Port survey for introduced marine species h [electronic resource] : Port Curtis : final report

In March 2000, the Gladstone Port Authority funded a port survey for introduced marine species in Port Curtis, aimed at establishing a baseline list of native and introduced species in the port and providing recommendations for ongoing monitoring for introduced species. The survey was conducted by Central Queensland University, in collaboration with CSIRO’s Centre for Research on Introduced Marine Pests. Additional funding was provided by the CRC for Coastal Zone, Estuary and Waterway Management to have all specimens formally taxonomically identified at museums. No pest species were detected in Port Curtis during the survey. Ten introduced species were detected however, including the ascidians Styela plicata and Botrylloides leachi; the bryozoans, Amathia distans, Bugula neritina, Cryptosula pallasiana, Watersipora subtorquata, and Zoobotryon verticillatum; the hydrozoan Obelia dichotoma; the isopod, Paracerceis sculpta, and the dinoflagellate Alexandrium sp. All of these species are widespread in ports across Australia and across the world, and are not thought to represent a threat to native species in Port Curtis, aside from direct competition for space between some bryozoans. Given the low abundances of all introduced species in the port and their distribution across the port, it is not recommended that any action be undertaken to remove the species. Recommendations have been made to incorporate routine monitoring of communities present on port infrastructure and vessel hulls into the Gladstone Port Authority’s long term monitoring programme in Port Curtis.