parks victoria technical series marine natural values study vol 2 ...

Parks Victoria Technical Series No. 79
Flinders and Twofold Shelf Bioregions Marine Natural Values Study
The introduction of marine pests threatens the integrity of marine biodiversity and may
reduce the social and economic benefits derived from the marine environment (Parks
Victoria 2003). Most marine pests known from Victorian waters are limited to Port Phillip
Bay (Parks Victoria 2003). No marine pests have been recorded in Beware Reef MS,
however one the New Zealand screw shell Maoricolpus roseus (Holmes et al. 2007a) and
New Zealand sea star Astrostole scabra have been recorded in Point Hicks and Cape Howe
MNPs. It is presumed that the introduced green meanie or green shore crab Carcinus
maenas occurs on the intertidal reefs of all the MPAs, except Ninety Mile Beach which has
no intertidal reef. Other species of particular concern include the Northern Pacific seastar
Asterias amurensis, European fanworm Sabella spallanzanii, Japanese kelp Undaria
pinnatifida and broccoli weed Codium fragile (subsp fragile) (Parks Victoria 2003).
The screw shell Maoricolpus roseus has been recorded within the Point Hicks MNP (Heislers
and Parry 2007; Holmes et al. 2007a). This five cm long gastropod was introduced to
Tasmania from New Zealand in the 1920s (Bax et al. 2003). It has now spread out to the 80
m depth contour off the eastern Victorian and New South Wales coasts (Patil et al. 2004). In
New Zealand it is found from soft sediments to exposed habitats. This habitat flexibility
means there is a higher potential for greater ecological and environmental impacts over
larger areas than introduced species restricted to specific inshore environments (Patil et al.
2004). The dense beds of this invasive species change the benthic structure with unknown
(and unexamined) effects on ecosystem services (Patil et al. 2004). It can cover soft
sediments with its hard shell, and once dead, its shell provides abundant homes for a
particular hermit crab that can use its heavy tapered shell, thus potentially shifting the preinvasion
food web (Bax et al. 2003). Dense beds of this burrowing filter feeder may have
adverse impacts on native filter feeders, with native turritellids numbers declining with
increasing M. roseus numbers (Patil et al. 2004). In Point Hicks MNP where this invasive
species was most abundant, the diversity of infauna was reduced, suggesting that this exotic
species poses a serious threat to the high diversity of infauna that is characteristic of much
of Bass Strait (Heislers and Parry 2007).
A virus affecting abalone called abalone viral ganglioneuritus has been slowly spreading
east along Victoria’s west coast. This virus can kill a large percentage of abalone in an area
and has been confirmed from Discovery Bay MNP to Cape Otway (DPI 2009). It is not in the
Beware Reef MS but its spread into the park could have serious long term ecological
consequences for rocky reef communities (DPI 2009).
Climate change represents a serious threat to marine ecosystems (McLeod et al. 2009) but
specific ecological consequences of accelerating climate change are not well understood in
marine systems, particularly in temperate systems. Climate change is predicted to increase
water temperature, alter chemical composition (salinity, acidity and carbonate saturation),
change circulation and productivity, increase frequencies of extreme weather events and
exposure to damaging ultraviolet light (UVB), and increase air temperature, cloud cover and
sea levels (conservatively 80 cm by 2100; CSIRO-BoM 2007; Fine and Franklin 2007; VCC
2008; McLeod et al. 2009). A combined increase in cloud cover and sea level could result in
decreased light availability potentially changing benthic flora. Increased storm surges and
ocean current changes also have the potential to change the distribution of fauna and flora
and could result in loss of habitats (CSIRO-BoM 2007). Intertidal communities will face
increased desiccation, storm wave exposure and habitat shift. Changes in the relationship
between climate and annual life-history events may force major change in functional groups
and consequent ecosystem function (Fine and Franklin 2007). Climate change is also
anticipated to modify species recruitment and habitat connectivity, species interactions and
disturbance regimes in the marine environment (CSIRO-BoM 2007; Fine and Franklin 2007).
A number of species are at the eastern or western limit of their distributional range at
Beware Reef and such species, especially those at the eastern eastern limit of their
distribution, would be particularly vulnerable to climate change. In contrast, the urchin
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