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

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Parks Victoria Technical Series No. 79 Flinders and Twofold Shelf Bioregions Marine Natural Values Study ruffled grey sponge, encrusting sponges, gorgonian fan Pteronisis sp., thallose red algae, encrusting ruffled yellow sponge, unidentified aboresecent bryozoans, lace bryozoans Triphyllozoon moniliferum and hard bryozoans (Edmunds et al. 2009). Invertebrate fauna The invertebrate species richness typically ranged from 10–20 species, with the common invertebrate assemblages appearing to differ according to the exposure at the different sites (Edmunds et al. 2007). Assemblage structure at the more sheltered sites, Roaring Meg Bight, Fenwick Point and Central Waterloo Bay, consist of a high abundance of the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma and moderate abundances of blacklip abalone Haliotis rubra and the featherstar Cenolia trichoptera. The sea stars Nectria ocellata, Nectria macrobrachia and Plectaster decanus are also common. At more exposed sites, South Norman Point, North of Sea Eagle Bay and Sea Eagle Bay, Haliotis rubra is more dominant in abundance and Heliocidaris erythrogramma is relatively less abundant. Nectria macrobrachia and Plectaster decanus is also less abundant at sheltered sites. The warrener Turbo undulatus tends to be more abundant at exposed sites. South Norman Point and North of Sea Eagle has moderate to high abundances of Haliotis rubra, but has comparatively low abundances of Heliocidaris erythrogramma and Cenolia trichoptera. The Fenwick Point and Central Waterloo Bay sites had high abundances of Heliocidaris erythrogramma and low abundances of Cenolia trichoptera and Haliotis rubra (Edmunds et al. 2007). The abundance of these invertebrates is higher than found in the adjacent Central bioregion (Edmunds et al. 2000). Over the ten SRMP surveys, the urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii has been recorded in low abundance at East Landing and just outside the MNP at Glennie Island (Edmunds et al. 2007). When in high densities C. rodgersii causes community shifts from macrophyte dominated reefs to urchin barrens. This species is of particular interest as in recent years it has increased its range down the east coast of Australia to Tasmania, causing major losses in macrophyte reef communities. Wilsons Promontory appears to be a western satellite site for the urchin as it is found in high abundance in the Twofold Shelf bioregion on the east coast of Victoria, but not the Bunurong Marine Park on the central coast (Edmunds et al. 2007). Two pycnogonid species (Stylopallene dorsospinum and Achelia transfugoides) have been found on subtidal reefs and were new records for Victoria (O'Hara 2000). The bryozoan fauna near Lighthouse and Waterloo Bay is composed of large colonies of Canda arachnoides, Amathia plumosa, Amathia woodsii, Orthoscuticella, Euthyroides episcopalis and Triphyllozoon munitum attached either to rock, Ecklonia radiata holdfasts or Ecklonia radiata fronds (O'Hara 2000). Fish The fish fauna of Wilsons Promontory is composed primarily of wide-ranging cool temperate species endemic to Southern Australian, with a much smaller proportion of warmer-water temperate species towards the southern limits of their range (Plummer et al. 2003). Wilsons Promontory MNP is considered to have relatively high species richness and high diversity indices along with higher than average abundances for most fish species compared to other central Victorian areas (Edmunds et al. 2000). Notable are the colony of old wives Enoplosus armatus (Figure 11) at Oberon Bay, sea dragons of Tongue Point, the large bastard trumpeter Latriopsis forsteri of South Point, and the exceptionally high abundances of planktivorous fishes (Edmunds 2003). Species richness of fishes at Wilsons Promontory MNP is between 15 and 25 at most sites (Edmunds et al. 2007). The common fish species are: the barber perch Caesioperca rasor; blue-throated wrasse Notolabrus tetricus; purple wrasse Notolabrus fucicola; southern hulafish Trachinops caudimaculatus; silver sweep Scorpis lineolata; and magpie perch Cheilodactylus nigripes. Other common species 19
Parks Victoria Technical Series No. 79 Flinders and Twofold Shelf Bioregions Marine Natural Values Study included: the toothbrush leatherjacket Acanthaluteres vittiger; herring cale Odax cyanomelas; butterfly perch Caesioperca Lepidoptera (Figure 4); sea sweep Scorpis aequipinnis; and mado Atypichthys strigatus. Figure 10. Yellow zoanthid Parazoanthus sp. and sponge in Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park. Photo by Julian Finn, Museum of Victoria. Water column The water column as a whole is the largest habitat in the MNP and is important in different ways for many organisms including for transit or as a permanent home for particular stages of their life cycle. Organisms that use the water column environment can be broadly grouped into two categories based on mode of movement: either pelagic (actively swimming) or planktonic (drifting with the current). Larger species are often planktonic during early life stages before becoming pelagic as they grow. Smaller species tend to be planktonic but can influence their movement to some extent by controlling their height in the water column. Organisms that make their permanent home in the water column include sea jellies, salps, many fish, and both phytoplankton and zooplankton. Planktonic organisms play an important role in nutrient cycling, dispersal of species and providing food for larger animals, both within the MNP and more broadly in the <strong>marine</strong> environment. The water column is also used by fish, invertebrates and algae for transport and food (and other resources like oxygen). Parks Victoria does not currently monitor the water column as a habitat (Power and Boxshall 2007). As described in the following section a wide variety of seabirds, mammals and reptiles are found in the waters of Wilsons Promontory MNP. 2.1.4 SPECIES OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE The approach of managing MNPs for their <strong>marine</strong> ecological communities, rather than threatened species, is also likely to protect and enhance threatened species populations (Power and Boxshall 2007). Whole-of-habitat management may also result in the protection of species not yet identified because of their rarity or cryptic nature (Power and Boxshall 2007). 20
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Figure 30. Location map of Cape How
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Figure 33. Biota mapping of Cape Ho
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4 Appendix 1 Compilation of species
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Biotic group Family Species Common
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Parks Victoria is responsible for m
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