Science evaluation of coastal wetland systems repair projects across GBR catchments (NESP TWQ 3.3.2, JCU and Griffith University)

This data set contains high frequency logging data to measure water depth, water temperature and electrical conductivity in project wetland sites. In addition fish catch data in wetlands recorded during this project, using electro-fish boat.

Coastal wetlands adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) have incredible environmental, cultural and economic value. Despite this, many floodplains in the GBR catchments have been modified, impacted or lost entirely because of continuing land use change (such as agricultural, aquaculture, peri-urban/urban, and industrial expansion). Of the floodplains and their wetlands remaining many now provide severely reduced aquatic and avian habitat, due to alien weed infestation and poor water quality. A large number of coastal wetlands have also lost their connectivity with estuaries that flow into the GBR lagoon (e.g. due to earth bunding), which can impact marine and freshwater aquatic (diadromous) species that have a critical estuary lifecycle phase, and rely on this connectivity between the reef and shallow tidal and freshwater wetlands. The overall project objective is to evaluate existing and future coastal wetland system repair investments, covering a combination of project sites across Great Barrier Reef catchment area, to explicitly evaluate how these projects achieve biodiversity improvements, water quality benefits and connectivity with downstream marine coastal habitats (for aquatic species with diadromous ecology).

Methods:
High frequency water depth logging
Water depth, temperature and electrical conductivity were monitored by loggers (CTD-Diver, Eijkelkamp Soil & Water, Netherlands) located in the wetland. The loggers captured data from the bottom of the water column (~ 10 cm above the soil surface) every 20 minutes, and were downloaded as part of routine maintenance visits. Each logger was installed inside a PVC pipe (3m height, 90mm diameter) that was attached to a steel star picket. Loggers were attached to a stainless steel wire cord that was attached to the top of the PVC pipe for easy retrieval (downloading the data and maintenance). The loggers were downloaded every few months.

Fish surveys (electrofishing) – Burdekin floodplain
Sampling was completed using a Smith-Root 2.5 GPP generator boat-mounted electrofishing unit, involving use of a single pass electro-fishing techniques following a standardised protocol (5-7 five minute shots, depending on size of water body), with effort standardised to number of individuals caught per minute of fishing time. All fish were measured (standard length in mm) and identified according to (Allen et al. 2002). Sampling was non-destructive with all fish returned to the water, apart from non-native species which were retained and euthanised in accordance with Australian Law.

Fish surveys (fyke net) – Roundhill Reserve
Fyke nets (wing width: 5 m, mesh size: 1 mm) were set in approximately 30cm water at all sites. Nets were set in the afternoon and retrieved the following morning. Fish were identified and measured (SL: standard length) before being returned to the water except declared fish species that were euthanized and disposed of under Queensland legislation.

For more details see:
Wallace, J., Adame, M.F., Waltham N.J. A constructed wetland near Babinda, north Queensland: a case study of potential water quality benefits in an agricultural tropical catchment (2020) Report to the National Environmental Science Program. Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Limited, Cairns (76pp.).

Wallace, J., Adame, M. F., Karim, F., Abbott, B., Waltham, N. J. (2020) Saltwater intrusion by removing bund walls to control invasive aquatic weeds on coastal floodplains. Report to the National Environmental Science Program. Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Limited, Cairns (109pp.).

Waltham, N.J., Buelow, C.A., and Iles, J.A. (2020) Evaluating wetland restoration success: feral pig exclusion fencing in the Round Hill reserve. Report to the National Environmental Science Program. Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Limited, Cairns (98 pp.).

Format:
All data are in Excel format.

References:
Abott B, Wallace J, Nicholas M, Waltham N (2020) Water quality improvements following bund wall removal. PloSONE 15 (1).

Waltham NJ, Wearne L, Buelow C, Pyott M (In Revision) Tracking degraded tropical coastal floodplain restoration efforts for fish production.

Waltham NJ, Coleman L, Fry S, Buelow C, Burrows D (In revision) 18 years of restoration efforts to retain fish nursery values along agriculture drainage floodplain. Ocean & Coastal Management

Data Location:

This dataset is filed in the eAtlas enduring data repository at: data\custodian\2017-2019-NESP-TWQ-3\3.3.2_Wetlands-repair-evaluation

本数据集包含项目湿地站点中用于测量水深、水温及电导率的高频日志数据。此外，还包括项目期间使用电鱼船记录的湿地鱼类捕获数据。

毗邻大堡礁（Great Barrier Reef，GBR）的滨海湿地具有极高的环境、文化及经济价值。尽管如此，由于持续的土地利用变化（如农业、水产养殖、城郊/城市及工业扩张），GBR流域内的许多洪泛平原已被改造、破坏或完全消失。剩余的洪泛平原及其湿地中，许多因外来杂草入侵和水质恶化，提供的水生及鸟类栖息地已大幅减少。大量滨海湿地也失去了与流入GBR泻湖的河口之间的连通性（例如因土堤修筑），这会影响具有关键河口生命周期阶段且依赖礁体与浅潮及淡水湿地之间连通性的海洋及淡水水生（洄游性，diadromous）物种。本项目的总体目标是评估现有及未来的滨海湿地系统修复投资，涵盖GBR流域内的多个项目站点，以明确评估这些项目如何实现生物多样性提升、水质改善及与下游滨海生境（针对具有洄游生态的水生物种）的连通性。

方法：
高频水深日志监测
水深、水温及电导率由位于湿地内的记录仪（CTD-Diver，荷兰Eijkelkamp Soil & Water公司）监测。记录仪每20分钟从水柱底部（距土壤表面约10厘米处）采集一次数据，并在常规维护访问时下载数据。每个记录仪安装在PVC管（高3米，直径90毫米）内，PVC管固定在钢制星形桩上。记录仪通过不锈钢线缆连接到PVC管顶部，以便于取回（下载数据及维护）。记录仪每数月下载一次数据。

鱼类调查（电鱼法）——伯德金洪泛平原
采样使用Smith-Root 2.5 GPP发电机船载电鱼装置完成，采用遵循标准化协议的单次电鱼技术（根据水体大小进行5-7次5分钟电击），捕捞努力量标准化为每分钟捕捞的个体数量。所有鱼类均测量（标准体长，单位：毫米）并根据Allen等（2002）的方法鉴定。采样为非破坏性，所有鱼类均放回水中，但外来物种除外——这些物种根据澳大利亚法律被保留并实施安乐死。

鱼类调查（袋网法）——朗德希尔保护区
在所有站点的约30厘米深水中设置袋网（fyke net，翼宽：5米，网眼大小：1毫米）。网具于下午布设，次日早晨收回。鱼类在放回水中前进行鉴定和测量（SL：标准体长），但已申报的鱼类物种除外——这些物种根据昆士兰州法规被安乐死并处理。

更多详情参见：
Wallace, J.、Adame, M.F.、Waltham N.J.《昆士兰州北部巴宾达附近的人工湿地：热带农业流域水质潜在效益的案例研究》（2020），提交给国家环境科学计划的报告，大堡礁与雨林研究中心有限公司，凯恩斯（76页）。
Wallace, J.、Adame, M.F.、Karim, F.、Abbott, B.、Waltham, N.J.《通过拆除土堤控制滨海洪泛平原外来水生杂草的盐水入侵》（2020），提交给国家环境科学计划的报告，大堡礁与雨林研究中心有限公司，凯恩斯（109页）。
Waltham, N.J.、Buelow, C.A.、Iles, J.A.《评估湿地修复成效：朗德希尔保护区的野猪 exclusion围栏》（2020），提交给国家环境科学计划的报告，大堡礁与雨林研究中心有限公司，凯恩斯（98页）。

格式：
所有数据均为Excel格式。

参考文献：
Abott B、Wallace J、Nicholas M、Waltham N（2020）《拆除土堤后的水质改善》，《公共科学图书馆·综合》15（1）。
Waltham NJ、Wearne L、Buelow C、Pyott M（修订中）《追踪退化热带滨海洪泛平原修复对鱼类生产的影响》。
Waltham NJ、Coleman L、Fry S、Buelow C、Burrows D（修订中）《18年修复努力：维持农业排水洪泛平原的鱼类 nursery价值》，《海洋与海岸管理》。

数据位置：
本数据集存档于eAtlas长期数据仓库，路径为：datacustodian2017-2019-NESP-TWQ-33.3.2_Wetlands-repair-evaluation