Pioneering technology for seagrass restoration
By Greg Chapman
A new research trial involving the creators of an underwater unmanned vehicle (UUV) and CQUniversity’s Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre (CMERC) is enhancing the battle to protect seagrass populations in Gladstone Harbour.
Seagrass on the Great Barrier Reef and Gladstone Harbour is critical to maintain water quality and provides food for species like turtles and dugongs. Seagrass is also vital for carbon storage.
Previously, researchers at CMERC have relied solely on people power and volunteers to monitor, harvest and seed seagrass, but technology startup Ulysses have boosted CMERC’s capabilities with new robotic technology.
Working closely with the Gidarjil Development Corporation, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, CMERC and Ulysses Ecosystem Engineering are covering even more ‘ground’ in Gladstone Harbour.
Using an essential robotic platform called The Mako, a fully modular low-cost UUV, payloads of seeds, can be delivered more precisely, increasing the health of seagrass populations.
Colm O’Brien, co-founder of Ulysses, said the technology is proving that seagrass restoration is not only possible, but the results are already happening.
“Current restoration efforts, if they go well restore five hectares of seagrass per year – with The Mako, we want to bring that down to five hectares per day, per robot,” he said.
CMERC Director Professor Emma Jackson said: “To be able to do this with robots and to go out at high tide and be able to plant seeds with precision in terms of where they are in the depth of the sediment, but also where they are within the seagrass landscape to actually help the seagrass recover, then it means we don’t have to have as many people out there. We don’t have to rely on divers.”
Will Hamill, Director of Islands and Coasts at the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, said trialling the UUV allows the seeds to be placed in the places they’re needed.
“This project is about bringing traditional owners, researchers and engineers together to solve a tricky challenge It marks a turning point in seagrass restoration on the GBR” he said.
Gidarjil Development Corporation Land & Sea Ranger and CMERC researcher Markeeta Sullivan said: “As there are a lot of seagrass meadows that are challenging to access due to crocodiles or soft sediment, the technology will make (monitoring, harvesting and seeding) a lot easier.”
Land & Sea Manager Kelvin Row added that he hoped the project would lead to more opportunities for young Indigenous people to be trained in the use of the UUV technology and robotics and even generate more sea ranger jobs.
Ulysses said it was very keen to continue working with the stakeholders to expand the trial and restore more seagrass in the Harbour and the Great Barrier Reef and bring life back to its ecosystems.
