Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science

Shellfish and seahorses: projects from the Bay

Associate Professor Karen Cheney
CBCS Affiliated Researcher

The Moreton Bay Research Station continues to support several projects related to the conservation, biodiversity and habitat restoration of the Bay. These currently include shellfish reef restoration and protection of White’s seahorse.

Shellfish reef restoration

In Moreton Bay, at least 96% of oyster reefs have been lost since European colonisation. The demise of oyster reefs has resulted in the collapse of critical ecosystem services such as water filtration (decreasing sedimentation, improving turbidity, reducing phytoplankton); habitat for fish and invertebrates; carbon sequestration; stabilisation of habitats and shorelines; diversification of landscape and ecosystems; commercial and recreational oyster production, and cultural services for First Nations peoples.

As part of a Faculty of Science BIRRST grant, awarded to Karen Cheney, Ben Mos and Ian Tibbetts, a partnership between The University of Queensland, the University of the Sunshine Coast, OzFish and Minjerribah Moorgumpin Elders in Council has been established to enable an in-depth evaluation of the direct and indirect ecosystems services provided by varying modular oyster reef structures being constructed by OzFish under a range of environmental conditions.

Modular oyster reef structures deployed in Moreton Bay.

Photo credit: Robbie Porter

White’s seahorse Hippocampus whitei

White’s seahorse was listed as Endangered in 2020 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) because of population declines across its restricted range (the species is endemic from central Queensland to New South Wales), attributed to loss of essential habitats.

This project was awarded a Queensland Threatened Species Research Grant to the team of HDR student Rowan Carew, and Associate Professors Karen Cheney and Chris Roelfsema.

The aims of this project are to:

  1. understand the abundance and distribution of H. whitei populations in south-east Queensland;
  2. examine the genetic relatedness of south-east Queensland individuals to New South Wales populations;
  3. investigate behavioural trials to examine habitat preferences; and
  4. conduct seagrass and benthic habitat mapping to identify key sites and contemporary changes to habitats, which may threaten the abundance and distribution of this species.
White’s seahorse, Hippocampus whitei.

Photo credit: David Harasti

Read more of these stories in Issue 18 of the CBCS Newsletter and follow us on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn.

Project members