The Choptank and Patuxent tributaries of Chesapeake Bay have become eutrophic over the last 50-100 years. Systematic monitoring of nutrient inputs began in similar to 1970, and there have been 2-5-fold increases in nitrogen (N) and phosphor-us (P) inputs during 1970-2004 due to sewage discharges, fertilizer applications, atmospheric deposition, and changes in land use.

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The Choptank and Patuxent tributaries of Chesapeake Bay have become eutrophic over the last 50-100 years. Systematic monitoring of nutrient inputs began in similar to 1970, and there have been 2-5-fold increases in nitrogen (N) and phosphor-us (P) inputs during 1970-2004 due to sewage discharges, fertilizer applications, atmospheric deposition, and changes in land use.

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Large-scale blooms of Lyngbya majuscula (Gomont) have occurred throughout Moreton Bay (south-east Queensland) and have been documented since 1997. L. majuscula is a toxic cyanobacteria which fixes nitrogen and is found attached to: seagrass, algae and coral. The toxic and smothering nature of L. majuscula has affected human and environmental health in sensitive coastal ecosystems.

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Subtropical estuaries have received comparatively little attention in the study of nutrient loading and subsequent nutrient processing relative to temperate estuaries. Australian estuaries are particularly susceptible to increased nutrient loading and eutrophication, as 75% of the population resides within 200 km of the coastline.

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Multiple predator species can interact as well as strongly affect lower trophic levels, resulting in complex, nonadditive effects on prey populations and community structure. Studies of aquatic systems have shown that interactive effects of predators on prey are not necessarily predictable from the direct effects of each species alone.

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This newsletter is the product of the Conceptual Ecological Model workshop, held in Louisiana in November, 2005. Coastal Louisiana is home to the nation’s largest port complex in both tonnage and infrastructure, and produces or transports nearly one-third of the nation’s oil and gas supply.

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The role of connectivity in Australian conservation

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A series of uncertainty analysis methods was applied to investigate the propagation of parameter uncertainty within a coupled model system and to evaluate the effects of uncertainty on model outputs and decision-making processes.

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Southwest Australia has warm temperate water with a mixture of tropical influences from the Leeuwin Current and cool southern waters. This mixing of tropical and temperate water results in diverse seagrass communities occurring in a wide variety of coastal habitats. Almost half of the world's ~60 seagrass species can be found along this 1,500 km of coast. Seagrasses are important to the marine environment as they stabilise sediments and trap nutrients, helping to maintain water quality.

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Estuaries are transition zones where rivers meet the ocean, creating an environment with large seasonal fl uctuations in temperature, salinity, and light. These difficult growing conditions provide some unique challenges for seagrasses. In southwest Australia, estuaries are usually closed by a sand bar at the mouth, cutting them off from the ebb and fl ow of the tide for long periods. Winter rains flow down-river into the estuaries, raising the water level until it breaks through the sand bar.

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