Changes to the distribution of Posidonia seagrass communities of James Point, in response to the development of Cockburn Sound, Western Australia
type: CreativeWork
description: Australia’s oceans provide many economic and environmental benefits both nationally and regionally, and are of particular social, recreational and cultural importance. Western Australia's most intensively used marine embayment is Cockburn Sound, is Cockburn Sound, it supports one of the most extensive Posidoni seagrass communities in Western Australia. The protected coastal waters off the southern metropolitan coastline of Perth arc utilised intensively for industrial, commercial and recreational purposes. Over the past 50 years, wastes have been routinely discharged into Cockburn Sound causing extensive phytoplankton and epiphyte blooms, particularly during the 1960's and 1970's. The development of industrial and naval facilities and the intensification of landuses in the surrounding catchments over the past 50 years have together contributed to major losses of seagrass meadows in Cockburn Sound. Along with the contamination of biota, sediments and water, raising many concerns particularly for the future uses of the area. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has expressed the view that industrial developments should not be considered in isolation, either from each other or existing activities but should be integrated in Cockburn Sound. Since the late 1970's, there have been reductions in the quantities of wastes discharged, however continued monitoring and the implementation of environmentally sustainable policies must continue, as Cockburn Sound remains in a delicate state of ecological balance. This study involved a detailed examination of the industrial development of Cockburn Sound since it began in 1953, and how this development significantly reduced Posidonia seagrass meadows. Original aerial photographs of Cockburn Sound in 5 year intervals since 1948 were used, and the study area of James Point was mapped to establish spatial and temporal patterns in Posidonia seagrass meadows. These patterns were further defined by grouping them into 5 distinct 10 …
abstract: Australia’s oceans provide many economic and environmental benefits both nationally and regionally, and are of particular social, recreational and cultural importance. Western Australia's most intensively used marine embayment is Cockburn Sound, is Cockburn Sound, it supports one of the most extensive Posidoni seagrass communities in Western Australia. The protected coastal waters off the southern metropolitan coastline of Perth arc utilised intensively for industrial, commercial and recreational purposes. Over the past 50 years, wastes have been routinely discharged into Cockburn Sound causing extensive phytoplankton and epiphyte blooms, particularly during the 1960's and 1970's. The development of industrial and naval facilities and the intensification of landuses in the surrounding catchments over the past 50 years have together contributed to major losses of seagrass meadows in Cockburn Sound. Along with the contamination of biota, sediments and water, raising many concerns particularly for the future uses of the area. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has expressed the view that industrial developments should not be considered in isolation, either from each other or existing activities but should be integrated in Cockburn Sound. Since the late 1970's, there have been reductions in the quantities of wastes discharged, however continued monitoring and the implementation of environmentally sustainable policies must continue, as Cockburn Sound remains in a delicate state of ecological balance. This study involved a detailed examination of the industrial development of Cockburn Sound since it began in 1953, and how this development significantly reduced Posidonia seagrass meadows. Original aerial photographs of Cockburn Sound in 5 year intervals since 1948 were used, and the study area of James Point was mapped to establish spatial and temporal patterns in Posidonia seagrass meadows. These patterns were further defined by grouping them into 5 distinct 10 …
author: Muscara, Anthony
keywords: Seagrasses, Posidonia oceanica, Western Australia, Cockburn Sound., Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
date published: 2000-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-27T19:22:16Z
provider: Edith Cowan University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia