Abstract
Industrial development in northwesternAustralia is largely concentrated in fiveports involved with resource export. Thispaper examines the distribution ofmangroves in one of these ports and theeffects of harbour development upon them.The hypothesis tested was that developmenthad not had a significant effect on creekerosion rates or mangrove mortality. Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. dominatedthe mangrove coverage followed by Rhizophora stylosa Griff. Ceriopstagal (Perr.) C.B. Rob., Aegialitisannulata R. Br. and Aegicerascorniculatum (L.) Blanco comprisedslightly more than 2% of the mangroves inthe harbour. Aerial photography was lessuseful than in situ measurements fordiscerning smaller mangrove communities andthe changes associated with creek bankerosion. Erosion rates varied from 0 to2.8 m y-1 and there were fewsignificant differences between creeksadjacent to industrial development andthose far removed from it. It was concludedthat the development within the harbour hasnot significantly impacted on creekerosion. Mangrove mortality was highlyvariable at the landward sites examined andthere was no significant difference betweentree death within and outside the harbour.Recovery of apparently dead trees occurred,possibly due to a reduction in localgroundwater salinity. There was no evidenceto support the hypothesis that harbourdevelopment has adversely affected theaspect of tree health measured in thisstudy.
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