Projects seeking sponsorship

These are projects approved by the Scientific Research Committee and seeking support.

Projects for financial year 2011/12

Genetic diversity and connectivity of beds of the native endangered seagrass, Posidonia australis Hook. f. (Posidoniaceae), in New South Wales

Dr Sebastian Holmes,
School of Natural Sciences,
University of Western Sydney
Locked Bag 1797,
Penrith 2751,
NSW, Australia.
Tel: +61 2 9685 9904
Fax: +61 2 9685 9915
Email: s.holmes@uws.edu.au

Introduction

Seagrass beds play an important role in coastal and estuarine processes, acting as nursery grounds for fish, providing habitats for commercially important species and as a major contributor to estuarine productivity . Most species of seagrass are sensitive to human activities , with the decline of Posidonia australis thought to have occurred through activities such as dredging, recreational boating, nutrient enrichment and sedimentation. Despite existing knowledge of what can affect seagrass beds and the local and legislative desire to protect them, beds of P. australis continue to decline, such that P. australis is now classified as an endangered species in NSW [6,8].

Without an understanding of the dispersal capacity of P. australis, the mechanism of dispersal, how beds/estuaries are connected and the underlying genetic diversity of beds, we are unable to effectively manage existing populations and/or predict the likelihood of bed recovery. If dispersal in Posidionia is mediated through drifting wrack, then as a passive process, connectivity and hence gene flow should mimic that of the prevailing oceanographic currents. In which case, existing oceanographic data/models (e.g. Condie et al., 2005; Roughan et al., 2011) can be used to identify areas isolated from mainstream genetic flow or those likely to be important regional sources of genetic diversity, which can then be used to direct and target conservation efforts.

Types of experiments
There are two components to this project. A genetic study to examine bed/population diversity and connectivity, and an oceanographic study using drifters, as a proxy for seagrass wrack, to examine the physical (current driven) connectivity between beds and adjacent estuaries.

Costs

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