6.3 Field surveys: sponges

Changes in turbidity, sedimentation and light over a two year large scale capital dredging program at Onslow, northwestern Australia, were quantified to assess their effects on filter feeder communities, in particular sponges.

Aims

• To improve our understanding of the responses of filter feeder communities (focusing on sponges) to dredging related pressures, including elevated suspended sediment concentrations, light attenuation and sediment deposition.
• A secondary and important component of the work was a taxonomic study of sponge species biodiversity to improve knowledge for the Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation for Australia Pilbara Nearshore bioregion.