PRIME SEAL PRIME SEAL ISLAND Scientific Expedition ISLAND 2008 Scientific Expedition The Hamish Saunders Memorial Island Survey Program HAMISH SAUNDERS MEMORIAL TRUST, NEW ZEALAND 2008 Biodiversity Conservation Branch Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Prime Seal Island Scientific Expedition 2008 A partnership program between the Hamish Saunders Memorial Trust, New Zealand and Biodiversity Conservation Branch, DPIPWE, Tasmania. © Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Book ISBN 13 978-07246-6510-5 Web ISBN 13 978-0-7246-6511-2 Cite as: Harris, S., Driessen, M. and Bell, P. (2009). Prime Seal Island Scientific Expedition 2008. Hamish Saunders Memorial Trust, New Zealand and Biodiversity Conservation Branch, DPIPWE, Hobart, Nature Conservation Report Series 09/3 This work is copyright. It may be reproduced for study, research or training purposes subject to an acknowledgement of the sources and no commercial use or sale. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Branch Manager, Biodiversity Conservation Branch DPIPWE or the Hamish Saunders Memorial Trust, Auckland, New Zealand. PRIME SEAL ISLAND Scientific Expedition 2008 A partnership program between the Hamish Saunders Memorial Trust, New Zealand and Biodiversity Conservation Branch, DPIPWE, Tasmania. Editors: Stephen Harris Michael Driessen assisted by Phil Bell. C ONTENTS 2 Photo by Rolan Eberhard. FOREWORD 4 Hamish Saunders 6 Acknowledgements 6 Summary of Results 7 INTRODUCTION 8 GEODIVERSITY 10 VEGETATION 26 A REVISED FLORA 40 THE MAMMALS 60 THE REPTILES 66 THE DISTRIBUTION AND MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL WEEDS 76 INVERTEBRATE SURVEY 84 PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS OF THE SPIDERS 102 THE MOTHS 110 OBSERVATIONS ON ORTHOPTERA 114 BIRDS 120 NOTES ON NEARSHORE FISHES 128 BRIDGETTE MOFFAT Report of Hamish Saunders Memorial Trust Award Recipient 2008 132 DYLAN VAN WINKEL Report of Hamish Saunders Memorial Trust Award Recipient 2008 134 3 F OREWORD 4 Photo by Rolan Eberhard. The Hamish Saunders The program aims to collect In this volume the results of the Memorial Island Survey scientific information on Tasmanian third expedition are reported. Prime and New Zealand islands as a Seal Island is one of the largest of Program was established contribution to the long term the Outer Furneaux Islands and the in 2005 as the result of management and conservation twelve papers in this volume cover a partnership agreement of their natural values. Islands diverse aspects of its natural values. not only hold a special romantic This will assist in the long-term between the Tasmanian and scenic attraction but are also management of the island by the Government and the Hamish regarded as scientifically important government and the lessees who Saunders Memorial Trust. repositories of biodiversity including currently occupy much of the island. biogeographically significant species. The program arose from The island survey program was Islands are also valuable areas that recently reviewed and both the the tragic loss of this young can be used as benchmarks against Tasmanian Government and New Zealand scientist while which wider threats and changes the Trust have re-affirmed their can be measured. They can also be he was assisting in Tasmanian commitment to building on the considered in some cases as playing Government research on work so far in both Tasmania and a role in quarantining insurance New Zealand. Apart from all the remote Pedra Branca Rock in populations of threatened species. practical benefits, the professional south western Tasmania. Since the partnership agreement and personal interaction that was signed in 2005 each of the this program generates between expeditions has resulted in a report scientists on both sides of the which the department has published Tasman will be one of the legacies of in the Hamish Saunders Memorial Hamish Saunders. Island Survey Program series. Kim Evans Secretary Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Tasmania David Saunders Hamish Saunders Memorial Trust New Zealand 5 Hamish Saunders in local cultures and people. Not Acknowledgements only did he travel to these places, Hamish Saunders was a New but he also took a great interest in We especially thank once again, the Zealand volunteer who died the people around him. He touched Hamish Saunders Memorial Trust tragically in 2003 while conducting many lives. Hamish was a remarkable for participating in the program, survey work on a Tasmanian and talented young man. The passion particularly Alan and David Saunders, endangered species program. and enthusiasm he engendered in and the Trust’s travel award Hamish graduated from Waikato those whom he met and the gentle recipients Bridgette Moffat and University with a First Class leadership he embodied is his legacy. Dylan van Winkel. Sincere thanks to Honours and Masters degree in George Jennings of Shaw and Sons marine geology. He later completed This island survey program is Pty Ltd. and John Cooper of Flinders a postgraduate GIS course with dedicated to the memory of Island who were supportive of the distinction. He also achieved Hamish Saunders and intended as study and provided background qualifications as a scuba dive a platform for emerging leaders in information as needed. James instructor, was a good sportsman marine conservation. The Tasmanian Luddington provided transport and was talented, not solely Government’s commitment and between Flinders Island and Prime academically, but as an all round long-term support for the program Seal Island and we are grateful for individual. was endorsed by the then Minister his logistical support in this regard. for Environment and Planning, The Penny Wells and Mike Pemberton As an explorer, Hamish achieved in Hon. Judy Jackson MHA, on 8 July provided Agency support. We also his 26 years much of which most 2005. thank Wayne Dick, the Parks and only dream. From Antarctica to the Wildlife Service Ranger on Flinders Galapagos, Central America, South Island for taking a keen interest in America, South-East Asia, Europe the study and for visiting the party and Australia, he combined his in the field. Wayne Warren of Parks passion for the natural world and and Wildlife Service, Lois Ireland and conservation with that of an interest Noel Whittaker of Flinders Island were helpful to the party. We thank the many people who provided their time and expertise, some in a volunteer capacity, across the range of specialties dealt with in this report – they are acknowledged separately in the individual reports herein. Thanks to Brett Littleton of the ILS Design Unit in the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment for his design and layout of the report. 6 Summary of Results 7. Prime Seal Island supports one 13. The survey resulted in the first of the greatest diversities of record of the spur-throated 1. Prime Seal Island comprises reptile species of all the Outer locust from eastern Tasmania and a granite basement overlain Furneaux Islands. The presence the first record of a raspy cricket by alkaline dunesands which of cats and house mice could from the eastern Bass Strait accumulated prior to the Last potentially have an effect on the islands. Glacial Maximum. Some dunes reptile fauna. are still mobile. 14. Several new species of 8. The introduced flora was invertebrates were discovered 2. There are a number of significant assessed for problem species. including a new species of geomorphic features, especially Seven of these were mapped centipede, and a possible new around the coast. These have and prioritized for action, 5 of species of bristletail. Over 7 000 been added to the Tasmanian which are high priority. specimens were collected from Conservation Database. the island. 9. The current occupants of the 3. The vegetation comprises 13 island have undertaken extensive 15. The invertebrate fauna of the vegetation communities, including control of boxthorn, with island is quite diverse and likely 3 listed as threatened: Eucalyptus evidence of manual removal to be relatively intact with fewer ovata forest and woodland across much of the island. exotic species than expected. (DOV), Heathland on calcarenite (SHC) and Seabird rookery 10. The mammal survey revealed 16. The invertebrate fauna of complex (SRC). five wild mammal species, one the island is likely to be best of which was the Tasmanian conserved by maintaining the 4. The native vegetation cover pademelon, common on the island in its present condition. has expanded over the last few island. Evidence of Brushtail 17. An undescribed geometrid moth decades. Possum was detected but is a new record for Tasmania. sightings not made. The most 5. An additional 40 species of common introduced mammals plants have been added to those 18. Forty-seven bird species were were house mice and feral cats. known for the island, taking the recorded for the island including wedge-tailed eagles. Although total to 193. 11. The first collection of spiders no presently used nest of the yielded 75 species, including 6. The island has populations of 10 species was found, a disused nest Tasmania’s largest wolf spider threatened plant species. Where was observed. Birds would be Tasmanicosa godeffroyi with a population estimates were favoured by eradication of cats, body length of 26 mm. carried out these demonstrated better fencing in some areas, and much larger populations than 12. A species of cave cricket careful fire management. previously thought. previously known only from 19. Fifty-one fish species were Flinders, Babel and Little Dog recorded inshore on a small Island was found in Manalargenna portion of the east coast of Cave. Prime Seal Island. The species are typical of what could be expected in this locality. 7 I NTRODUCTION FLINDERS ISLAND Whitemark PRIME SEAL ISLAND LOCATION CAPE BARREN IS B ASS STRAIT Launceston Hobart 8 Prime Seal Island. Basemap: 1:25000 map Wybalenna 5656 (reproduced courtesy of TASMAP, DPIPWE). Prime Seal Island, at 1221 limey sands were considered fairly information on which this expedition hectares, is one of the fertile compared with the granite has been able to build.