Shoalwater Bay community members are the backbone of Western Australia’s first long term seagrass investigation.

Seagrass has been recognised as an important part of the ecosystem for some time, as it provides habitat for animals, sediment stability and high nutrient levels.

However, this is the first long term study of seagrass in Western Australia, and one of the few marine surveys relying on the work of the local community in Australia.

Study coordinators Neville Parminter and Libby Burges will be teaching interested community members to take scientific samples from the area.

“The information gathered about seagrass health and coverage in the marine park will be used to assist the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) in their management of the park,” said Mr Parminter.

“Over the next three years, the volunteer team will learn a broad range of scientific skills such as data collection and determining the different species, as well as enjoy the satisfaction of helping the environment.

“We are aiming to discover ways to extract the best science from the community, and let people learn more about their local ecology.

“We hope to link the program with Seagrass Watch, a similar program in Queensland, and eventually create a series of these programs around Australia.”

Mr Parminter began his PhD at Murdoch University’s School of Environmental Science this year. His project aims to develop monitoring indicators for seagrass in Western Australian waters.