(an element of natural heritage)
‘an assessment of the current biodiversity …’ within the Great Barrier Reef Region, s 54 (3)(b) of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Cth)
Seagrass and seagrass meadows are the unsung heroes of the Great Barrier Reef. They are essential habitats for marine species such as dugong and sea turtles, that also hold totemic value for Traditional Owners. On Gunggandji-Mandingalbay Yidinji (GMY) Sea Country, Indigenous rangers are learning western science and combining it with their own traditional knowledge systems and applying this on their Sea Country.
“You don’t realise how much turtles and dugongs need seagrass, and the fact that there are four different types of seagrass on our Country, it is up to us to see the other side. We can all learn a lot from each other.
“We want seagrass healthy for our next generation, as a main food supply. And it would be good to see turtles and dugongs, stingrays coming back in more numbers. With turtles and dugongs, you don’t realise how much they need seagrass, the seagrass environment is changing, the wet and dry seasons are changing. We can’t rely on the old ways as much as we used to because of how climate is not following its normal habits”
— Stirling King, GMY Traditional Owner and Indigenous Ranger with the GMY Land and Sea Ranger program
A Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) survey and training program, part of the Healing Country Project, includes surveying, recording, and mapping deep water seagrasses in GMY Sea Country. GMY Indigenous rangers are becoming skilled and knowledgeable across traditional knowledges and learning from western science. The holistic approach that combines all knowledges across ecosystem health, marine science and environmental management is building personal and community capability.
“The seagrass mapping plays a big part in getting dugong and turtles back. It is about community, and getting kids involved now with Sea Country and culture — it is nice to be on Country with my people”
— Meegan Fourmile, GMY Traditional Owner and Indigenous Ranger with the GMY Land and Sea Ranger program
Source: Caring for Sea Country — Traditional Owner Stories from the Great Barrier Reef 1
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