Coastal wetland ecosystems, including saltmarsh, mangrove forests and seagrass meadows, play a crucial role in adapting and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Coastal wetlands store large amounts of carbon, also known as blue carbon, in their soils and vegetation- making them important carbon sinks. The protection and restoration of these ecosystems can help reduceRead more
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GeelongPort’s 2023 citizen science program is now underway! Earlier this month, GeelongPort #BlueCarbonArmy undertook bird and bug surveys at Avalon Coastal reserve to explore the biodiversity gains from saltmarsh restoration. Fieldwork took place in the former Avalon saltworks (northeast of Corio Bay). This site offers a unique landscape of intertidal ponds with varying degrees of human impact:Read more
Regenerating Our Coasts is moving into an exciting phase – mangrove seeds planted into our trial plots over summer have germinated and are starting to grow. Over the coming months (and years) we’ll be monitoring their growth and survival under various methods, including the use of biodegradable structures as a novel way to enhance activeRead more
We recently celebrated World Wetlands Day. This year the Convention on Wetlands wants to focus on efforts to reverse the global trend of wetlands loss and degradation by saying it’s time for wetlands restoration. They’ve produced some great materials to help people understand the challenges wetlands face, and ways that everyone can play a partRead more
The Blue Carbon Lab recently helped run three citizen science workshops at Truganina Wetland, a 175-hectare area of Biodiversity Significance containing critical habitat for threatened and protected flora and fauna. This wetland is however degraded in several areas and faces various threats to its health as an ecosystem. These workshops focused on identifying such threats,Read more
Two different groups of citizen scientists, staff members from Intrepid Travel and students from Holmesglen TAFE, have joined a team of researchers and land managers from Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC), Arthur Rylah Institute, Parks Victoria and the Blue Carbon Lab for workshops involving weed monitoring in a unique coastal grassland ecosystem. This areaRead more
The GeelongPort #BlueCarbonArmy visited former Avalon saltponds to survey the naturally-rehabilitated saltmarsh and measure the carbon gains. Twenty new participants joined the GeelongPort #BlueCarbonArmy at the former Avalon saltworks (northeast of Corio Bay) to sample saltmarsh communities that are naturally recovering due to the collapse of tidal barriers. The Avalon region used to have healthyRead more
GeelongPort staff joined our BCL scientists in the field to sample carbon stocks from healthy and degraded saltmarsh communities in Corio Bay. The citizen science day started with a series of educational talks where participants learned about coastal wetlands, blue carbon, and the role of nature-based solutions climate change mitigation. Citizen Scientists from the GeelongPortRead more
Date: Jan 28, 2022 Participants: West Gippsland CMA, East Gippsland CMA, Field and Game, Wilandra Farms, GLaWAC, DEWLP, BugBlitz, Maffra & Districts Landcare Network Site: Hollands Landing, Gippsland Lakes Research: Pre-restoration saltmarsh carbon stocks Gippsland land owners and resource managers place fresh value on the arrival of saltmarshes to help mitigate climate change. The 1889Read more
Date: Jan 27, 2022 Participants: Children and families from Gippsland’s Culture Connect Group Site: Hollands Landing, Gippsland Lakes Research: Pre-restoration saltmarsh carbon stocks Gippsland children and their parents joined us in the local saltmarsh to learn about blue carbon, bugs, and cultural heritage. The tiniest members of our #BlueCarbonArmy met scientists from Deakin’s Blue CarbonRead more
