OzFish volunteers take fish habitat monitoring into their own hands
Increased dredging in the Peel-Harvey estuary and its potential impact on seagrass meadows has inspired volunteers of fishing conversation charity OzFish Unlimited to take environmental monitoring into their own hands.
Seagrass provides important habitat for various recreational fish species, such as the iconic blue swimmer crab, which is often caught within the Peel-Harvey system by recreational fishers.
Jim Booker, OzFish Peel-Harvey Chapter President, has been crabbing in this region for many years and says that there is growing concern with how the local fish habitat is holding up.
“There are large amounts of sediment being stirred up and blanketing seagrass meadows from the sunlight which they need to survive and grow,” said Jim.
To prevent losses, OzFish and its members have developed a citizen science initiative using underwater video cameras to collect data on seagrass abundance and health.
OzFish Fremantle Chapter President, Logan Penman, has been guiding the science behind the project, which he believes is integral to the project’s success.
“Underwater video monitoring is commonly used by scientists to collect fish habitat data that is essential for conservation efforts,” Logan said.
“The process involves deploying an underwater camera attached to a metal frame off the side of a boat, which captures an image of the habitat each time it touches the seafloor.
“The data collected from this project will be used to form a catalogue of habitat in the Peel-Harvey estuary and may be used to detect changes in seagrass cover over time,” he said.
The project has been supported by the University of Western Australia and funded by BCF-Boating, Camping Fishing and Navico.
If you would like to know more about the project or get involved become a member of OzFish or contact 1800 431 308.