Queensland Coastal Wetland Resources: Sand Bay to Keppel Bay.

Abstract

Protection of coastal wetland environments is an important prerequisite to effective and sustainable inshore fisheries management and conservation of habitats for use by future generations. Mangroves, saltmarshes, seagrasses and non vegetated habitats directly support local and regional inshore and offshore fisheries through the provision of food, shelter, breeding and nursery grounds. As such, these wetland environments have significant economic value as well as their intrinsic aesthetic and ecological values.

This report summarises the results of the mapping undertaken in the Central Queensland Coast from Sand Bay to Keppel Bay (hereafter referred to as the Study Area). The study was undertaken in order to:

1. document and map the coastal wetland communities along the Queensland coastline from Sand Bay (20.93°S, 149.04°E) to Keppel Bay (23.65°S, 151.07°E);
2. document levels of existing disturbance to and protection of the wetlands;
3. examine existing recreational and commercial fisheries in the region; and
4. evaluate the conservation values of the areas investigated from the viewpoint of fisheries productivity and as habitat for important and/or threatened species.

Dataset URL Link: Queensland Coastal Wetlands Resources Mapping data. [Dataset]