Annex 1 - Noosa River Habitat Survey Report - ESP

                                                                   Ecological Service Professionals
                                                                                    Sustainable Science Solutions




A small rock rubble area was recorded at the western end of the Noosa Sound investigation
area around an existing 6 knot sign at the mouth of Weyba Creek. The rock was mostly
intertidal and had a moderate coverage of rock oysters.
Coffee rock occurs on the bank opposite the downstream Weyba Creek investigation area,
with a band of oysters aggregating in the intertidal zone. There was high sedimentation on
much of the surfaces on this rock. The coffee rock extended to a subtidal leaf oyster bed
(refer to section above).
No rock or rubble was observed at the upstream Weyba Creek investigation area.




   Figure 3.17 Coffee rock with narrow band of rock oysters adjacent to downstream Weyba Creek
               area




Unvegetated (Bare) Sediment (Sand/Mud)
The most dominant habitat in most of the investigation areas was unvegetated (bare)
sediments, which ranged in particle size from soft muds (usually next to seagrass and
mangroves) to well sorted sand, which covered the majority of habitats within each of the
reaches investigated particularly in channel habitat (Figure 3.18 to Figure 3.21). No epifaunal
invertebrates were recorded on the surface of the unvegetated habitats during the survey
and there was typically a low density of burrows observed in most reaches.
Some sections of the sediment in Noosa Sound were covered by benthic microalgae,
particularly where there were freshwater inputs.




Noosa Oyster Reef Restoration: Marine Benthic Habitat Assessment                                             19