Seeds for Snapper

Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu and OzFish thank volunteers for their contributions to the Fleurieu Seeds for Snapper Project during the summers of 2022/23 and 2023/24.

In the first year, we had an overwhelming response from the community and our project partners. Together, over 200 volunteers dedicated 1,000 hours, which resulted in the deployment of 4,050 seagrass seedlings to the Encounter Marine Park. Your commitment and enthusiasm were instrumental in achieving this milestone.

In the second year, although we continued to see strong support from the community, unseasonal conditions meant we were unable to deploy seeded sandbags due to a lack of significant Posidonia seagrass fruit on Southern Fleurieu beaches. Instead, we repurposed the effort by placing un-seeded sandbags around the wreck of the South Australian at Yilki. This was aimed at protecting the wooden hull from further deterioration while also enabling us to study the behaviour of these bags in high-energy wave environments. We hoped to collect valuable data about their decomposition rate, retention, and potential as a substrate for natural seagrass recruitment.

Unfortunately, monitoring the bags has been difficult due to challenging coastal conditions, resulting in insufficient data to guide restoration efforts. As a result, we won’t be asking beachcombers or boaters to collect fruit along the Fleurieu Coast this summer, but to instead report sightings to improve our understanding of seagrass fruits.

Despite these setbacks, both Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu and OzFish remain committed to determining future opportunities for seagrass restoration projects in the area—and we need your help!

Seagrass Citizen Science Project launched

A new citizen science initiative has been launched through the iNaturalist platform to gather crucial data on Posidonia seagrass fruit sightings throughout the region and the state. By reporting your observations, you can play a vital role in helping us plan future conservation activities.

How to Get Involved:

• Join citizen scientists on iNaturalist using the website or phone app.

• Photograph seagrass fruit along the Southern Fleurieu beaches on each visit.

• Upload your photos to contribute to the SA Seeds for Snapper project.

• Your observations will support seagrass research and restoration as a part of this community-driven project.

Your involvement in this next phase is critical to shaping the future of seagrass restoration in our region. Together, we can continue to protect and enhance our marine environment.

Thank you once again for your dedication and support. We look forward to collaborating with you on the next chapter of this important project.

The 'Seeds for Snapper’ project is part of OzFish Unlimited’s national seagrass restoration program,funded on the Fleurieu Peninsula by Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu and BCF – Boating, Camping & Fishing and is supported by the Department for Environment and Water, South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), Flinders University, City of Victor Harbor, Alexandrina Council, RecFishSA, Aquatic Biosecurity Pty Ltd and the Environmental Protection Authority-SA