Seeds for Snapper in Cockburn Sound begins, aims to plant two million Posidonia seeds.

Climatic conditions and warmer ocean temperatures have forced an earlier start to the annual seagrass restoration work in Cockburn Sound, but volunteer fishers, divers and researchers remain undeterred from their goal to almost double their previous efforts and plant two million Posidonia seeds. OzFish’s Seeds for Snapper, now in its seventh year, began today after monitoring revealed seagrass fruits were ripening quicker than expected.

OzFish WA Program Manager Steve Pursell said, “Volunteers did two pre-season monitoring dives and could see that there is more advanced fruit than last season.”

Professor Gary Kendrick, from The University of Western Australia (UWA) School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, said the timing of fruit readiness varied each year, depending on environmental conditions.

“But it seems to be getting sooner and sooner, due to climate change,” Professor Kendrick said.

Mr Pursell said, “Luckily, we were prepared for any starting time so the tanks are ready to go, and the volunteers are pumped.”

The project relies on OzFish members, a team of UWA scientists, divers, recreational fishers and the public who collect fruits of seagrass, Posidonia australis, from underwater, before they get released and carried away on the currents. Seeds are then sorted, matured onshore in custom-built tanks, and planted in the bay. Seagrasses store carbon and nutrients, and stabilise soil and sediment on the ocean floor, helping to protect WA’s shorelines from erosion and storm damage – and are a powerful tool against climate change.

“Per square metre, seagrass stores more carbon and converts more CO² into oxygen than trees,” said Mr Pursell.

Professor Kendrick said seagrass unfortunately didn’t always get the attention it deserved.

“Seagrass is the stage, and all the marine life – Snapper, dugongs, birds, whales – are the actors. You don’t think about the stage when you watch a play, and people don’t think about the seagrass – but it is essential to all life in the ecosystem,” he said.

One species that depends on seagrass health is the iconic pink snapper.

Mr Pursell said, “Seagrass helps increase snapper numbers by improving their habitat, so that they can breed, and they can have better places to hide from predators as they grow.”

After the recent warnings from the Restoration Decade Alliance (RDA) that Australia has only six years left to restore ecosystems, and prevent biodiversity collapse, OzFish has stepped up its restoration efforts.

Mr Pursell said, “Our biggest effort so far was 1.2 million seeds in 2022, but this year we are aiming to disperse two million Posidonia seeds. It’s a big ask, but it’s doable – with strong community support.”

OzFish is calling on recreational fishers, divers, researchers and all Western Australians to join OzFish, get involved and help restore ocean habitats – and see fish, like Snapper, thriving again.

“Anyone can get involved,” said Mr Pursell. “There are a range of hands-on events with tasks for all abilities, including netmaking, counting and sorting seagrass seeds and fruit. We encourage anyone to register and help support a sustainable and healthy ecosystem in Cockburn Sound.”

Volunteers can register here.

The project is delivered in partnership with The University of Western Australia, Water Corporation, Synergy and MMA Offshore, with support from Recfishwest and Cockburn Power Boats and BCF – Boating, Camping, Fishing.

Media Contact

For media enquiries, or to arrange interviews with local OzFish experts, please contact the OzFish media team on media@ozfish.org.au or +61 490 783 417.

OzFish

OzFish is a not-for-profit member organisation that partners with fishers and the broader community to invest time and money into the protection and restoration of waterways, counteracting decades of degradation with projects in habitat restoration, resnagging, riverbank planting, clean-ups, fishways, shellfish reefs and educational and community capacity building programs. www.ozfish.org.au. Learn more, join an event near you, or become a member.