Doomed coastal underwater forest returning thanks to marine ecologists
IT WAS lost to pollution but now a lost underwater forest that once ran along the coastline but was killed by sewage pollution in the 1980s is returning to Sydney’s east.
Southern Courier
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A LOST underwater forest that once ran along Sydney’s coastline has returned to Coogee Beach.
Marine ecologists from the University of NSW are six years into restoring a 70km stretch of crayweed forest between Palm Beach and Cronulla.
The seaweed was killed by sewage pollution in the 1980s.
The UNSW team has just won the NSW Government’s Natural Environment Award for the innovative project.
“It’s about restoring a habitat that use to be there and as a result increasing the biodiversity of the area,” marine ecologist Adriana Verges said.
Operation Crayweed has successfully determined that the former crayweed ecosystem was vitally important to the local marine biodiversity, supporting species such as abalone and crayfish.
“It has a niche and when you lose that species you have lost that niche,” Dr Verges said.
“We’ve started the planting of six sites and one of them is at the south end of Coogee Beach.
“We also have a controlled site so we have really good baseline data and we’ll be monitoring to see if the crayweed creates a self-sustaining patch.”
Healthy, fertile adults from existing populations are attached to deforested rocks using biodegradable mesh.
After a few months Dr Verges and colleagues Peter Steinbery, Dr Ezequiel Marzinelli and Dr Alexandra Campbell, will return to the site to look for crabies, or baby crayweed.
SEWAGE AT COOGEE STORMWATER OUTLET
“North Bondi has been very successful. We planted in July next to the boat ramp and they’ve already had crabies,” she said.
Replanting at Long Bay and Little Bay has been completed and after Coogee comes Maroubra and ultimately the entire 70km stretch of foreshore.
Dr Verges said once the colonies were established they would make perfect sites for free divers and snorkellers to explore.
To support Operation Crayweed head to operationcrayweed.com
