Montebello / Barrow Islands Marine Reserves Newsletter Issue 2 July 2015 Nyangumarta cultural awareness training Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park 2 Rowley Shoals Marine Park update 2 New, improved access to recreaonal fishing rules 3 New Department of Fisheries 3 Crowdsourcing for the Kimberley marine environments 4 Western Australia’s Strategy for marine science collaboraon 4 IN THIS ISSUE Quick facts July 2016, Issue 10 PAGE 1 Rare turtle hatchlings caught on film Park rangers have recorded dozens of endangered olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) turtle hatchlings emerging from their nest on a beach near new Lalang-garram / Camden Sound Marine Park in the Kimberley, a first for Western Australia. Environment Minister Albert Jacob said the discovery had generated much excitement among marine sciensts and the Dambimangari tradional owners because the species was rarely seen in WA. Mr Jacob said a joint patrol of Department of Parks and Wildlife staff and Dambimangari Rangers came across the nest while removing marine debris from a beach near the marine park. Parks and Wildlife marine ranger Cameron Smith recorded the event with Dambimangari tradional owner Kieran Bangmorra. "This species has never before been filmed in WA and rarely filmed anywhere else in Australia," the Jacob said. "An event of this nature reinforces the importance of marine parks, which is why the Liberal Naonal Government has made an unprecedented $103.6 million investment in the Kimberley Science and Conservaon Strategy. Under this strategy, the State Government is creang WA's biggest network of new marine parks”. It has only recently been discovered that olive ridley turtles nest in WA. They are extremely scarce, so to witness this hatchling event is significant and helps to increase sciensts' understanding of the species in Australia. The olive ridley is the smallest of Australia's sea turtles and only grows to about 70cm long. Recently an adult olive ridley turtle in poor health was found in the proposed Yawuru Nagulagun/Roebuck Bay Marine Park near Broome. Aſter rehabilitaon at Broome's Chelonia Centre, it was released into the wild with a satellite tracking device aached to its shell. It is the first olive ridley turtle to be tracked in Western Australian waters. To follow the turtle's journey, visit: hp://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.sht ml?tag_id=158116 Olive Ridley Turtle hatchlings (Photo: Cameron Smith, Parks and Wildlife) Quick Facts More than 100 endangered olive ridley turtle hatchlings found emerging from their nest near Lalang- garram / Camden Sound Marine Park Rowley Shoals Marine Park vising season approaching Olive satellite tracking map (Photo: Seaturtle.org)
Nyangumarta cultural awareness training Eighty Mile Beach On 21 June Parks and Wildlife staff and representatives
from Greening Australia and BHP took part in a cultural
awareness session with Nyangumarta elders at Eighty Mile
Beach Caravan Park. The Nyangumarta people have a long
and strong connection with their country, which begins in
Manguny (creation time). Since Manguny the Nyangumarta
people have faced many changes to their land over many
thousands of years. From working on neighbouring pastoral
stations in the 1900s, to more recently gaining native title
rights. Traditional owners look after their land and sea
country by protecting their law, culture, language and
traditional knowledge.
The cultural awareness session consisted of the
Nyangumarta Elders discussing the workings of their family
trees (Waljamarri). They then taught the group words from
their traditional Nyanguamarta language, which is unique
to the Nyangumarta people, and explained the importance
of their seasons and how they determine the type of food
that is available. The Elders took the group to two
culturally significant sites while describing the history,
significance and interesting stories connected to these
sites. They talked about joint management and working
together to protect the environment while discussing the
way forward for land management in the area.
Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park is the longest uninterrupted
beach in Western Australia, stretching 260km from
Jinmarnkur (Cape Missiessy) to Pananykarra (Mulla Mulla
Down Creek at Pardoo Cattle station).
Ngarla, Nyangumarta and Karajarri traditional owner
groups have determined native title areas within the
marine park. Parks and Wildlife have Joint Management
Agreements (JMAs) and Indigenous Land Use Agreements
(ILUAs) with all three traditional owner groups. Each group
has rangers who work alongside Parks and Wildlife to
protect their saltwater country. Currently two
Nyangumarta and two Ngarla rangers are employed by
Parks and Wildlife. They are studying to complete their
Certificate II in Conservation and Land Management as well
as patrolling Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park.
Parks and wildlife staff and representatives from Greening Australia and BHP with
Elders from Nyangumarta country. (Photo: Parks and Wildlife)
A team from the Australian Institute of Marine Science
(AIMS), the University of Western Australia and Parks and
Wildlife’s marine science program visited the Rowley Shoals
and other offshore atoll reefs in the north-west on the AIMS
vessel RV Solander to survey for coral bleaching.
The research found that, compared to bleaching events at Scott and Serigapatam reefs, bleaching at Rowley Shoals was minor. A follow-up survey is planned for October to monitor the bleaching at Scott and Ashmore reefs.
As the Rowley Shoals visiting season is fast approaching, it is
important to keep an eye out for bleaching. The team at
AIMS has created an app and data sheet that you can use to
map and record the amount of bleaching seen, and allows
you to add supporting information including photos, depth
A friendly reminder for all vessels planning to visit the Rowley Shoals Marine Park this season to please ensure mooring bookings are up-to-date.
Please contact the Parks and Wildlife Broome Office on 9195 5500 for all mooring-related enquiries or for further information about visiting the Rowley Shoals Marine Park.
Rowley Shoals Marine Park update
Coral bommie, Rowley Shoals Marine Park (Photo: Parks and Wildlife).
New Department of Fisheries Education Officer for the Proposed Great Kimberley and Eighty Mile Beach marine parks
The Department of Fisheries has improved the delivery of the recreational fishing rules to fishers on their website.
The new format, which is also mobile friendly, includes all the fishing rules that apply to nearly 180 fish species and groups of
species found in WA.
It provides a comprehensive overview of each species, including enlarged fish illustrations to assist with identification of your
catch, bag and size limits and information about seasonal closures and licences that apply.
Each listed species contains supporting information about legal and illegal fishing gear, boat limits, how to measure your catch
and FishWatch (with a quick-dial link to call it directly from your smartphone).
It is also now much simpler to access the rules by location – either from the spot where you are fishing or for where you are
intending to fish.
Using the location search will direct you to common species found in each bioregion, and highlight any nearby marine
protected areas through interactive maps.
To view recreational fishing rules in the new format, go to the Department of Fisheries website www.fish.wa.gov.au or go
directly to http://rules.fish.wa.gov.au/
Kim Boothman has been appointed education officer for the
Eighty Mile Beach and proposed Great Kimberley marine
parks from July.
Kim joins has 12 years experience as a marine and
conservation biologist with various environmental,
conservation and tourism-based organisations. She was
named Young Conservationist of the Year by the Australian
Geographic Society in 2012. Kim was also the Western
Australian winner in the environment category for ‘The
Pride of Australia Medal’ and placed on the Conservation
Council’s Honour Roll in 2012 for her commitment to the
conservation of the Kimberley.
Kim has worked for the Department of Fisheries as the
community education officer for the Indian Ocean
Territories for the past three years, and will continue to
carry out this role alongside the marine park role, both in a
part-time capacity.
Kim has lived on and off in the Kimberley for eight years and
welcomes the opportunity to return to this magnificent part
of the world. She looks forward to meeting all staff,
stakeholders and community members involved in the
project in the near future.
We welcome Kim to the team!
New, improved access to recreational fishing rules
PAGE 3
Issue 2, July 2015 July 2016, Issue 10
Fishing on the Chamberlain River (Photo: Tourism WA)
Crowdsourcing for the Kimberley marine environments
July 2016, Issue 10
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Networked communication and information technologies have changed the way researchers and managers receive and send information from the field.
The crowdsourcing data approach has been used worldwide for a variety of purposes from creating and sharing geographic information volunteered by individuals to assisting in human crises situations.
Recent studies have discussed the benefits of scientific research in open collaborative projects using the ‘crowd science’ or ‘citizen science’ approach.
Community participation played a significant role in re-zoning the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).
During field work in the Kimberley Bioregion for the Western Australian Marine Science Institution’s Geomorphology project, it was noticed that many people connected with the marine environment and had valuable scientific information, such as site images, underwater videos and photos, and aerial photography of marine fauna and flora, including reefs.
The idea that a wide group within the Kimberley community were willing to share their valuable knowledge led to the development of ReefKIM, a similar crowdsourcing geodatabase in which researchers were able to compile existing spatial and non-spatial data, and collect new data to complete information gaps.
“This information has had a significant role verifying satellite images when reef habitats and substrates were being mapped,” Curtin University researcher Moataz Kordi said.
“And all of the people we met were willing to share their knowledge for the sake of conservation of this vital ecosystem.”
“This demonstrated to us that crowdsourcing provides valuable opportunities for individuals to engage in activities with environmental purpose,” Moataz said “So let us get together and share our valuable knowledge to protect our magnificent marine environment of the Kimberley.”
Traditional owners and rangers sharing valuable information about the
marine environment. (Tubaguus Solihuddin)
Some of Western Australia’s most influential government, industry, science and community members have joined forces to launch an implementation strategy that will steer the State’s marine science for sustainable economic development and environmental protection over the coming decades.
Eighteen members of Premier’s Roundtable have put together the Blueprint for Marine Science Implementation Strategy 2016-18 to guide a unique collaboration across sectors to ensure industry and community confidence in the sustainable development of the marine environment off Western Australia.
The strategy outlines 32 activities
that will remove barriers to collaboration within and across sectors, deliver efficiencies in science activities and community engagement, and design programs to deal with key issues such as decommissioning, marine noise, environmental baselines, productivity and efficient regulation.
The strategy is the third stage of a two-year, end-user-led blueprint process, supported by the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI).
The strategy can be found at www.marinescienceblueprint.org.au and prospective participants are encouraged to contact [email protected].
Western Australia’s strategy for marine science collaboration
