Learn about our coasts and seas
A local recovery plan for the shrubby samphire
Between 2014 and 2017 significant dieback events occurred that affected the population of shrubby samphire across southern Australia. A long-lived and important habitat-creating species, the shrubby samphire occurs in coastal temperate saltmarsh around southern Australia. The plant community in which it lives is an ecological community defined as Vulnerable under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
The slender-billed thornbill (also known as Samphire thornbill) is a little brown bird also classed as vulnerable under the EPBC Act and also under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. Monitoring has shown the samphire thornbill is heavily reliant on the shrubby samphire where it nests.
Work is underway on a Local Recovery Plan for the Shrubby Samphire. To inform the plan, n a small investigation within the soil study highlighted how understanding the range of astronomical and meteorological drivers, in addition to global sea level rise, can provide insights into the ‘flickering’ loss of inundation-sensitive species in the saltmarsh.
‘Species flickering’ is a stress/recovery cycling that may indicate species that are most immediately at risk of extinction. There is scope for more research to unpick the astronomical and meteorological cycles’ impacts on the South Australian tidal signals, leading to better understanding of inundation impacts in saltmarshes.
The die-off events between 2014 and 2017 may be a sign of species flickering and this plan sees a small window of opportunity for action to maximise retreat opportunities and improved management of sites in the upper Gulf St Vincent area.
Three strategies for recovery are identified in this plan:
As citizen scientists you can contribute to the implementation of the Plan by adding observations to a current iNaturalist project monitoring Shrubby Samphires and climate change or Utilise events such as “Witness King Tides” to gather photographs of spring and king tide waterlines in sites identified for potential revegetation.
For those who like to get their hands dirty, get involved in the Two Wells Community Nursery, which will be looking to propagate shrubby samphires for targeted revegetation as the plan progresses.
Image courtesy of Tony Flaherty