Restoration Objective:

At Hope Island, preliminary short term trial clearings of urchin from barrens resulted in little recovery of macroalgal vegetation. It was postulated that limpets may be an additional herbivore controlling vegetation so this experiment was conducted to determine if urchins were the principal herbivore at Hope Island.

Site Selection Criteria:

Sites were selected that were urchin barrens, but had previously had kelp beds.

Cause Of Decline:

Overgrazing by sea urchins is thought to have led to the decline of Macrocystis populations in Tasmania.

Key Reasons For Decline:

Overgrazing

Scientific Paper

FRDC Grant 93/221. A pilot program to maximise tasmania's sea urchin (Heliocidaris erythrogramma) resource.

J.C. Sanderson, M. Rossignol, W. James

https://eprints.utas.edu.au/1...1/JCSUrchFRDCChpt0_1_2_3.pdf

Organisation:

Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Australia

Site Observations:

Observation Date

15th Jun 1994 – 15th May 1996

Action Summary:

Four treatments were used; 1) no urchins; 2) no urchins, abalone and limpets; 3) no abalone or limpets; 4) control. These were done in quadruplicate for 16 squares (10 m x 7.5m) divided by 50cm high netting. There were two blocks of four squares each on each side of the island with randomly allocated treatments. Ten Macrocystis plants were introduced to each of the squares. Juvenile plants (0.2-1.0m high) were obtained from Dodges Ferry, kept moist under hessian sacks and within 24 hours of harvest, replanted at Hope Island in June 1994. Individual plants were attached to bricks using rubber bands over the haptera at the base of the plant.

Project Outcomes:

Plants transplanted to Hope Island and Stapleton Pts survived well.

Key Reasons For Decline:

Overgrazing

Indicator Data:

Indicator:	Ending Value:	Starting Value:
Presence / Absence of Kelp

Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Australia - Stapleton

Restoration Project

Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Australia - Stapleton

Restoration Objective:

Site Selection Criteria:

Cause Of Decline:

Overgrazing

FRDC Grant 93/221. A pilot program to maximise tasmania's sea urchin (Heliocidaris erythrogramma) resource.

Organisation:

Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Australia

Site Observations:

15th Jun 1994 – 15th May 1996

Action Summary:

Project Outcomes:

Overgrazing

Indicator Data:

Indicator:

Ending Value:

Starting Value:

Presence / Absence of Kelp

5. Is Assessed Against Clear Goals And Objectives, Using Measurable Indicators

4. Supports Ecosystem Recovery Processes

6. Seeks The Highest Level Of Ecosystem Recovery Possible

2. Draws On Many Types Of Knowledge

1. Engages Stakeholders