Seagintro

Seagrass Beds and Fauna of St Kilda Harbour Continued
1. Introduction
1.1 Project Objective	The principal objective of this project is to update The 1987 Seagrass Report which examined the sea-grass beds north of the St Kilda Pier and associated flora and fauna.
This Report identifies:	1. The extent of seagrass beds on the north of the St Kilda Pier 2. Flora and fauna within the Sea-Grass beds 3. Flora and fauna of the surrounding pylon areas 4. Heavy metal pollution within sediments of the study site
	View Seagrass map
	This report presents quantitative information on the distribution of seagrass derived from aerial photographs over a number of years. This information is presented in graphical form to easily allow the identification of change over time. The seagrass beds provide the focus for this study with the pier pylons forming an integral part of the habitat. Due to the close proximity of the seagrass bed habitat and that of the pylon there will be interaction between flora and fauna of the two habitats. Marine scientists and members from Earthcare have collected flora and fauna information on dives conducted throughout this project. Detailed lists of flora and fauna species provide an indication of the diversity that this area supports. St Kilda harbour has long held a perception of a polluted inner city beach and this has further been highlighted with many discarded needles associated with intravenous drug use found on the beaches. The Elwood Canal flows into the bay 2 km south of the study site and Cowderoy Creek which has an outfall point directly into the study reinforces this perception. The presence of The Melbourne Motor Yacht Squadron and the boat pens located on a northern arm of the breakwater are readily identified potential sources of pollution influencing the harbour. Visible pollution in the form of litter from drink and food packaging form the majority of items found in this environment, Earthcare undertook litter removal in the study site during cleanup Australia Day and at other times. The health of the study area could also be gauged from the level of contamination from heavy metals and this information is able to be compared with other sites in Australia. An analysis of sediments in the study site was undertaken for comparative review.
1.2 Differences between the 1987 Report and 2000 Report
	This report serves as snapshot of this environment and is a part of the bigger picture that will indicate the health of this close-shore environment.
	1.2.1 Previous Report - Seagrass Beds in St Kilda Harbour 1987
	The previous report provided baseline data on the location and density of seagrassbeds within St Kilda Harbour. The 1987 report listed fish species and provided ecological interpretation of the importance of the seagrass beds to fish species. The report details the utilization of fish species have with the seagrass beds and concludes that the seagrass beds are of insignificant size to be considered a habitat of importance for these fish or the penguins within Port Phillip Bay.
	Heterzostera tasmanica - Eel Grass
	1.2.2 Seagrass Beds and Fauna of St Kilda Harbour 2000
	This report contains quantitative data of seagrass bed coverage developed from aerial photographs taken over subsequent years and proofed with dives on locations difficult to verify existence of seagrass species solely from aerial photographs.
	Diversity is a major indicator of the health of an environment and it's sustainability. This report seeks to provide comprehensive baseline data giving future studies a reference point to compare and establish trends within the harbour ecosystem. The collation of a detailed species list has been a major step in establishing that information.
	The analysis of heavy metal contamination in sediments from Cowderoy Creek mouth and Site 3 (near-shore seagrass bed) provided quantitative data allowing a comparison with other sites within Port Phillip Bay. Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) guidelines have been included for comparison. The ANZECC guidelines document is still in development but fundamentally it is a policy document that seeks to standardise the way Environment Impact Assessments (EIA) are approached. The document acknowledges the complexity of EIA work as each location has it's own unique set of parameters that influence recommendations arising from the EIA.
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