Uni researcher helps gain reef research resources
Published on 25 October, 2007
CQU PhD student Alison Jones has helped the 'Friends of Keppel Group' gain $32,084 for community awareness, education and monitoring of biodiversity.
The funding was announced in the latest round of Natural Heritage Trust Envirofund project results.
Alison Jones
Ms Jones said community members were a great resource and often had an intimate and long-term knowledge of their own backyard environment.
"They certainly care about its welfare more than anyone," she said.
"Community stewardship of our own environment will become a more and more important tool for governments to use to manage Australia's natural assests.
"It is highly unusual for a community such as the one on Great Keppel Island to have the skills, knowledge and experience to conduct this sort of marine environmental monitoring and we hope to widen the circle of people involved in the project."
Ms Jones said anyone interested in helping with the community monitoring could contact her via 0408 068 128 or email a.jones@cqu.edu.au.
"We can add you to the Friends of Keppel group email list for regular updates on the project."
The NHT website says the project will pass on knowledge of the local coastal resources, including important reef-dependent fish species, invertebrates and bethnic cover.
It will give community members skills and knowledge to understand, monitor and protect these resources where possible.
"Activities to be undertaken include visual census surveys of key reef species and bethnic cover and monitoring, data collection and analysis," the website says.
"Information gathered will be available to the relevant local management authorities and contributing funding bodies, and a documentary about the process will help to inform the public, managers and funding bodies of progress."
Ms Jones, who also works for the Australian Institute of Marine Science, said stakeholders will be updated during a Friends of Keppel meeting on Great Keppel Island on Wednesday, October 31, and there will be a public launch on the island in conjunction with the Fitzroy Basin Association.