Centre for Marine Futures
Further information
Geographe Bay and the Capes Region of Western Australia contain unique and biodiverse marine communities.
The seagrass meadows of Geographe Bay are some of the most extensive in the world and are home to numerous species invertebrates and fishes. They grow in the near-shore areas and out to depths of 30m in some parts of the Bay.
Similarly, the reefs of Geographe Bay the adjacent Capes Region (Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin and Flinders Bay) contain diverse communities of fishes, algae and invertebrates. The high biological diversity of this region is due to both the range of habitats and the influence of the Leeuwin Current, which brings warm tropical water from the north in autumn and winter.
However, high growth in population and tourism are forecast for the South West region of Western Australia, and this will probably lead to increased pressure on marine resources and the marine environment. Processes that may affect the marine environment include resource extraction, coastal development, sewage disposal, nutrient enriched run-off, fishing, introduced marine organisms and climate change.
Our research
To detect the effects of these processes, the use of marine benchmarks that determine the species diversity, abundance, biomass and sizes of key indicator organisms such as seagrasses, fishes, algae and invertebrates are required. Data on marine benchmarks for the South West region are lacking – a fact that was recognised by the South West Catchments Council (SWCC), which commissioned benchmark studies of both the reef and seagrass communities. These projects are being implemented by UWA’s School of Plant Biology.
The Department of Environment and Conservation is also implementing a marine reserve in the Geographe Bay Capes region for conserving biodiversity. The SWCC/UWA projects will also provide data to assess the effectiveness of the marine park in protecting biodiversity.
This project is funded by Caring for our Country (formerly the Natural Heritage Trust) and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP).
