Ecological condition of the Vasse Wonnerup wetlands: 2006-2011

Funded by: Geographe (GeoCatch) and South West Catchment Councils through funds from WA State NRM, Australian Government's Coastal Catchment Initiative, the WA Department of Water, State and Commonwealth contributions to the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP) and the National Heritage Trust.

Project description:
The Vasse Wonnerup wetlands are an extensive, shallow, nutrient enriched system with wide-ranging salinities. The wetlands support tens of thousands of resident and migrant waterbirds and the largest regular breeding colony of Black Swan in south-western Australia, and as such became listed as a Ramsar wetland in 1990. Many waterbirds, particularly the black swans, are dependent either directly or indirectly on aquatic plants for food. Therefore an understanding of how water quality affects plant type and abundance is integral to the conservation and management of the waterbirds, as well as maintaining the ecological health of the wetlands. Snapshot surveys have been carried out each November between 2006 and 2011 and in February in 2009 and 2010 incorporating monitoring of water quality, sediments, submerged aquatic flora (phytoplankton, macroalgae and macrophytes) and macroinvertebrates. In 2011, this project will be extended to include fish in a collaboration with the Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research at Murdoch University.

Chief Investigator: Dr Jane Chambers
Research Team: Murdoch University: Marine and Freshwater Research Laboratory (Celeste Wilson, Krzysztof Wienczugow), Mirela Tulbure
WA Department of Environment and Conservation: Alan Clarke
University of Western Australia: Cristina Ramahlo

Publications reporting on surveys on the Vasse Wonnerup Wetlands from 2006 to present are available on the publications page.

For further information please see the student projects page.