers make our work possible so we can always benefit from having locals participate in our work. Volunteers don’t have to have any scientific background or experience, we will teach you everything!

 

The post What does it take to plan a MangroveWatch Monitoring session? appeared first on CAFNEC.

When: 24th September 2014, 6:30 pm start

Where: Cairns Choral Society hall, 31-33 Greenslopes Street, North Cairns.

What: Presentations and panel discussion from tourism and local industry representatives, leading scientists and environmental experts.

Presentations, Q&A, light refreshments provided, free entry.

The forum is an opportunity for the people of Cairns and the Far North to learn more about the risk to the Great Barrier Reef and other potential environmental impacts; the risks for our tourism and fishing industries; the cost to taxpayers; and the potential alternatives.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Col McKenzie, Executive Officer of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators.
• Jon Brodie, Chief Research Scientist, Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research at James Cook University.
• Felicity Wishart, Great Barrier Reef Campaign Director with the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

The event is supported by the CAFNEC Marine Response Team volunteers who are working hard to organise and raise funds to hold the event.

Cairns and Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC) Marine Programs Coordinator Josh Coates said:

“This is a chance for the community to learn more about the proposal to dredge around 7 million tonnes of mud and acid sulphate soil to expand Cairns Port. This proposal is larger than the controversial Abbot Point dredging. At risk are our local dugongs, turtles, fish and seagrass, and the Great Barrier Reef. Tourism and fisheries industries rely on health marine environments and are also at risk.”

“In the lead up to the release of the Environmental Impact Statement there is a lack of awareness in the community of the scale, impacts, costs and rationale for the dredging proposal. “

“We hope to raise community awareness by providing solid information presented by respected scientists, environmental experts and tourism operators.”

“An aware and engaged community is the best way to ensure we get the best outcomes for Cairns, the Far North and the Great Barrier Reef. Spending taxpayers money on a project that could cost our environment, tourism and fishing industry more than it gains would not be an outcome anyone wants to see. “

“This event is free to attend and we encourage people to take the opportunity to learn more about what is proposed.”

Please share the: Facebook event

Media contact: Josh Coates, Marine Programs Coordinator, (07) 4032 1586, marine [at] cafnec . org . au

The post Community Forum on Cairns Port Dredging Announced appeared first on CAFNEC.

Healthy coral reefs need sharks. In a coral reef ecosystem sharks are a top-level predator, sometimes called the apex predator. They are an important part of a reef’s ecosystem helping to maintain balance. A vulnerability assessment of sharks and rays on the Great Barrier Reef has determined some important facts about the role of sharks in the health of the GBR. There are currently 134 known species of sharks and rays.

Changing the balance of species in an ecosystem has a flow-on effect on other species in that ecosystem.

Hammerhead shark
©Mary Katherine Winn /dreamstime.com

For example, if you remove sharks, the species those sharks would have eaten are likely to increase in number. The increased number of those species will likely have a greater impact on the species they eat, as there are now so many more ‘mouths’ to feed, and on it goes. Independently and in combination with other reef stressors, the health of entire reef ecosystems is significantly reduced.

Current threats to the Great Barrier Reef include:

• commercial fishing
• recreational fishing
• coastal development
• climate change and ocean warming and acidification, which result in coral bleaching
• a new coal mine, which means new dredging and more shipping traffic (more coal mining also means the negative effects of climate change are likely to be worse.)
• increased dredging and dumping at Abbott Point
• extensive new dredging proposed in the port of Cairns to allow cruise liners to enter
• nutrient-rich run-off from land-based activities
• crown of thorns starfish
• coral damage from cyclones and storms (it can take decades for a coral reef to recover from these).

Scientists are already warning of the deteriorating health of our incredible Great Barrier Reef. Adding yet another stressor to the coral systems may be more than they can take.

How much do you really know about sharks?

We often fear the things we don’t understand, and learning about the behaviour and habits of any potentially dangerous animal reduces your risk of harm.

Why do some people fear sharks? 

©CBPix / dreamstime.com

Are you afraid of sharks? Test yourself — what do you think of when you think of a shark? You probably don’t have the warm, fuzzy feelings you might when you think of a kitten or a puppy — sharks aren’t quite so cute to most of us. But, do you have the ‘Urgh!’ response? Do you think of rows of sharp teeth and fear being attacked by them? If so – why?

Maybe you have seen Jaws, the movie. This 1975 ‘thriller’ was a blockbuster in its day and has helped to shape the view many of us have of sharks. It was about a fictional person-gobbling great white shark with a taste for human flesh. Real sharks weren’t used in filming — instead mechanical monsters were used. Anyone who watched this horror film would understandably fear sharks as a result if they didn’t know much else about them.

How dangerous are sharks really?

Sure, sharks have killed people and given others horrible injuries. In Queensland, in the last 160 years (until 2013) there have been no fewer than 71 human deaths attributed to shark attack.  This figure averages to 0.4 deaths per year, or just under one human death every two years, due to shark attack. Every time a person is killed by a shark it is, of course, tragic. But, it is rare, especially when you compare it to other dangers.

How dangerous are our roads?

In 2013 there were 270 fatalities on Queensland’s roads.  So, do we worry we’ll be killed every time we get into our cars? If we were logical, we would be more worried about being harmed in a road accident than swimming in the sea. (Speaking of swimming, do you know how many people drown each year? In 2013, 64 people drowned in Queensland.  Hmmm … that’s more than 128 times the average number of people killed by sharks in Queensland each year.)

How dangerous are dogs?

Consider our ‘best friends’ for a moment. Around 13 000 people, including many young children, present at hospital emergency departments in Australia each year as a result of dog attacks. Yet we love our dogs.

So, if we were logical and rational, we’d have more swimming lessons, drive less, take more care with kids around dogs, and we wouldn’t be nearly so anxious about being attacked by sharks.

Do divers fear sharks?

Interestingly, many scuba divers who spend a lot of time close to sharks, unprotected by cages, don’t fear sharks. Have you ever wondered why they are able to swim safely with sharks? Don’t they have more reason than anyone to fear sharks?

If Shark Girl isn’t afraid of them, why are we?

Shark numbers are declining 

Maybe sharks should fear us. Humans kill unsustainable numbers of sharks each year. Estimates vary as much illegal fishing targets sharks and the ‘take’ is not recorded. But, we do know that the numbers are high and the practice is unsustainable. Sea Shepherd estimates the number at 73 million sharks per year.

Shark stocks are believed to be only 10% of their pre-industrial biomass, and this is declining. This isn’t surprising as they can take up to 20 years to reach sexual maturity and, unlike many other fish, don’t spawn large numbers of offspring.

Fishing for shark fin 

Black tip reef sharks
© Ruthblack /dreamstime.com

The illegal trade in shark fins to supply the demand for shark fin soup is huge. Shark fins fetch a high price in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and China. Shark fin soup is a banquet food in ethnically Chinese cultures. With the high population and increasing affluence of the middle class in China, demand for shark fin soup is growing. Numerous boats have been caught fishing illegally in northern Australian waters to supply this profitable trade, which involves catching sharks and hacking their fins off, usually while they are still alive. The disabled sharks often are then released back into the water. Without fins they can’t swim so they sink to the bottom to die a slow death. Because the fins sell for so much more than the rest of the shark it is most profitable to keep just the fins. This trade is not only cruel — it is also wasteful.

Bycatch and flake

Bycatch of sharks is also contributing to their falling numbers. Bycatch is when species other than the target species is caught. Sometimes these species are kept and sold. Often they are killed regardless.

Shark is often sold in Australian fish and chip shops as flake. Eating flake helps to create a demand for shark products, which contributes to their demise.

Deliberate culling using nets and drum lines

Due to human fear of shark attack, many beaches in Queensland are ‘protected’ from sharks by nets and drumlines (baited hooks). Research has shown that shark nets and drum lines are not particularly effective, could potentially increase the risk of shark attack, and that there are better ways of managing shark and human interaction such as towing sharks out to sea. The impact of nets and drum lines on other species is also significant.

How does the future look for sharks? 

© Philcold / dreamstime.com

In a word: grim. Culling and overfishing, including illegal fishing, in combination with their slow maturation rate and low fecundity (sharks have few young) means that it is difficult for shark populations to recover from over-exploitation. As a result, sharks are in serious trouble and if the current rate of decimation of shark populations continues, many species of shark are on a path to extinction.

Why don’t we care more about this? Maybe many people just don’t realise what’s happening. Or, perhaps, is it because we have an irrational fear of sharks that we don’t see their demise as a problem? But, we should care. Healthy oceans need sharks and we need healthy oceans!

How you can help sharks

©Konstik / dreamstime.com

If sharks are to avoid extinction they need our help. There are many things you can do and ways you can get involved to help sharks to survive humans.

• Boycott restaurants selling shark fin soup
• Avoid eating flake
• Learn about sharks
• Educate your friends and family about sharks and their value in their ecosystem
• Support the following campaigns and organisations:
  • Fin Free Brisbane
  • Sea Shepherd and their campaign Operation Requiem
  • Shark Defence Australia
  • Australian Marine Conservation Society
  • CAFNEC and the Marine Response Team
• Respect sharks – the ocean is their home and needs them!

These films might inspire you …

Shark Girl

Sharkwater

The post Shark Conservation appeared first on CAFNEC.

This project was funded by Festivals Australia and involved workshops to develop and rehearse what has now become the “plastic invasion” song. This song was performed at Heyday Festival Heyday Festival on October 6 2012, inviting and encouraging participation from a diverse range of young people in the region.

Click below to view the film footage of the performance.

We would like to thank Festivals Australia for providing the funding for this project.

We would also like to acknowledge the contribution of Heyday Festival and Song Connection choir.

The post Singing for sustainability – plastic invasion song appeared first on CAFNEC.