CQUni assesses fish habitats in Rodd's Peninsular as part of restoration project
CQUniversity researchers are working with the Burnett-Mary Regional Group (BMRG) Discovery Coast Consortium to assess the fish habitat at Rodd's Peninsular as part of a wider project to restore fish passageways in the area.
Costal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre (CMERC) Director Associate Professor Emma Jackson said that connectivity between fish habitat is important for the health of the ecosystem and maintaining stocks of fish. Creating unauthorised causeways across creeks on the Rodds peninsula impacts the natural water flow' and can cause problems with water quality and fish passageways into Pancake Creek.
The consortium' comprised of the Burnett Mary Regional Group' Gidarjil Development corporation' Alluvium Ltd and LESS Industries' working with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service have initiated the restoration of the passageways and Associate Professor Jackson said assessments of the current state of fish habitat use in the area had begun.
"The assessment started at the end of 2020 with the installation of sensors' water and sediment quality sampling' and habitat mapping'"
she said.
"We will be looking at the effects of the restoration in the area' by understanding current habitat use by fish populations and how it changes'"
she said.
"The first lot of fish sampling has been completed."
She said CQUniversity CMERC was in the process of selecting a PhD student to undertake complimentary research.
