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 2.1.5 MAJOR THREATS Threats to natural values were derived from lists of hazards and associated risks in Carey et al. (2007b). These were the result of a statewide consultative process to identify threats to MPAs. Through public and agency workshops, the natural values in individual MPAs and the threats that could affect them over the next ten years, were considered and ranked to identify hazards. This list of hazards was then ranked (low, medium, high and extreme) by the risk posed by each hazard (Carey et al. 2007b). Six hazards with the potential to be extreme were identified by Carey et al. (2007b). They are listed in rank order and the habitat or area at risk within the park is indicated in brackets: 1. Exotic species and pathogens introduced via ballast water or recreational boating, affecting biodiversity by competing with local species (potentially all park); 2. Nutrients from untreated sewage affecting subtidal rocky reef near South East Point light station or from seepage from settling ponds at Tidal River affecting marine habitats and communities of Norman Bay (intertidal and shallow subtidal reef and soft sediments); 3. Propeller scour affecting seagrass beds and bare mudflats (subtidal soft sediments); 4. Major oil or chemical spill from vessel damaging penguins, seals and rocky intertidal habitat (intertidal reef and soft sediment, marine mammals and birds); 5. Presence of boats affecting breeding colonies of seals on Kanowna Is by increasing pup mortality (pups crushed/drowned when colony disturbed) and disruption to the social order (bulls losing territory on beach when colony disturbed) (marine mammals); and 6. High profile of MNPs leading to reduced management and/or environmental focus on surrounding marine areas, to the subsequent detriment of the MNPs (potentially all park). 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). One introduced species or marine pest has been recorded from the south-east of Wilsons Promontory MNP, the bryozoan Bugula neritina (O'Hara and Barmby 2000). It is thought that the introduced green shore crab Carcinus maenas is also found within the MNP. The New Zealand seastar Astrostole scabra and screw shell Maoricolpus roseus have been reported in Point Hicks and Cape Howe MNPs. The Northern Pacific seastar Asterias amurensis was found at nearby Anderson Inlet in 2004-05 (Parks Victoria 2006b), at San Remo in 2011, and most recently in 2012 in Tidal River in the Wilsons Promontory National Park. In each case there has been a coordinated effort to eradicate these populations. Other species of particular concern include the European fanworm Sabella spallanzanii, Japanese kelp Undaria pinnatifida and broccoli weed Codium fragile ssp. fragile (Parks Victoria 2003). 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 near Cape Otway (DPI 2009). It is not in the Wilsons Promontory MNP 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 27
Parks Victoria Technical Series No. 79 Flinders and Twofold Shelf Bioregions Marine Natural Values Study 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 large number of species are at the eastern or northern limit of their distributional range at Wilsons Promontory and such species would be particularly vulnerable to climate change. In contrast, the urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii, which is found in Wilsons Promontory MNP, has increased its range down the east coast of Australia to Tasmania and that increase is thought to be linked to climate change with the EAC extending further south (Banks et al. 2010). Measures to address or minimise these hazards form part of the management plan for Wilsons Promontory MNP (Parks Victoria 2006g). For example research has been conducted into the disruption of boat approach on seal colonies on Kanowna Island (Kirkwood et al. 2003; Patkin 2005) and management actions have been implemented to minimise these disruptions (Parks Victoria 2006g). Parks Victoria has also undertaken a strategic climate change risk assessment to identify the risks and stressors to natural values in the MPAs through assessment at the habitat level for parks in each marine bioregion. Parks Victoria will use an adaptive management approach to develop responses and actions that focus on priority climate change issues such as extreme weather events and existing risks that will likely be exacerbated by climate change. Figure 11. Old wife Enoplosius armatus over a Phyllospora bed in Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park. 28
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Page 61 and 62: Figure 17. Location map of Point Hi
Page 85 and 86: Figure 30. Location map of Cape How
Page 89 and 90: 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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