Graham,
For several years the highest diversity of shallow marine macroinvertebrates (i.e. animals in samples collected in sediment from the sea bed by grab and retained on a 0.5 mm sieve) in the world had been recorded off East Gippsland. (Coleman, Gason & Poore, 1997, High species richness in the shallow marine waters of south eastern Australia Marine ecology progress series 154 pp17-26). They recorded 803 species in their samples and estimated that this was near the total number present say 1,000 for good measure. I work on the smaller invertebrates those that go through a 0.5 mm sieve there could probably be 500 of these present i.e. 1500 invertebrates that live in the sediment (off east gippsland). If you include fish, plants and plankton you would probably be getting near 3,000 multicellular plants and animals. If single celled plants, animals and bacteria were included then 5,000 would be a reasonable gestimate. Remember that this is for offshore east Gippsland. where the only habitat is course sand. In Port Phillip with a variety of different habitat types 5,000 would be a reasonable gestimate in my opinion of all multi and singular celled animals & plants present.
It must be remembered that the taxonomy of these animals is not as well know as birds. Museum Victoria has many marine invertebrates that they can identify as being the same species, but these are yet to be taxonomically described. They give these animals a code number so that they can refer to them and compare their samples. However samples from other parts of Australia and the world can not be compared to these as other researchers use different systems. So it is very difficult to ascertain the levels of endemism. However it would be true that many have not been recorded from elsewhere, chiefly because they have not been described and identified. Still I would not believe it to be 90%.
John Moverley
> Caution: posting contains non birding content
>
>
> G'day Birders, I was reading this news article (below) with
> interest when I came across this,
>
> "Before long they were snorkelling around Popes Eye, the world's
> smallest man-made marine national park, where they watched some of
> the bay's 5000 marine species - 90% of which cannot be found
> anywhere else - swim beneath them"
>
> Now, I've never been to Port Phillip Bay, but this level of
> endemism would be staggering. Is this true? (I know there are a lot
> of Victorians on the list who will know more about this area than
> myself).
>
> Or is this just a figment of a tour guides spiel?
>
> Cheers
> Graham Turner
>
> Please note, I am not making any comment on the proposed dredging.
>
>
> unknown-life/2008/01/08/1199554654513.html
> CLOSE to 20 minutes after leaving the Queenscliff boat harbour
> yesterday, those aboard the Maureen M got a memorable introduction
> to the marine delights of Port Phillip Bay.
> Up to 60 dolphins in pods varying in numbers put on an impressive
> display as the 27 people swam among them while being towed by ropes
> behind the boat.
>
> Before long they were snorkelling around Popes Eye, the world's
> smallest man-made marine national park, where they watched some of
> the bay's 5000 marine species - 90% of which cannot be found
> anywhere else - swim beneath them.
>
> Then it was off to Chinaman's Hat, a wooden structure within sight
> of the bay's Mud Island bird sanctuary, where they swam with seals.
>
> As opponents of the Port Phillip Bay dredging project await a
> decision on their High Court challenge tomorrow, those aboard
> yesterday's Sea All Dolphin Swims trip said the experience had
> given them a better understanding of what was at stake if dredging
> went ahead.
>
> "I think it's a real concern because if the
>
> fish aren't here, the other wildlife aren't going to hang around,"
> said Berndan Dalmau, 38, of Baxter.
>
> Hugh Skinner, 8, from Mulgrave, hoped to return to the bay to see
> the "big and colourful" fish and seals again.
>
> His brother Ty, 6, said "it would be a shame if something happened
> and they all swam away from here".
>
> Snorkelling instructor Sally Renzenbrink, 24, said she had concerns
> for the bay's marine life if dredging went ahead.
>
> "There's more biodiversity here than in the Great Barrier Reef so
> it would be devastating if that was jeopardised," she said.
>
> "The bay is so healthy at the minute because it is so shallow,
> which encourages kelp, seaweed and seagrass, which in turns
> encourages marine life and makes it a great breeding ground for a
> lot of fish. That attracts dolphins, and we're lucky enough to have
> about 120 dolphins that are unique to Port Phillip Bay."
>
> An environment report last month found the water quality in the bay
> was better than it had been for several decades.
>
> This was in part due to the drought, which cut the amount of
> polluted stormwater flowing into the bay, but also to the long-term
> effect of ending scallop dredging about 20 years ago, according to
> the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority.
>
> The report said the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park was in
> excellent health.
>
>
> ===============================
> www.birding-aus.org
> birding-aus.blogspot.com
>
> To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
> send the message:
> unsubscribe
> (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-
> ===============================
| 