Conducting an ecological monitoring program to assess the success of rehabilitating Penrhyn Estuary following the expansion of Port Botany

Port Botany Expansion - Penrhyn Estuary Habitat Enhancement Plan (PEHEP)

Following the expansion of Port Botany, the Port Authority of New South Wales (then the Sydney Ports Authority) established Penrhyn Estuary Habitat Enhancement Plan (PEHEP). Designed to alter and expand the existing shorebird habitat to increase populations of migratory shorebirds, the PEHEP created new saltmarsh and potential seagrass habitats, as well as extended and improved sand flats. The Port Authority reach out to our team to design and implement an ecological monitoring program to assess the success of the PEHEP.

Our ecological monitoring program measured changes in shorebird populations at Penrhyn Estuary before, during, and after its construction. This included the monitoring of benthic invertebrate communities in existing and new intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats, using a BACI (before-after-control-impact) statistical design approach. We measured the success of transplanting seagrass (Posidonia australis) in Quibray Bay by mapping the distribution and condition along Foreshore Beach and the rehabilitated area.

We also assessed the created saltmarsh habitat including its ecological function. Additionally, we monitored water quality and analyzed key water quality parameters to track the impact of the Port Botany expansion construction on estuarine hydrology.

From our findings, the Port Authority was able to determine that their efforts with the PEHEP had so far been beneficial to area ecology.