Options for state-wide monitoring and assessment

7. Options for state-wide monitoring and assessment

7.1 Knowledge gaps

A lot of the knowledge gaps for Victorian estuaries have also been identified as gaps at the national and international level (Deeley and Paling, 1999; Edgar et al., 1999; Hattingh et al., 2001; NLWRA, 2002; Pierson et al., 2002; SOE, 2001). These include: • Long-term data sets that incorporate the temporal variability found within estuaries; • Baseline information on water and habitat quality; • Variability and causes of changes in water and habitat quality; • Chemical exchanges and transfers between sediments and the water column; • Nutrient and detritus pathways within estuaries; • Role of hydrological alterations on estuarine condition; • Baseline biotic information, such as species present; • Migration, breeding behaviour and recruitment processes of estuarine associated

invertebrates and fish; • Processes that influence community structure in different types of estuaries;

• Relative contributions of catchment and estuary in supporting primary and secondary consumers;

• Determining microbial processes and microalgal production in estuaries; • Understanding the importance of groundwater fluxes on temporarily open/closed

estuaries; • Mechanisms for prevention and control of invasive species; • The role of extreme climatic events in influencing estuarine condition; • Predictions on the likely influence of climate change; and • The combined impact of multiple-stressors on estuarine ecology.

Specific knowledge gaps that need to be addressed for all Victorian estuaries are: • Estuary size, length and tidal influence/inland extent to allow a basic geomorphic

description of the top, middle and lower estuary; • Depth and general bathymetry; • If intermittently closed, the mouth opening regime, specifically artificial or natural and

frequency;

• Connectivity of the estuary, its catchment and the sea: dams, weirs, levee banks, training walls and dredging;

• Frequency, extent and duration of floodplain inundation; • Freshwater flow into the estuary, amount, pattern, degree of alteration; • Tidal exchange into the estuary, amount, pattern, degree of alteration; • Variability of estuary water residence time; • Role that estuarine discharge, quantity, quality and timing plays in coastal ecology; • Inventories of fish, amphibians, birds, macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, riparian

vegetation; • Habitat types (at least seagrass beds, macrophyte beds, riparian vegetation, mangroves,

wetlands, mudflats) area, position and condition within the estuary; • Expansion to specific estuarine wetland Ecological Vegetation Categories (RFA, 2000); • Life cycle requirements for flora and fauna within the estuary.

7.2 Recommendations

Victorian estuaries are relatively small, and quite variable in geomorphology and hydrology. Ways of assessing and monitoring these estuaries are not well developed, and applicability of approaches used in larger estuaries is unknown. Little is known about the ecology or variability of these estuaries, so it is difficult to make informed decisions on how and what to monitor. The lack of information on Victoria’s numerous estuaries has hampered the development of state-wide indicators and monitoring program.

Deeley and Paling (1999) reviewed the then current knowledge of Australian estuaries with the aim being able to assess their ecosystem health. They found that there were very large gaps in the knowledge we have of our estuaries. Few estuaries outside of the major cities had been studied, and the driving processes for the majority of Australian estuaries were simply not known. Their review focused specifically on the available Australian literature, of which

17 published studies focusing on Victorian estuaries were identified. A lot more research has been done in Victoria than identified by Deeley and Paling (1999) but much lies in the grey literature, as government reports, consultancies, internal university documents or unpublished theses.

The first challenge in identifying indicators and developing monitoring programs to adequately recognise the different functional types of estuaries in Victoria and the pressures The first challenge in identifying indicators and developing monitoring programs to adequately recognise the different functional types of estuaries in Victoria and the pressures

Recommendation 1: Desktop Inventory of Victorian Estuaries.

A basic inventory of all Victorian estuaries from available information sources such as DSE’s Corporate Geospatial Library should be commissioned. This inventory should include basic geomorphic descriptions (i.e. estuary size, bathymetry, shape, catchment size), bring together existing catchment (and coastal) assessments of condition (i.e. ISC, land use, population density), and collate all information and research that exists for each estuary (e.g. as done for South Africa in Whitfield, 2000). In addition the current status and extent of survey information for fish, birds and vegetation in Victorian estuaries and their catchments should

be determined. The types of and extent of change of Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) (RFA, 2000) for estuarine wetlands and catchments, as well as freshwater catchments should also be determined. Life histories and habitat requirements for fauna and flora should be collated and knowledge gaps clearly identified.

A state-wide appreciation of the different types, and therefore different driving processes, in Victorian estuaries will provide a valuable tool for partitioning the variation, allowing like estuary types to be compared, and extrapolation of knowledge beyond those few studied systems that have been assessed. Within a state-wide classification of types, the status quo of A state-wide appreciation of the different types, and therefore different driving processes, in Victorian estuaries will provide a valuable tool for partitioning the variation, allowing like estuary types to be compared, and extrapolation of knowledge beyond those few studied systems that have been assessed. Within a state-wide classification of types, the status quo of

Recommendation 2: Classification and Condition Assessment of Victorian Estuaries.

A desktop estuary classification and condition assessment from the basic Victorian estuary inventory collated under Recommendations 1 should be commissioned. It should examine the applicability of the working classification proposed in this review (Figure 1) as a framework of estuary type and condition.

Recommendation 3: Field test Classification and Condition Assessment. The classification and condition assessment made under Recommendation 2 should be

assessed with field sampling. The NLWRA (2002) habitat mapping and estuary process-type classification should also be ground truthed, and in particular assess the applicability of their conceptual models.

The hydrology of Victoria’s estuaries, specifically their freshwater hydrology, and the influence of estuary mouth closure on marine exchange are large and urgent knowledge gaps that need addressing. The majority of Victoria’s estuaries are small and do not have freshwater gauging, for example out of >12 estuaries along the Great Ocean Road only Barham and Anglesea Rivers and Painkalac Creek are gauged. The majority of Victoria’s estuaries also intermittently close, but the frequency and duration of closure is not monitored.

Recommendation 4: Address Lack of Knowledge on Freshwater Flow and Mouth Opening. Selective gauging based on estuary type and modelling to allow extrapolation to other

estuaries. Mondon et al. (2003) set up community monitoring of mouth state for 25 estuaries in Western Victoria. Support for this program and extension program along the coast should

be considered. In addition supplementing the program with in situ depth loggers, to calibrate the estuaries already monitored and extending this valuable monitoring to estuaries with more remote mouths. Environmental water requirements to maintain estuarine processes be considered. In addition supplementing the program with in situ depth loggers, to calibrate the estuaries already monitored and extending this valuable monitoring to estuaries with more remote mouths. Environmental water requirements to maintain estuarine processes

Analysis and interpretation of EPA’s estuary sampling and indicator assessment will be finished by the end of 2004 (Barton, FU, pers. comm.) and will provide valuable information for identifying monitoring objectives and indicators for western and central Victoria.

Recommendation 5: Incorporate and Extend Existing Monitoring Research. Consideration should be given to what basic sampling could be added to EPA’s estuarine

program to allow the extrapolation of the findings (Barton, unpublished) to eastern Victoria.

Community monitoring of Victorian estuaries through Waterwatch is already underway and could help meet some knowledge gaps. Suitable indicators for community monitoring may be the maximum depth of seagrass beds and macroalgal biomass surveys, mouth state, wetland vegetation, bird, and amphibian surveys, habitat mapping, and event sampling of water quality (P. Scanes, NSW EPA). Care must be taken that the monitoring is designed with appropriate indicator methods, spatial and temporal scales and levels of detection. Murphy et al. (2003) found that the levels of detection being used in community water-quality monitoring in Tasmanian estuaries were above ecologically significant levels, ultimately limiting the utility of the data.

Recommendation 6: Support Community Monitoring Programs. Integration and interaction should be encouraged, as well as guidance on appropriate indicators that would help progress the mutual goal of estuarine monitoring and assessment.

Although there are limited ongoing monitoring programs in other states, there is active research and assessment into monitoring methods in comparable systems (DSNR and EPA NSW; TAFI and UT Tas; WRC WA). A national estuarine discussion group co-ordinated by the Coastal CRC already exists providing a forum for sharing knowledge and approaches (R. Counihan, CCRC, pers. comm.). The extensive monitoring programs, indicator development Although there are limited ongoing monitoring programs in other states, there is active research and assessment into monitoring methods in comparable systems (DSNR and EPA NSW; TAFI and UT Tas; WRC WA). A national estuarine discussion group co-ordinated by the Coastal CRC already exists providing a forum for sharing knowledge and approaches (R. Counihan, CCRC, pers. comm.). The extensive monitoring programs, indicator development

Recommendation 7: Establish Links and Collaboration with Researchers and Managers in Comparable Systems. This is important so that knowledge can be shared and existing research be built on. The Coastal CRC estuaries forum and CERM in South Africa are two obvious groups that should

be approached.

Integration of management and monitoring of Victoria’s estuaries with their catchments should be a high priority. Integrated catchment management already exists in Victoria, along with large spatial and temporal scale monitoring of catchment condition. Regional Catchment Strategies and Coastal Action Plans have been developed for Victoria.

Recommendation 8: Integrate With Catchment and Coastal Strategies and Monitoring. Any estuarine monitoring should be integrated with existing freshwater and marine strategies,

and the maximum value drawn from existing monitoring programs. New approaches and methods currently being developed in both freshwater and marine systems should be examined to see if they have any transferability to estuarine systems. The integration of existing estuarine monitoring programs for the large embayments, (i.e. PPB, WPB and Gippsland Lakes) should be assessed.

Integrated monitoring and assessment programs can be a powerful tool in public education, understanding estuarine functions and processes, and determining the synergistic impacts of the multiple pressures on estuarine ecosystems (e.g. Dennison and Abal, 1999). However, the most important start for any monitoring plan is to set up clearly defined objectives linked to a management and reporting plan. The following questions need to be addressed: Why do we want to monitor? Who will collect the samples, analyse and interpret data etc? What will be done with the information derived from this? Providing information to the community on the status of estuarine health is a reasonable but limited objective that may be hard to sustain if it doesn’t link to ongoing decision making.

As for Victorian wetlands (Butcher, 2003) the identification, then testing and further development of indicators of estuarine condition for Victorian estuaries will need to constitute

a significant part of the development of any estuarine assessment and monitoring-program. We need to know more about the temporal and spatial variation of natural estuarine processes so that adequate assessment can be made of how human activity has modified them. However, the broad spatial and temporal scale of state-wide monitoring (i.e. as established in Victoria’s state-wide freshwater monitoring) may mean that an absolute understanding of the processes and their variation is not necessary to start some basic comparative monitoring if the program and its findings are reviewed regularly. As for all monitoring programs, the challenge is to identify and develop indicators that can determine ecological change before it becomes extreme, and determine where an estuary is placed in the range from minimally modified to substantially modified. Barton (unpublished) is finding promising results from functional measures of benthic microbial communities over a range of estuarine types and conditions.

There will need to be a rigorous evaluation of the statistical power and application of any relevant indicator or sets of indicators for assessing the early onset of adverse changes in the ecological health of Victorian estuaries (Deeley 1999 cited in Deeley and Paling, 1999). In trying to determine the effectiveness of management activities, it must be remembered that estuaries are slow systems that may take decades to respond (Deeley and Paling, 1999). Some estuaries may have gone past their threshold and may not respond at all or alternatively stabilise as a different type of estuary (Harris, 1999; Jackson et al., 2001).

Recommendation 9: Develop a Set of Indicators and Design a State-wide Monitoring Program.

This should be built from knowledge gained from the previous 8 recommendations. The aim of any state-wide monitoring program must be clearly established and indicators chosen and sampling designed to meet those needs. This should be done in collaboration with the agencies (EPA, DSE, CMA’s, Coastal Boards) who will measure and interpret these.

Recommendation 10: : Pilot Studies to Trial Indicators and Monitoring This must be done before full implementation of any state-wide monitoring program.

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Useful websites

MAFRI < www.nre.vic.gov.au/mafri > DSE’s Corporate Geospatial Library < www.land.vic.gov.au > Victorian Government Datawarehouse <www.vicwaterdata.net> Derwent River monitoring < www.derwentriver.tas.gov.au > (www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/regions/sydney/coast/). DSNR Qld EPA website < www.epa.qld.gov.au > Coastal CRC <www.coastal.crc.org.au> OzEstuaries database NLWRA (2002) <http://www.agso.gov.au/ozestuaries> NLWRA (2002) process models <www.nlwra.gov.au> National Directory of Important Australian Wetlands EA (2002) <www.ea.gov.au/water/wetlands/database/> Water Research Commission, South Africa, research reports <www.wrc.org.za/publications/reports/ecosystem.asp> South Africa State of the Estuaries <www.environment.gov.za/news/estuary.htm> CERM < www.upe.ac.za/cerm > Eastern Cape Monitoring Program < www.inr.unp.ac.az/coast/ecest.html > USEPA National Estuaries Program < www.epa.gov/nep/ > USEPA Office of Water <www.epa.gov/owow/> USEPA water quality criteria < www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/ > USA water monitoring strategy <www.cleanwater.gov/coastalresearch/>