Koalas, Kangaroos and Caulerpa

Australia is a place of incredible geography, great people, and coastal landscapes that feature great waves, hopping kangaroos, and trees with koala bears. During November 2008, I was able to visit this beautiful place and experienced the south coast of New South Wales, south of Sydney. The coastal issues that face Australia are very similar to our coastal issues: watershed management, coastal erosion, desalination and quality of life. Invasive species is also a common concern, and unfortunately, the reality of the Caulerpa taxifolia invasion has a firm grip on this stunning coastline.

Starting with Sydney Harbour, the existing extent of Caulerpa taxifolia is now only beginning to be understood. Baseline surveys are patching together the complete story, but it already appears that the extent of Caulerpa is greater than previously thought. Some marina expansions within Sydney Harbour are being re-assessed in light of unknown Caulerpa factors and consequences. The fear is bigger boats on bigger marinas may stir and spread existing Caulerpa colonies. And Sydney Harbour has other dangers as well: last month a Navy diver had his hand bitten off by a shark.

South of Sydney down to the border of NSW and Victoria, the coastline is studded with wetlands and waterways. The local Aboriginal name for this coast means ‘many waters’. In this coastal wonderland, about a dozen estuaries have detected Caulerpa taxifolia and of those, several have national park status and the reality of Caulerpa is in the very early stages.

Talking with local people, there was awareness of Caulerpa and how it comes from aquariums and has a foothold in their estuaries and wetlands. Signs are prominently displayed urging boaters and fishermen to rinse off equipment to reduce the risk of Caulerpa spreading. With so many environmental challenges (abalone virus is currently damaging the coast/economy) Caulerpa seemed to be another one on the list. Seeing what it took to eradicate Caulerpa in Agua Hedionda Lagoon, and then gazing upon the expansive wetlands of NSW’s south coast, it is hard to be full of optimism for the realistic eradication of Caulerpa in this beautiful area.

Later in the trip, and further north along the eastern coast, I spoke with two City Councillors from the Gold Coast City Council and we discussed coastal issues with a focus on desalination and Caulerpa taxifolia. It was very satisfying to engage others in discussions about coastal resource stewardship because by managing regional areas to link up, a global network of coastal management can emerge.

The Australian coastline provides one example of the interconnectedness of coastal management issues and challenges. By having awareness at the global level, we maximize effectiveness at the local level. Coastal lagoons are worth the effort needed to understand and protect them. That is where our Foundation comes into play. In that regard, all of us are important and necessary. Thanks for your continued and growing support of the lagoon and Foundation.

Eric Munoz
AHLF Chair
March 2009