FINAL REPORT GLNG Marine Ecology Technical Report Prepared for Santos Ltd Santos House Level 14 60 Edward Street Brisbane QLD 4000 11 February 2009 42626220 C:\Documents and Settings\rxborge0\My Documents\URS Report front cover for pdf.doc MARINE ECOLOGY TECHNICAL REPORT Project Manager: URS Australia Pty Ltd Level 16, 240 Queen Street Chris Ryan Brisbane, QLD 4000 Senior Associate Marine GPO Box 302, QLD 4001 Biologist Australia T: 61 7 3243 2111 Project Director: F: 61 7 3243 2199 Chris Pigott Senior Principal Author: Date: 11 February 2009 Reference: 42626227 Status: Final pp. Katherine Kelly Associate Environmental Scientist (Marine) Prepared for Santos Limited, 11 February 2009 MARINE ECOLOGY TECHNICAL REPORT Table of Contents Table of Contents ES Executive Summary ..........................................................................................1 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................1 1.1 Study Background and Objective ..................................................................................1 1.2 The Study Area.................................................................................................................1 1.2.1 Survey Methodology..........................................................................................2 2 Intertidal Habitats..............................................................................................4 2.1 Intertidal Habitat Survey..................................................................................................4 2.1.1 Scope of Work ...................................................................................................4 2.1.2 Site Selection.....................................................................................................4 2.1.3 Survey Techniques............................................................................................4 2.2 Coastal Geomorphology .................................................................................................9 2.3 Intertidal Habitats and Communities .............................................................................9 2.3.1 Rocky Shores ..................................................................................................16 2.3.2 Salt Flats..........................................................................................................16 2.3.3 Sand Beaches .................................................................................................19 2.3.4 Low-tidal Sand Flats........................................................................................21 2.3.5 Low-tidal Mud Flats .........................................................................................21 2.3.6 Mangroves.......................................................................................................23 2.3.7 Mangroves at a Regional Scale ......................................................................33 2.3.8 Seagrass .........................................................................................................34 2.3.9 Invertebrate Fauna ..........................................................................................35 2.3.10 Avifauna...........................................................................................................35 3 Subtidal Habitat...............................................................................................36 3.1 Subtidal Habitat Survey.................................................................................................36 3.1.1 Survey Technique............................................................................................36 3.1.2 Site Selection...................................................................................................39 3.1.3 Data Analysis...................................................................................................40 3.2 Oceanography and Physical Characteristics..............................................................42 3.3 Subtidal Habitats............................................................................................................43 3.3.1 Overview..........................................................................................................43 3.3.2 Coarse Sandy Substrates................................................................................44 3.3.3 Silted Embayments..........................................................................................45 Prepared for Santos Limited, 11 February 2009 i MARINE ECOLOGY TECHNICAL REPORT Table of Contents 3.3.4 Rubble Slopes................................................................................................. 45 3.3.5 Rocky Headlands............................................................................................ 46 3.4 Subtidal Communities .................................................................................................. 47 3.4.1 Sponges.......................................................................................................... 47 3.4.2 Cnidarians....................................................................................................... 48 3.4.3 Macroalgae ..................................................................................................... 53 3.5 Marine Megafauna ......................................................................................................... 53 4 Macrobenthic Fauna Assessment................................................................. 55 4.1 Macrobenthic Fauna Survey ........................................................................................ 55 5 Ecological Significance.................................................................................. 57 5.1 Marine Biogeography.................................................................................................... 57 5.2 Regional Perspective .................................................................................................... 58 6 References ...................................................................................................... 60 7 Limitations....................................................................................................... 63 Prepared for Santos Limited, 11 February 2009 ii MARINE ECOLOGY TECHNICAL REPORT Tables, Figures, Drawings, Plates, Appendices Tables, Figures, Drawings, Plates, Appendices Tables Table 2-1 Intertidal Invertebrate Species Identified During the Port Curtis Survey ........................................10 Table 2-2 Avifauna Recorded from the Intertidal Habitat Survey ...................................................................12 Table 2-3 Mangrove Species Recorded from the Intertidal Habitat Survey....................................................13 Table 3-1 Summary Table of Subtidal Sites Surveyed Within Port Curtis......................................................39 Table 3-2 Marine Species Found Within Port Curtis.......................................................................................41 Figures Figure 2-1 Marine Subtidal Habitat Survey Sites ...............................................................................................6 Figure 2-2 Marine Subtidal Habitat Survey Sites ...............................................................................................7 Figure 2-3 Marine Survey Helicopter GPS Points..............................................................................................8 Figure 2-4 Intertidal & Subtidal Substrate Type ...............................................................................................15 Figure 2-5 Marine Plant and Subtidal Biota .....................................................................................................24 Figure 3-1 Marine Subtidal Habitat Survey Sites .............................................................................................37 Figure 3-2 Marine Subtidal Habitat Survey Sites .............................................................................................38 Figure 3-3 Substrate Type at the Bridge/Pipeline Crossing.............................................................................44 Figure 3-4 Benthic Communities at the Bridge/Pipeline Crossing ...................................................................45 Figure 3-5 Benthic Substrate at Hamilton Point ...............................................................................................46 Figure 3-6 Benthic Communities at Hamilton Point .........................................................................................47 Figure 4-1 Macrobenthic Fauna Field Survey ..................................................................................................56 Plates Plate 2-1 Mixed Intertidal Habitats .................................................................................................................14 Plate 2-2 Rocky Shore on Curtis Island .........................................................................................................17 Plate 2-3 Rocky Shore Mangroves.................................................................................................................17 Plate 2-4 Saltflats on Curtis Island .................................................................................................................18 Plate 2-5 Crab Holes ......................................................................................................................................18