Honours student
Research Project
The effects of dugong grazing on benthic community structure in Moreton Bay, south-east Queensland.
(Supervisors: Lanyon & Skilleter)
The effects of grazing by the dugong, Dugong dugon, on benthic invertebrate assemblages in seagrass beds were examined in subtropical Moreton Bay. During feeding, dugongs leave distinct trails through seagrass beds where vegetation has been removed and sediments disturbed. The abundance of benthic fauna was examined along recently created feeding trails and compared with ungrazed seagrass within the same bed. A controlled, manipulative field experiment simulated and separated the effects of dugong grazing, i.e., removal of vegetation and disturbance of the sediment during feeding.
Publication
Skilleter GA, Lanyon JM and Wegsheidl C (In press) Effects of Grazing by a Marine Mega-Herbivore on Benthic Assemblages in a Subtropical Seagrass Bed. Marine Ecology Progress Series. |