Marine Natural Values Study Summary - Parks Victoria

Major ThreatsMeasures to address or minimisethreats identified for Jawbone MarineSanctuary form part of the parkmanagement plan. Parks Victoria alsouses an adaptive managementapproach which includes periodicreviews of priority natural values andthreats through processes such as theState of the Parks evaluation andsetting of desired conservationoutcomes. Through these processesParks Victoria has identified emergingthreats and developed appropriatemanagement responses and actions.Serious threats include trampling,illegal fishing, increasedsedimentation, disturbance of birds,nutrients from stormwater, pollutantsfrom Kororoit Creek and invasivemarine pests.Several introduced species have beenfound in the sanctuary including theJapanese kelp Undaria pinnatifida,green algae Codium fragile subspeciesfragile, Northern Pacific SeastarAsterias amurensis, green shorecrab Carcinus maenas and EurpoeanFan Worm Sabella spallanzanii.There have also been reports of thepurple urchin Heliocidaris erythrogrammaincreasing in abundance and formingEncrusting ruffled orange sponge and the hard coralPlesiastrea versipora on subtidal reef.Photo by Australian Marine Ecology.barrens (areas devoid of macroalgae)in the northern part of the bay,including the sanctuary. It is unclearwhether the recent increases inabundance are part of a naturalcycle or a persistent increase in thisnative species.Climate change poses a seriousmedium to long term threat tonatural values. Parks Victoria will usean adaptive management approachto develop responses and actions thatfocus on priority climate change issuessuch as extreme weather events andexisting risks that are likely to beexacerbated by climate change.Research and MonitoringParks Victoria has establishedextensive marine research andmonitoring programs that addressimportant management challengesfor the marine national parks andsanctuaries. These focus on improvingbaseline knowledge, as well as appliedmanagement questions.Since the establishment of the parksin 2002 our knowledge andunderstanding of natural values andthreats for the system have improvedsignificantly through the marine scienceprogram. Much of the research hasbeen undertaken as part of theResearch Partners Program involvingcollaboration with variousresearch institutions.There are five ongoing researchprojects and one habitat mappingproject that are relevant to JawboneMarine Sanctuary, while nine researchprojects and one habitat mappingproject have already been completed.The sanctuary has ongoing intertidaland shallow subtidal reef monitoringprograms. Community basedmonitoring of seagrass habitatthrough Sea Search, and fish throughReef Watch, is also conducted.While recognising there are stillknowledge gaps Parks Victoriawill continue to focus on addressingthe information needs that willassist management.For more information, includingmarine habitat mapping products,please see the full versions of theMarine Natural Values reportson www.parks.vic.gov.au.48