Assessment of Common Conservation Values - Intertidal and Subtidal Environs of the Baffle to Fitzroy Coast - Version 1.1 Prepared by: Biodiversity Assessment, Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment and Science. © State of Queensland, 2019. The Queensland Government supports and encourages the dissemination and exchange of its information. The copyright in this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY) licence. Under this licence you are free, without having to seek our permission, to use this publication in accordance with the licence terms. You must keep intact the copyright notice and attribute the State of Queensland as the source of the publication. For more information on this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en Disclaimer This document has been prepared with all due diligence and care, based on the best available information at the time of publication. The department holds no responsibility for any errors or omissions within this document. Any decisions made by other parties based on this document are solely the responsibility of those parties. Information contained in this document is from a number of sources and, as such, does not necessarily represent government or departmental policy. If you need to access this document in a language other than English, please call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 131 450 and ask them to telephone Library Services on +61 7 3170 5470. This publication can be made available in an alternative format (e.g. large print or audiotape) on request for people with vision impairment; phone +61 7 3170 5470 or email <[email protected]>. Citation DES 2019. Assessment of Common Conservation Values - Intertidal and Subtidal Environs of the Baffle to Fitzroy Coast, Version 1.1. Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Government. Acknowledgements This report was prepared by Stephen Trent, Catherine Walsh, David McFarland, Jesse Rowland, Ofalia Ho, Shane Chemello, Courtney Duncan, Mark Kelton and Steven Howell. The authors wish to thank all the experts who gave their time and knowledge at the expert panel workshops and/or through out of panel consultation. The authors wish to thank all organisations individuals who provided records for the purpose the report, including Fisheries Queensland, Gladstone Ports Corporation (and the numerous sub-contractors that undertook the studies), Tony Courtney, Michael Rasheed, Roland Pitcher, Helene Marsh, Daniela Ceccarelli, Central Queensland University and Atlas of Living Australia. Cover Photo: Queensland government imagery July, 2019 Assessment of Common Conservation Values - Intertidal and Subtidal Environs of the Baffle to Fitzroy Coast - Version 1.1 Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 1.1 Study Area ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Panel composition ........................................................................................................................................ 10 1.3 Workshop format .......................................................................................................................................... 12 1.4 Criteria assessed .......................................................................................................................................... 12 2 Criterion 1 - Habitat Diversity............................................................................................................................... 14 2.1 Approach ...................................................................................................................................................... 14 2.1.1 Stratification .......................................................................................................................................... 17 2.1.2 Assignment of relative ratings ............................................................................................................... 17 2.2 Habitat diversity results ................................................................................................................................ 18 3 Criterion 2 –Taxon Richness (Fauna) ................................................................................................................. 21 3.1 Approach ...................................................................................................................................................... 21 3.1.1 Stratification .......................................................................................................................................... 21 3.1.2 Assignment of relative ratings ............................................................................................................... 24 3.2 Avian taxa richness results........................................................................................................................... 25 3.3 Fish, sharks, rays and skates taxa richness results ..................................................................................... 26 3.4 Mammal and reptile taxa richness results .................................................................................................... 27 3.5 Anthozoa taxa richness results .................................................................................................................... 28 3.6 Other invertebrate taxa richness results ...................................................................................................... 29 3.7 Overall generalised taxon richness results .................................................................................................. 30 4 Criterion 3 - Threatened Species Richness (Fauna) ........................................................................................... 31 4.1 Approach ...................................................................................................................................................... 31 4.1.1 Assignment of relative ratings ............................................................................................................... 31 4.2 Threatened species richness results ............................................................................................................ 32 5 Criterion 4 – Priority Species Richness (Fauna) ................................................................................................. 52 5.1 Approach ...................................................................................................................................................... 52 5.1.1 Assignment of relative ratings ............................................................................................................... 52 5.2 Priority species richness results ................................................................................................................... 53 6 Criterion 5 - Ecological Communities At Risk ...................................................................................................... 71 6.1 Approach ...................................................................................................................................................... 71 6.2 Listed threatened ecological communities ................................................................................................... 72 6.3 Other at risk ecosystems (identified by the panel) ....................................................................................... 76 6.4 Compiled At Risk Ecosystem conservation ratings ...................................................................................... 83 7 Criterion 6 - Special Features .............................................................................................................................. 84 7.1 Approach ...................................................................................................................................................... 84 7.2 Special Features .......................................................................................................................................... 85 7.3 Compiled special area results .................................................................................................................... 110 iii Assessment of Common Conservation Values - Intertidal and Subtidal Environs of the Baffle to Fitzroy Coast - Version 1.1 8 Discussion ......................................................................................................................................................... 111 8.1 Limitations .................................................................................................................................................. 111 8.2 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................... 112 8.3 Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 112 References ................................................................................................................................................................ 114 Tables Table