Western Port Scientific Review : Projects : Melbourne Water

Western Port Scientific Review

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Melbourne Water, in consultation with leading environmental scientists, has produced a review of the science in the Western Port area.

This review updates and consolidates our understanding of Western Port:

natural resource management,
environment protection,
planning,
on-ground works,
and future research to better inform government policy.

You can read the whole report (PDF, 7.1mb) or the chapters of interest. The chapters are listed and explained below.

Executive Summary (PDF, 658kb)
Front cover, acknowledgements, table of contents and a summary of the review drivers, process and key outcomes.

Introduction (PDF, 186kb)
A brief introduction to the Western Port study area, project aims and explanation of the document structure.

Author - Michael Keough

Overview of Assets (PDF, 331kb)
A description of the key Western Port environmental assets (or important components of the ecosystem) that form the basis of the review and the process used to identify key assets.

Authors - Michael Keough and Rachael Bathgate

Threats and Exposure Pathways (PDF, 422kb)
Identification of potential threats to key Western Port environmental assets and our knowledge of the relationships between specific assets and threats.

Authors - Michael Keough and Rachael Bathgate

Physical and Chemical Setting (PDF, 1.8mb)
This chapter includes a physical description of Western Port, hydrodynamics, current and historical water quality, potential impacts of climate change projections, and research to fill key knowledge gaps.

Author - Randall Lee

Water Column Biota (PDF, 152kb)
This chapter summarises the present knowledge of the phytoplankton, zooplankton and jellyfish that, to a large extent, drift passively in the water column. The larger, more mobile inhabitants of the water column are reviewed in Chapter 11 (fish) and Chapter 12 (marine mammals).

Author - Greg Jenkins

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Western Port as an Ecological System (PDF, 1.2mb)
It is helpful to highlight aspects of individual assets and threats, but we need to keep in mind the critical linkages between assets, including areas where the overall diversity or natural values may be greater than the sum of the individual habitats.

This chapter focuses on three aspects of this broader ecosystem view: connectivity of ecosystem components and habitat patches; emergent features of biodiversity; and how models can clarify our holistic understanding of ecosystems.

Authors - Michael Keough, Diana Walker and Gerry Quinn

Intertidal and Subtidal Sediments (PDF, 315kb)
Soft sediments are the prevailing habitat in Western Port, covering about two-thirds of the bay.

This chapter includes a history of benthic studies in Western Port, physical description of sediments, soft sediment fauna, special features, comparison with other embayments, major threats and research to fill key knowledge gaps.

Authors - Robin Wilson, Sabine Dittmann and Jeff Ross

Mangroves (PDF, 283kb)
Western Port supports the southernmost mangrove species in the world, Avicennia marina. Mangroves line most of the shore of the bay and are represented in the three Marine National Parks. This chapter includes a history of mangrove studies in Western Port, current and historical distribution of mangroves, special features, biota associated with mangroves, major threats and research to fill key knowledge gaps.

Author - Sabine Dittmann

Saltmarshes (PDF, 475kb)
Saltmarshes occur around much of the coast of Western Port, generally between the mangrove fringe on the seaward side and more terrestrial vegetation, such as Swamp Paperbarks and Manna Gum woodlands, on the landward side. There are about 1,000 ha of saltmarsh in Western Port, which is about the same area as there is of mangroves. This chapter discusses the composition and distribution of saltmarshes in Western Port, special features, fauna supported by saltmarshes, connectedness to other aquatic systems, major threats and research to fill key knowledge gaps.

Author - Paul Boon

Seagrasses (PDF, 385kb)
Seagrasses are unusual aquatic flowering plants that have an important function as ecosystem engineers and are involved in sediment movements, nutrient and energy transfer, and the provision of habitat for a diversity of animals. This chapter includes the current and historical distribution of seagrasses in Western Port, a summary of our current understanding of seagrasses and research to fill key knowledge gaps.

Author - Diana Walker

Fish (PDF, 324kb)
Western Port has a high diversity and productivity of fish, especially small fish (including juveniles of important fishing species) associated with the extensive seagrass beds. It is an important habitat for pelagic species and for a number of species of conservation significance, and is a breeding habitat for species such as the Elephant Fish and School Shark. Western Port also supports a significant recreational fishery. The contents of this chapter include descriptions and distribution of fish around Western Port, special features, fish diversity, abundances and habitats, feeding and trophic ecology, species of significance for conservation, recreation, commercial fishing or ecosystem function, major threats and research to fill key knowledge gaps.

Author - Greg Jenkins

Birds and Marine Mammals (PDF, 326kb)
Western Port is of international significance for aquatic birds. Its importance for birds is reflected in the abundance and diversity of species, the breeding populations of some species in the bay or nearby (some unusually large), its importance as a drought refuge for waterbirds and its use as a non-breeding area for migrant shorebirds from the northern hemisphere and New Zealand. In some contrast, although a variety of marine mammals have been reported in Western Port, it appears to have relatively little importance as marine mammal habitat. This chapter describes the birds and marine mammals within Western Port, including their distributions, special features, summary of current understanding, major threats and research to fill key knowledge gaps.

Author - Peter Dann

Rocky Reefs (PDF, 320kb)
Rocky reefs occupy only a very small part of Western Port, but three areas are notable — Crawfish Rock, an unusual habitat with very high biodiversity; a small reef near San Remo that is significant for its opisthobranchs; and intertidal reefs along the south-western coast (particularly Honeysuckle Reef) that have a high biodiversity.

Contents of this chapter include a description of rocky reefs around Western Port, special features, species of particular interest, a summary of current understanding, major threats and research to fill key knowledge gaps.

Authors - Rachael Bathgate, Michael Keough and Gerry Quinn

Ecosystem Processes (PDF, 235kb)
Natural ecological processes underpin the important habitats and the diverse range of animals they support in Western Port and provide key ecosystem services.

This chapter focuses on the various processes involved in the cycling of nutrients and primary production, including a description of ecosystem processes in Western Port, special features, transformation and fate of nutrients, primary production, secondary production and higher trophic levels, major threats and research to fill key knowledge gaps.

Author - Jeff Ross

Consolidated Research Needs and Prioritisation (PDF, 305kb)
The research needs identified in each chapter, which related to specific assets of Western Port, have been combined and then screened against three criteria: management benefit, immediacy, and likelihood of a successful outcome.

This resulted in an integrated list of research needs, which were then assigned to three priority categories.

Many research projects are already underway. Where possible the findings will be posted to this site.

References (PDF, 148kb)

Authors of the report include:

Prof. Paul Boon, Victoria University
Dr Peter Dann (PDF, 78kb), research Manager at Phillip Island Nature Parks
Associate Prof. Sabine Dittmann, Flinders University in Adelaide
Prof. Greg Jenkins, Victorian Department of Primary Industries
Dr Randall Lee, Marine Projects Team Leader at EPA
Prof. Gerry Quinn, Chair in Marine Biology at Deakin University in Warrnambool
Dr Jeff Ross, Research Fellow at the University of Tasmania in Hobart
Emeritus Prof. Diana Walker, at the University of Western Australia in Perth
Dr Robin Wilson, Senior Curator of Marine Invertebrates at Museum Victoria
Dr. Jeff Wilson

In April 2011 we held a seminar at which the scientists presented their findings prior to finalising the report. View the presentations:

More Information

Contact the Western Port Review team.