Gladstone
Location
Mangrove forests within ports areas are at high risk of being impacted by ports activities. Responsible and responsive monitoring is critical to minimising declines in mangrove condition that could take decades to repair.
We are collaborating with Gladstone Ports to implement an Alert to Action program with routine remote sensing of mangroves tied to a response framework triggered by detections of mangrove canopy health decline.
The program will demonstrate how science-based monitoring combined with responsive ports management can minimise long-term damage to mangrove forests.
Key points
Alert to Action program for mangroves affected by major port operations
Mangrove habitats in ports
Mangrove ecosystems stabilise coastal sediments and provide valuable habitats for a range of marine species including important fisheries. However, mangrove forests are often located adjacent to port infrastructure, placing them at high risk of negative impacts from ports activities.
Regular and responsive monitoring of mangrove health is needed to ensure any declines are identified and appropriately addressed to minimise potential damage in a timely manner. We are expanding our existing partnership with Gladstone Ports to develop and implement such a responsive mangrove monitoring program.
Alert to Action with Gladstone Ports
Our team is collaborating with Gladstone Ports and Gidarjil Land and Sea Rangers on the Alert to Action program for mangrove monitoring. The program will establish regular, automated remote sensing of mangroves in the area administered by Gladstone Ports, using remote sensing data to evaluate mangrove health.
Gidarjil Rangers in partnership with our team will collect field data on mangrove growth and condition to validate remote sensing measures of mangrove health. On-the-ground measurements of mangroves, collected over the first 12-18 months of the program and repeated after approximately 5 years, will provide essential ground-truth data for comparison with remote sensing data.
Gidarjil Land and Sea Rangers will co-lead the field sampling, using:
Leaf litter traps, to capture falling leaves and leaf stipules to determine foliage biomass exchange in mangrove canopies.
Leaf and shoot measurements, counting new and lost leaves on trees to further develop leaf exchange measures recorded in litter traps.
The Alert to Action program will guard against mangrove loss through monthly to bi-annual assessments of the latest satellite imagery data to determine whether any declines in mangrove condition require mitigation action by Gladstone Ports. If mangrove condition indicators show a decline during the next 5 years, this will trigger specific responses from ports management to slow, modify, limit, or cease operational works by Gladstone Ports.
Moving forward
While the program was approved in 2024, works are currently on hold while operational works by Gladstone Ports are reviewed.
The Alert to Action program will provide those conducting operational works near protected mangrove areas with the means to conduct these works in the safest, most effective and most responsible way to complete the works while also protecting nearby vulnerable tidal wetlands.
Project details
This project is led by Professor Norm Duke and Dr Adam Canning in partnership with Gladstone Ports and Gidarjil Land and Sea Rangers.
Research support
Research leads
