PROTECT the ecological community to prevent further loss of extent and condition. RESTORE the ecological community within its original by active abatement of threats and other conservation initiatives. COMMUNICATE, ENGAGE WITH AND SUPPORT researchers, catchment management authorities (CMAs), land and managers, land use planners, landholders and community members, including the Indigenous community, to increase understanding of the value and function of the ecological community and encourage their efforts in its protection and recovery. In assessment of activities that may have a significant impact on the ecological community, the relevant actions listed below should be considered when determining recommendations, including conditions of approval. Applications to Australian Government funding programs should consider prioritising the restorative activities that work toward a healthy and sustainable ecological community. Priority protection, conservation management and recovery actions Priority actions are recommended for the abatement of threats and to support recovery and rehabilitation (where appropriate) of the ecological community. Actions inconsistent with these recommendations that are likely to significantly affect the ecological community should be avoided. Protect Hydrology and water quality High priorities Maintain the natural, three phase flow regime required for salt-wedge dynamics by ensuring that estuary mouths remain open at frequencies, for durations, and with passing flows, sufficient to maintain natural seasonal hydrological regimes. The EEMSS (2007) should be used to provide guidance on artificial opening of estuary mouths. Ensure that surface water and ground water extraction, major riverine regulatory infrastructure (e.g. reservoirs) and other infrastructure (e.g. bridges) do not significantly alter the current hydrology of estuaries within the ecological community. Minimise water quality impacts caused by run-off into rivers and estuaries, including pollution, increased nutrients (leading to eutrophication), chemical contamination, turbidity and sedimentation within estuaries by protecting buffer zones and implementing measures to reduce erosion within river catchments. Other priorities Develop and implement strategies to mitigate and manage acid flows and undertake risk assessments to identify areas of potential and active acid sulphate soils. Habitat disturbance and modification Prevent impacts to native vegetation, and substrate from any actions within, adjacent to or near the ecological community by planning for, avoiding or mitigating off-site
Sarscypridopsis sp. spp. COPEPODA -Calanoida Acartiidae Acartia tranteri Centropagidae Boeckella triarticulata Calamoecia ampulla C. gibbosa Centropages australiensis Gippslandia estuarina Gladioferens pectinatus Isias uncipes Paracalanidae Bestiola similis A2 (continued): Systematic Scheme - Hopkins River estuary zooplankton. Paracalanus indicus Sulcanidae Sulcanus conflictus -Cyclopoida Ergasilidae Ergasilus australiensis E. lizae Ergasilus sp. nov. Cyclopidae Eucyclops sp. nov. Halicyclops sp. Macrocyclops albidus Metacyclops sp. nov. Paracyclops chiltoni Oithonidae Oithona rigida O. similis ? indet. semi-parasitic sp. A -Harpacticoida Ameridae gen. nov. sp. nov. indet. spp. Canthocamptidae Canthocamptus australicus C. hirsutus Epactophanes richardi Mesochra Mesochra sp. A Mesochra sp. B Canuellidae indet. sp. Cletodidae Australonannopus aestuarinus indet. sp. Darcythompsoniidae gen. nov. sp. nov. Diosaccidae Amphiascoides sp. nov. Miscegenus sp. Robertgurneya sp. Schizopera sp. Stenhelia sp. indet. spp. Ectinosomatidae sp. 1 sp. 2 sp. 3 Microsetella rosea Harpacticidae Zausopsis mirabilis cf. Zausopsis cf. luederitzi indet. sp. Laophontidae Onychocamptus chathamensis sp. Peltidiidae indet. spp. Phyllognathopodidae Phyllognathopus sp. Tachidiidae Euterpina acutifrons Thalestridae indet. sp. Tisbidae Scutellidium sp. Tisbe sp. Isopoda indet. isopods Amphipoda Calliopidae Paracalliope sp. Corophiidae Megamphopus sp.
Yambuk Wetlands Nature Conservation Reserve Eumeralla (Yambuk Coastal Reserve) Fitzroy Fitzroy River streamside Reserve Narrawong Coastal Reserve Tyrendarra Reserve Tyrendarra Indigenous Protected Area - Surrey River Narrawong Coastal Reserve Narrawong Coastal Reserve Glenelg River Discovery Bay Coastal Park (VIC) Lower Glenelg National Park (VIC) Lower Glenelg River Conservation Park (SA) Glenelg Streamside Reserve Nelson Streamside Reserve - B3: Relationship to state listed vegetation classifications Table B3. Bioregional conservation status (as at 2007) for two EVCs that best correspond to the Salt-wedge Estuaries ecological community (DSE 2007). Victorian bioregion Bioregional conservation status EVC 9 Coastal saltmarsh EVC 10 Estuarine wetland Glenelg Plain n/a n/a Warrnambool Plain n/a Depleted Otway Ranges n/a Endangered Otway Plain Endangered Endangered Gippsland Plain Least concern concern Wilsons Promontory Least concern Rare B4: Nationally threatened species likely to in or near the ecological community Table B4: Nationally threatened flora and fauna species that have been observed, or are likely to occur, in or near the Salt-wedge Estuaries ecological community (as at March 2017) (DEE 2017). [Known occurrences of some species may be in landscapes or vegetation communities nearby to the ecological community]. Taxon Common name EPBC Act listing Victorian listing Birds Botaurus poiciloptilus Australasian bittern E Threatened Calidris ferruginea curlew sandpiper CE E (Advisory List 2013) Calidris tenuirostris great knot CE Threatened Charadrius mongolus lesser sand plover E CE (Advisory List 2013) Limosa lapponica baueri bar-tailed godwit (baueri) V - Neophema chrysogaster orange-bellied parrot CE Threatened Numenius madagascariensis eastern curlew CE V (Advisory List 2013) Rostratula australis Australian painted snipe E Threatened Sternula nereis nereis fairy tern (Australian) V Threatened Thinornis rubricollis rubricollis hooded plover (eastern) V V (Advisory List 2013) Mammals
Table E3 (a): Threats identified for open-coast salt-wedge estuaries of western and central Victoria. Threat Glenelg Surry Fitzroy Eumeralla Hopkins Curdies Port Campbell Sherbrook Climate change Sea level rise & storm surge × × × × × × × × × Rising temperature × × × × × × × × × Decline & altered seasonal pattern in rainfall × × × × × × × × × Modified flow regime Water extraction - Domestic × extraction - Agriculture / Industry × × × × × × × p p Estuary entrance modification × × × × × × × Regulatory & other infrastructure (e.g. bridges) × p p p × p p p p Land use and declining water quality Land clearing & development × × × × × × × × × Eutrophication & algal blooms × × × × × × × × × Increased sedimentation, erosion & turbidity × × × × × × × p p Acid flows & blackwater events × p p p p p p p Pollution & contaminants × × × × × × × × p Pathogens and pests Disease × p p × p × p p p Invasive species × × × p × × × p p Extractive and recreational activities Fishing (commercial & recreational) p p p p p p p p p Mining & extraction activities (sand & coal) × Recreation (boating) p p p p p p p × = identified threat, p = potential threat
Table E3 (b): Threats identified for open-coast salt-wedge estuaries of western and central Victoria. Threat Gellibrand Johanna Aire Barham Kennett Wye St George Erskine Painkalac Climate change Sea level rise & storm surge × × × × × × × × × Rising temperature × × × × × × × × × Decline & altered seasonal pattern in rainfall × × × × × × × × × Modified flow regime Water extraction - Domestic × × p p × × Water extraction - Agriculture / Industry × p × × p p p p Estuary entrance modification × × × × Regulatory & other infrastructure (e.g. bridges) × p × × p p × p × Land use and declining water quality Land clearing & development × × × × × × × × × Eutrophication & algal blooms × × × × × × × × × Increased sedimentation, erosion & turbidity × × × × p p p × × Acid flows & blackwater events p p p × p p p p × Pollution & contaminants × × × × × × p × × Pathogens and Pests Disease p p p p p p p p × Invasive species × p × × p p × p p Extractive and recreational activities Fishing (commercial & recreational) p p p p p p p p p Mining & extraction activities (sand & coal) Recreation (boating) p p p p p × = identified threat, p = potential threat
Decline/loss of critical fish spawning cues, habitat and larval survival – black bream Black bream – Acanthopagrus butcheri (also applies to other fish species, e.g. estuary perch & marine southern anchovy) black bream is apex predator of ecological community completes entire in stratified estuary recreationally important species relatively long-lived (29y) spawning mainly occurs in salinities > 10 ppt and triggered by temperature above 15 °C in Hopkins most bream eggs found at 14.9 – 17.5 °C and larvae at 12.6 – 17.5 °C spawning cued with salt-wedge emplacement phase and mass hatching of dormant copepod eggs, which provides abundant prey for newly hatched larvae salinity structure linked to recruitment variability identified link between flow and year class strength high levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) associated with typical spawning season eggs fail to hatch or larvae die in DO of 40% saturation or less. Newton (1994, 1996); Morison et al. (1998); Nicholson et al. (2008); Jenkins et al. (2010); Williams et al. (2013) Decline/loss of biodiversity from pathogen epidemic of estuarine copepods Pathogen - iridovirus ZoopIIV [HR] viral pathogen infection found in at least three estuarine-endemic calanoid copepods – Gladioferens pectinatus, Gippslandia estuarina and Sulcanus conflictus. first detected in 2007 in Hopkins (and first record of virus in zooplankton) temperature a driver of viral infection development (especially above 23 °C) primary location of discovery the Hopkins, but also observed in estuaries within the EC including the Glenelg and Painkalac virus targets reproductive system leading to reproductive failure and/or morbidity of dominant estuarine-endemic copepods infection of male and female Gladioferens pectinatus leading to limited recruitment behavioural effects – limited escape response on disturbance, reduced swimming efficiency Williams et al. (2005); Roennfeldt (2013)