The Foundation has secured a Coastal Participation Grant of $2,750 (max available) from the Coast Protection Board and $700 from the City of Port Adelaide Enfield for materials and supplies towards its seagrass restoration trial. The funds supplement those supplied by the Community NRM grant, won in late 2017.
Based on advice from Assoc. Prof. Jason Tanner, SARDI, the Foundation will undertake a seagrass restoration trial along the bank north of Snowden’s Beach, deploying bagged shell in a similar way to that deployed by Ocean Watch in Sydney Harbour.
Bagged shell in use by Ocean Watch in Sydney Harbour
The bags will hold clean recycled shell (from growers) encouraging local shellfish to settle. Behind the bags, closer to the shore, the local seagrass Zostera will be translocated from other areas of the Port River. The bags will form a mini ‘breakwater’ protecting the area inshore from wave action.
The Foundation lodged a Permit Application with PIRSA on December 13th, 2017 to deploy the bagged shell and translocate the Zostera and is awaiting approval for the trial.