The Islands of Macquarie Harbour
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MACQUARIE HARBOUR MACQUARIE THE ISLANDS OF Resource, Management and Conservation Division Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment THE ISLANDS OF GPO Box 44 Hobart, Tasmania, 7001 MACQUARIE HARBOUR Hamish Saunders Memorial Island Survey Program 2009 HAMISH SAUNDERS MEMORIAL TRUST, NEW ZEALAND Editors Michael Pemberton and Clare Hawkins Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment CITATION: Pemberton, M., Hawkins, C. (2011). THE ISLANDS OF MACQUARIE HARBOUR. Hamish Saunders Memorial Trust, New Zealand and Resource Management and Conservation Division, DPIPWE, Hobart, Nature Conservation Report Series 11/01 ISBN (Book): 978-0-7246-6567-9 ISBN (Web): 978-0-7246-6568-6 A partnership program between the Hamish Saunders Memorial Trust, New Zealand and Resource Management and Conservation Division, DPIPWE, Tasmania. DESIGN AND LAYOUT: ILS Design Unit, DPIPWE ILLUSTRATIONS: Brett Littleton OBJECTS PHOTOGRAPHY: Graeme Harrington, Tasphoto Services, DPIPWE COVER: Narrow cobble beach on the east coast of Neck Island. Photo Paul Donaldson. INSIDE COVER: Cape Sorell Lighthouse. Photo Brett Littleton. © Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, 2011. This publication is printed on recycled paper. COPYRIGHT 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 Resource Management and Conservation Division, DPIPWE or the Hamish Saunders Memorial Trust, Auckland, New Zealand. THE ISLANDS OF MACQUARIE HARBOUR Hamish Saunders Memorial Island Survey Program 2009 HAMISH SAUNDERS MEMORIAL TRUST, NEW ZEALAND DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES, PARKS, WATER AND ENVIRONMENT Editors Michael Pemberton and Clare Hawkins TABLE OF CONTENTS Hamish Saunders Memorial Island Survey Program 2009 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 FOREWORD 5 Hamish Saunders 6 Acknowledgements 6 Summary of Results 7 INTRODUCTION 9 NEW ZEALAND VOLUNTEER REPORTS 13 GEODIVERSITY 19 BIODIVERSITY 37 Flora 37 Fauna 73 FOREWORD Hamish Saunders Memorial Island Survey Program 2009 5 The Hamish Saunders Memorial Island Survey Program was established in 2005 as a result of a partnership agreement between the Tasmanian Government and the Hamish Saunders Memorial Trust following the tragic loss of Hamish while assisting in a conservation survey on Pedra Branca, an island about 20 km south of Tasmania in 2003. The aim of the program is to Islands play an important role in survey an island each year to nature conservation given they collect information on natural can be remote and difficult to values which will contribute to the access providing natural barriers management and conservation to some threats. Their remoteness of these islands. The survey also means that there is a lack conducted in 2009 in Macquarie of data for these places so the Harbour was the fourth in Hamish Saunders Memorial Trust a series of multi disciplinary Program provides the perfect investigations following work on opportunity to collect information Tasman Island, Three Hummock that can contribute to island Island and Prime Seal Island in conservation but also provide a previous years. lasting legacy to Hamish Saunders. The Hamish Saunders Memorial Like past surveys the Macquarie Island Survey Program provides Harbour Islands survey has important information on island resulted in the collection of conservation but is also a great a wide range of information opportunity for conservation which will assist in the future scientists, including two New management of these important Zealand volunteers, to visit an places. island for about a week and work cooperatively to assess the natural diversity of these places. Alistair Scott General Manager, Resource Management and Conservation Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment 6 Hamish Saunders Memorial Island Survey Program 2009 Hamish Saunders natural world and conservation Acknowledgements with that of an interest in local Hamish Saunders was a cultures and people. Not only did The Hamish Saunders Memorial New Zealand volunteer who he travel to these places, but he Trust is acknowledged for taking died tragically in 2003 while also took a great interest in the part in the survey. In particular conducting survey work on a people around him. He touched Alan and David Saunders who Tasmanian endangered species many lives. manage the trust in New Zealand program. Hamish graduated and who assisted with the from Waikato University with a Hamish was a remarkable and selection of the two volunteers First Class Honours and Masters talented young man. The passion from New Zealand Briar Hill and degree in marine geology. He and enthusiasm he engendered Natasha Wilson, thanks to you all. later completed a postgraduate in those whom he met and the GIS course with distinction. He gentle leadership he embodied Chris Arthur, Parks and Reserves also achieved qualifications as a is his legacy. This island survey Manager, West Coast who scuba dive instructor, was a good program is dedicated to the suggested the Macquarie Harbour sportsman and was talented, not memory of Hamish Saunders Survey and assisted with the solely academically, but as an all and intended as a platform for logistics and operational side. His round individual. emerging leaders in marine expert boatmanship was also conservation. The Tasmanian appreciated. As an explorer, Hamish achieved Government’s commitment in his 26 years much of which and long-term support for the For assistance in the preparation most only dream. From Antarctica program was endorsed by the of the geodiversity section, thanks to the Galapagos, Central then Minister for Environment and to Mike Comfort, Rolan Eberhard America, South America, South- Planning, The Hon. Judy Jackson and Jason Bradbury for their East Asia, Europe and Australia, MHA, on 8 July 2005. editing and comments on drafts; he combined his passion for the Greg Jordan for his thoughts on plant fossil significance; and all others involved in the islands of Macquarie Harbour expedition. For flora support thanks to David Storey for his assistance with data analysis, Tim Rudman and Micah Visoiu for their help identifying flora species. For support in the fauna component, thanks to Bob Mesibov: millipede and centipede identification; Kevin Bonham: snails, collembola identification; Michael Driessen: cave cricket and rodent identification; Lynne Forster: spider and beetle identification; Hamish Saunders Memorial Island Survey Program 2009 7 Fox Eradication Branch for the Biodiversity – Vegetation been recorded in Macquarie loan of video cameras; Tracey Harbour. Of the newly recorded Hollings for loan of hair tubes; A total of fifteen discrete TASVEG taxa, forty-nine were identified Robert Raven (Queensland vegetation communities were to species level and thirty- Museum): spider identification; recorded during the survey. three were identified as distinct Alastair Richardson: isopod and Of these 3 were Threatened morphospecies, while the rest amphipod identification ; Michael communities listed on Schedule were identified less precisely. Rix (Western Australian Museum): 3a of the Nature Conservation Numerous bird species had Micropholcomma and Hickmanapsis Act (2002). The most significant previously been recorded in spider identification; Barbara Triggs: community was MSP (Sphagnum ‘Macquarie Harbour’, but the mammalian hair identification; peatland) as there are only survey provided more specific finally Stephen Harris is thanked two other known sites for this locations for many of these for his final edit of this report. community at sea level. species. Summary of Results A total of 122 vascular flora Isopod specimens of the genus species from 56 families were Notoniscus found on three of Geodiversity recorded across the islands the islands were likely to be a surveyed. The species are new species. The findings also The islands of Macquarie comprised of 50 higher plants particularly extended the known Harbour are geologically and (7 monocots and 44 dicots) distribution of two invertebrates: geomorphologically diverse. and 13 lower plants. Of the the land snail Stenacapha species recorded, 14 are endemic vitrinaformis and the weevil The islands are composed of to Australia; 1 occurs only in Mandalotus subterraneus. either poorly consolidated Tasmania. Eighteen species are Tertiary gravels, semi-lithified considered to be primitive. There A few exotic species were Tertiary sandstone or Cambrian were 24 introduced species found identified: most significantly, hair to Precambrian meta-sedimentary with 9 of these being listed weeds. tubes collected hair that was basement rocks. One orchid species was found confirmed as cat hair on Philips that was not known to occur in Island, and suspected as cat hair The morphology of the islands are the south west of the state and on Cat Island. heavily influenced by their lithology, this discovery has considerably ranging from low-lying gravel increased the known range of A sea eagle’s nest was found on islands bound by narrow cobble this species. All vascular species Philips Island. beaches and extensive marshlands recorded are either represented It is recommended that cat to steep bedrock islands with in reserves in each bioregion or eradication is considered, and dominantly cliffed coastlines and are reserved in half the bioregions that disturbance on Philips Island rocky shore platforms.