NERP TE Project 5.3 Vulnerability of seagrass habitats in the GBR to flood plume impacts: light, nutrients and salinity (JCU)

The Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program (RRMMP) has identified that seagrass meadows along the Great Barrier Reef are in a state of decline. This project will undertake desktop analyses to quantify the exposure of seagrass meadows to flood plumes. Aquaria experiments will measure responses of seagrass to variation in light, nutrients and salinity. This project will also use use True Colour Remote sensing images, to derive flood plume exposure and relate to changes in seagrass abundance and composition. The results will be synthesised to define thresholds of concern of water quality impacts, with a particular focus on flood plumes, and input into the development of guidelines for the protection of seagrass meadows.\n\nTasks include: \n1. Quantifying the level of exposure of seagrass meadows to changes in water quality associated with flood plumes (using True Colour Remote sensing) in coastal regions of the GBR.\n \n2. Measurement of changes in biological traits (e.g. growth, biomass) of seagrass in relation to water quality (Light, nutrients, salinity) determined by experimental studies.\n\n3. Experimental testing of indicators of seagrass status adopted in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Monitoring Program (MMP) (e.g. nutrient ratios) in response to changes in water quality. \n\n4. Experimental verification of water quality response models and thresholds, in particular in relation to the MMP.

珊瑚礁救援海洋监测计划（Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program, RRMMP）已发现，大堡礁（Great Barrier Reef）沿岸的海草床（seagrass meadows）正处于衰退状态。本项目将开展桌面研究分析，以量化海草床受洪水羽流（flood plumes）的暴露程度。水族箱实验将测定海草对光照、营养盐及盐度变化的响应。本项目还将利用真彩色遥感影像（True Colour Remote sensing images），获取洪水羽流暴露数据，并将其与海草丰度与组成的变化相关联。研究结果将被综合整理，以明确值得关注的水质影响阈值（重点聚焦洪水羽流），并为海草床保护指南的制定提供参考依据。

研究任务包括：
1. 针对大堡礁沿岸区域，利用真彩色遥感技术量化海草床受洪水羽流相关水质变化的暴露程度。

2. 通过实验研究，测定海草的生物学特征（如生长速率、生物量）随水质（光照、营养盐、盐度）变化的情况。

3. 针对水质变化响应情况，对大堡礁海洋监测计划（Marine Monitoring Program, MMP）所采用的海草健康状态指标（如营养盐比值）开展实验验证。

4. 针对水质响应模型及阈值（尤其是与海洋监测计划相关的部分）开展实验验证。