OCCA is now ready to monitor mangroves with more than 20 people attending the MangroveWatch training and information sessions held earlier this month. OCCA, with the help of volunteers and the Pamphlett Sea Scouts, will begin monitoring mangroves in October. Monitoring mangroves in the Catchment will provide valuable information for OCCA, as well as contributing to MangroveWatch’s data set of Australia’s mangroves.
The sessions brought to light some interesting facts about mangroves:
- Mangroves have been protected under the Fisheries Act since 1905
- Mangroves are a very good indicator of change and about what is happening upstream in the catchment
- There are 80 species of mangrove worldwide and 46 of those species are in Australia
- In the months of September and October you will start to see mangrove seedlings
- Sediment is the number one threat to mangroves
Thank you to all the volunteers who gave up their Satrudays to come along. Thanks also to Dr Norm Duke and Jock Mackenzie from the Mangrove Hub, James Cook University for conducting the training, and the Pamphlett Sea Scouts for hosting the sessions. The sessions were supported by OCCA, Healthy Waterways and funding from the State Government’s Everyone’s Environment Grant.