Australia: Floods having lethal effect on marine life

Matt Wordsworth ABC Net 14 Sep 11;

Animal welfare groups up and down the Queensland coast are reporting record numbers of turtle and dugong deaths in the wake of the state's massive floods earlier this year.

Marine scientists say sea grass beds have been smothered, and the next 12 to 18 months will be crucial for some species.

Fred Nucifora from Townsville's Turtle Hospital says the Great Barrier Reef has already seen a staggering number of turtle deaths this year - 910 compared to 515 at this point last year.

"We're at capacity at this point in time," he said.

"So we've been at capacity before, but we haven't been at capacity for so long. So we're doing all we possibly can to provide the best chance to the turtles we have in our care."

Marine scientists are just as concerned for the endangered dugong.

At the end of August there were 132 deaths recorded, compared to 62 in the same period last year.

Dr Christine Williams, from the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management, is not surprised by the numbers.

"The issue of turtle deaths and dugong deaths following flooding is not a unique phenomenon unfortunately," she said.

"It has happened in the past, but in the most recent past this is the biggest event we've ever had recorded in Queensland."
Audio: Experts worried by turtle and dugong deaths (AM)

She says silty water laced with herbicides and pesticides that has flushed from rivers during a flood smothers and kills sea grass, the main food source for turtles and dugongs.

Dr Williams says sea grass off Gladstone was in the worst condition since records began after the floods, and a management strategy is in place.

"We don't believe that this will have a long-term impact as long as the sea grasses recover over the next 12 to 18 months," she said.

"I'm confident we'll find a solution. Some areas have come up with alternative ways of feeding dugongs using cabbages and if the sea grass doesn't work we'll be looking for other ways of trying to keep the dugongs in a healthy state."

But Greens senator Larissa Waters says the State Government is ignoring an important factor.

"The massive dredging projects that they've approved in the Gladstone area, which is in the Great Barrier Reef world heritage area, for the LNG ports," she said.

"There's 46 million tonnes of seabed that they want to dredge from Gladstone Harbour that they've approved, that the Federal Government has also approved.

"All of that sediment from that dredging is smothering the seagrass. So we have been calling on the Federal Minister to suspend that approval for dredging and reconsider whether it's really appropriate given the state of the seagrass after the floods."

The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting above-average rainfall in the north and severe thunderstorms in the south-east of the state this summer.

Dr Williams says it is not just householders hoping they are wrong.

"I'm sure the dugong and turtle are also hoping - if they could hope for these things - they'd be hoping for some nice clean water to encourage the sea grasses to recover," she said.