‘The project, official titled “Sediment Stabilisation in the Western Port Ramsar Area” is funded by the Natural Heritage Trust through the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority. It is contributing to reversing the trend of biodiversity loss in Western Port through marine and coastal habitat restoration, particularly focusing on seagrass and mangroves. The project is building on existing work that has been completed on seagrass replanting and coastal erosion studies in Western Port in the last few years.

Specifically the project involves the following major components being:

• In-bay sediment stabilisation trials using a variety of materials and techniques (in association with DSE).
• Seagrass replanting (ongoing work).
• Mangrove replanting associated with stabilisation trials.
• Monitoring of trials to determine success and provide direction for future activities.

The project is being guided by background planning work in the “Draft Western Port Erosion Project Stage 1 – Overview of Coastal Processes, 2002” and the “Draft Lang Lang Foreshore Coastal Management Plan, 2004”.

DSE and the Partnership are undertaking sediment stabilisation and coastal erosion trials at a number of locations including the Lang Lang Cliffs and in front of the Lang Lang Caravan Park. The trials are a combination of protection structures and mangrove/seagrass replanting.

The project will run from March 2005 to March 2006. A project update from mid 2005 focusing on mangrove replanting efforts including a number of pictures is attached below in PDF format.

Monitoring and evaluation is an important part of the project and will be undertaken as follows:
• Qualitative photographic monitoring of performance of trials and revegetation.
• Quantitative monitoring of:
• Survival rates of transplanted mangroves and seagrass
• Areal coverage of revegetated area
• Performance of trial methods of sediment stabilisation (how long lasted, effectiveness in trapping sediment measured by depth)
Communication of results to local media and community is an important component of the project.’