Marine Community Monitoring Manual MARINE COMMUNITY MONITORING MANUAL (2ND EDITION) “An early warning system for detecting change in the marine environment” A collaborative project between the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM, Marine Conservation Branch); the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Western Australian Branch (AMCS WA); and the Natural Heritage Trust’s (NHT) Coastwest /Coastcare Programme. Funding provided by Coastwest/ Coastcare. An initiative of NHT (Coastwest/ Coastcare programme) and CALM, Marine Conservation Branch. August 2003 Marine Conservation Branch Department of Conservation and Land Management 47 Henry St. Fremantle, Western Australia, 6160 Updated 12/05/03 Page i Marine Community Monitoring Manual ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Direction: • Dr Chris Simpson – Manager, Marine Conservation Branch (MCB), Nature Conservation Division, CALM. Prepared by: • Karen Wheeler - Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM). Marine Community Monitoring Program Steering Committee: • Nick D’Adamo - CALM; • Martin Heller - Natural Heritage Trust (NHT), Coastwest/ Coastcare; • Nick Dunlop - Australian Marine Conservation Society, Western Australian Branch (AMCS WA); and • Tim Grubba, CALM. Funding and Resources: • Funding has been provided by the NHT, via the Coastwest/ Coastcare Programme. • Resources including scientific and technical assistance, administrative assistance and logistical/ operational support has been provided by CALM. Community Participation: • Many sectors of the community have been involved in developing the Marine Community Monitoring Manual since the programme inception in 1999 and a special thank you is extended to all groups involved. Participating groups have been listed separately in the Manual (Please refer to Part IV, section 1.3). Photographs and images: • Cover page: With permission, Department of Planning and Infrastructure (DPI, Perth). Photograph courtesy of Andrew Halsall, Fast Photos Albany. • Source of photographs used in the MCMP Manual: • Photographs used in Section 9.0 (Introduced marine pests) - With permission, Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO, Hobart) (http://crimp.marine.csiro.au/nimpis); • Photographs used in Section 3.0 (Marine habitats) - CD-ROM “Marine Life in Western Australia” (CD-ROM produced in collaboration with the Western Australian Museum, CALM and Coastwest/ Coastcare); and • Remaining photographs sourced from CALM (Marine Conservation Branch, archived collection), or otherwise referenced in the MCMP Manual. Updated 12/05/03 Page ii Marine Community Monitoring Manual MARINE COMMUNITY MONITORING MANUAL (2ND EDITION) TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I: ‘STARTING UP” – ESSENTIAL READING 1.0 MANAGING OUR MARINE ENVIRONMENT 2.0 SELECTING A MONITORING PROJECT 2.1 Level 1: General 2.2 Level 2: Impacts, indicators and monitoring methods 3.0 SELECTING A MONITORING SITE 3.1 Control and impact sites 3.2 Re-locatable and opportunistic sites 4.0 COORDINATING A SUCCESSFUL MONITORING PROGRAM 4.1 Developing a framework for your monitoring program 4.2 Putting together a project file 4.3 Seven points to ensure a successful monitoring program 5.0 NETWORKING 5.1 Promoting your project 5.2 Contacting relevant authorities 6.0 HOW TO USE THE MANUAL 6.1 Overview of the manual sections 6.2 Ratings system 6.3 Registration 6.4 Carrying out monitoring 6.5 What happens to your data? 7.0 REGISTRATION FORMS AND RELEVANT DOCUMENTS 7.1 Registration form 7.2 Site registration form 7.3 Framework document (Blank, for you to fill in) PART II: II (A): METHODS. II (B): INFORMATION AND DATA SHEETS PHYSICAL METHODS 1.0 BEACHES 1.1 Beach width 1.2 Beach structure 1.3 Beach profiles 2.0 WATER QUALITY 2.1 Temperature and clarity 2.2 Temperature logger BIOLOGICAL METHODS 3.0 MARINE HABITATS 3.1 Mapping the seabed 3.2 Monitoring the seabed 4.0 CORAL HEALTH 4.1 Bleaching and coral predators 4.2 Annual coral mass spawning 4.3 Coral spawn slicks 5.0 SEAGRASS HEALTH 5.1 Seagrass regeneration 5.2 Seagrass meadow edge Updated 12/05/03 Page iii Marine Community Monitoring Manual 6.0 MONITORING FISH 6.1 Temperate species 7.0 MANGROVE HEALTH 7.1 Mangrove health 8.0 MARINE MAMMALS 8.1 Marine mammals 9.0 INTRODUCED MARINE PESTS 9.1 Introduced marine pests SOICAL METHODS 10.0 LITTER SURVEYS 10.1 Litter surveys 11.0 HUMAN USAGE 11.1 Boat ramp usage 11.2 Recreational boating sites PART III: METHODS – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 1.0 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY 1.1 Background information on aerial photography 1.2 Accessing the DOLA website and viewing images 1.3 Using ER-Viewer to open your image 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTIONS 2.1 The five nautical mile grid system 2.2 Site position (waypoint) 2.3 ‘Mud maps’ 3.0 STANDARD EQUIPMENT USED IN MONITORING 3.1 Waterproof paper or underwater slates 3.2 Tape measures 3.3 Compass 3.4 Tide charts 3.5 Nautical charts 3.6 Photography and video 3.7 Transect lines 3.8 Secchi disc 3.9 Thermometers 3.10 Temperature loggers 3.11 Debenham level PART IV: GENERAL INFORMATION 1.0 HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Evolution of the manual 1.3 Acknowledgments 1.4 Building partnerships: community, managers and scientists 1.5 Management of our marine environment 2.0 SAFETY ISSUES 3.0 BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE WHEN MONITORING PART V: USEFUL REFERENCES PART VI: APPENDICES FIVE NAUTICAL MILE GRID REFERENCE SHEETS FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA Updated 12/05/03 Page iv PART I: “Starting Up” Marine Community Monitoring Manual PART I: REGISTRATION AND ESSENTIAL READING “STARTING UP” It is essential that you read the following chapter before starting your monitoring program. The chapter provides important information to assist you in Starting up a monitoring program, including the necessary Registration forms. Updated 12/05/03 Page v Marine Community Monitoring Manual PART I: TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 MANAGING OUR MARINE ENVIRONMENT PAGE 1 2.0 SELECTING A MONITORING PROJECT PAGE 2 TO 6 2.1 LEVEL 1: WHAT TO MONITOR AND WHY? 2.2 LEVEL 2: IMPACTS, INDICATORS AND MONITORING METHODS 3.0 SELECTING A MONITORING SITE PAGE 6 TO 8 3.1 CONTROL AND IMPACT SITES 3.2 RE-LOCATABLE AND OPPORTUNISTIC SITES 4.0 COORDINATING A SUCCESSFUL MONITORING PROGRAM PAGE 8 TO 10 4.1 DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK FOR YOUR MONITORING PROGRAM 4.2 PUTTING TOGETHER A PROJECT FILE 4.3 SEVEN POINTS TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL MONITORING PROGRAM 5.0 NETWORKING PAGE 10 5.1 PROMOTING YOUR PROJECT 5.2 CONTACTING RELEVANT AUTHORITIES 6.0 HOW TO USE THE MANUAL PAGE 11 TO 13 6.1 OVERVIEW OF THE MANUAL SECTIONS 6.2 RATINGS SYSTEM 6.3 REGISTRATION 6.4 CARRYING OUT MONITORING 6.5 WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR DATA? 7.0 REGISTRATION FORMS AND RELEVANT DOCUMENTS PAGE 14 TO 17 7.1 REGISTRATION FORM 7.2 SITE REGISTRATION FORM 7.3 FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT (BLANK) Photographs: Community monitoring of reef platforms at Garden Island, Western Australia (2003). Updated 12/05/03 Page vi PART I: “Starting Up” Marine Community Monitoring Manual 1.0 MANAGING OUR MARINE ENVIRONMENT Management agencies, government organisations and research institutions monitor the health of marine environments to ensure that changes associated with either human usage or natural events do not arise unnoticed before it is too late to make appropriate management decisions. To better understand this, it maybe worthwhile looking at human health and how we measure and protect our own health. Health in human terms can narrowly be defined as the absence of symptoms of disease or more broadly as the general condition of vitality and well-being. When a person is healthy, or functioning well in mind and body, they can perform all vital functions normally and properly. They are able to recover from normal stresses and require minimal care and maintenance. To monitor our health we monitor, in various ways, a range of indicators such as the presence of pain, a general feeling of well-being, our pulse rate and/or our body temperature. Changes in these indicators provide us with an early warning system of potential health problems. If we do not leave it too late to address the problem, then there is a good chance that we can rectify it before it becomes too serious. The ability of a person to recover from disease, illness or extreme stress depends on their resilience and strength of health. The way we monitor our own health is comparable to how we might monitor environmental health. The health of a marine environment can be measured at three levels: a) individual species level, b) community level (different species) and, c) the ecosystem level (consisting of different communities). The health of an individual species can provide a measurable indication of the health of a community, because one is a component of the other. Likewise the health of a community can provide an indication on the health of a marine ecosystem. As a management tool we need to monitor ‘indicators’ of the health of the marine environment in order to realise changes to the health of the marine ecosystem. This may include monitoring the health of single species (eg. corals or a marine mammal) or monitoring components of a community. If changes from what is considered 'normal' are detected, then something can be done to further investigate the causes of these changes and if necessary, take action to rectify the problem before it is too late. There are increasing pressures on the health of marine ecosystems as a result of our ever-increasing human population. Direct impacts at the coast and indirect human activities inland all contribute to the health of the coastal environment. Examples include: • nutrient loading from industry, agriculture and urbanisation • oil and chemical pollutants from industry • turbidity from sewage, dredging and storm-water discharge • coastal development impacting dunes, beaches and near shore reef systems. • introduced marine pests from ballast water discharge • over-fishing as a result of poorly managed fisheries • physical damage - anchors and cray pots Not all impacts in the marine environment are human induced.