Careel Bay Seagrass Profile

Commissioned by Pittwater Council

CAREEL BAY, near Avalon, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches stands between the deeper waters of Pittwater, Broken Bay and, ultimately the sea and the surrounding peninsula, which points finger-like towards the Central Coast of NSW. The bay is fringed by Mangroves and saltmarsh and supports a wide mud flat rich in benthic organisms. A number of channels run through the bay. These tend to have slightly more sandy bottoms and in these, large sea grass meadows can be found.

Supporting important diversity and abundance

Sea grass supports a highly diverse range of life. Some organisms spend their entire life cycles within the sea grass, others come there to feed or breed as tidal conditions dictate and some “transition” in the sea grass – spending part of their life cycle within it. The sand and mud beneath the sea grass is home to a highly diverse population of organisms too. These are essential for the health of the marine environment and important indicators of the health of the ecosystem and surrounding habitats.

Sea grass education

Sea grass is under threat from marine developments (marinas and associated dredging), thoughtless anchor placement by boat users, changes to fresh water runoff, pollution and damage to surrounding habitats which has a knock-on effect on the sea grass. Pittwater Council environmental management, the NSW Dept of Fisheries and the Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA have a campaign in place to educate the public about the values of conserving sea grass communities in that region. This sign, black and white and laser etched onto 650 mm x 600 mm aluminium, was located at the end of a short boardwalk adjacent to the bay and is part of the education initiative.

Press the image to enlarge.