Maximising establishment success of Amphibolis antarctica seedlings

Abstract

Coastal developments of all scales impact on seagrass meadows. Mitigation for loss of seagrass ecosystems is increasingly being required by regulatory agencies to compensate for coastal developments and while many attempts have been made to transplant seagrasses, there are concerns about the long-term viability of these efforts, as well as the sustainability of harvesting natural seagrass material for transplantation. The present pilot study demonstrates a novel way of maximising establishment of Amphibolis antarctica seedlings. Seedlings were planted and tethered using an innovative spiral peg, in a bare sand area adjacent to a mature Amphibolis meadow in Shoalwater Bay, Western Australia. Survival and growth were monitored over two years. After two years, 29.4% of seedlings survived into well-established mature plants. By enhancing establishment success of seedlings it is anticipated that more rapid and sustainable rehabilitation of Amphibolis seedlings will be possible.