The Queensland Museum and marine studies in Moreton Bay.

Museum Research and Moreton Bay

P.J.F. Davie and J.N.A. Hooper

Queensland Museum, P.O. Box 3300, SOUTII BRISBANE, QLD, 4101.

To put the Queensland Museum's interest in Moreton Bay into its proper perspective, it is important to understand the aims of the institution.

The Queensland Museum was established in 1862 and operated principally as a small, regional natural history museum until 1970. After 1970 the Museum's mandate was extended to encompass the other sciences and human studies. Even though it has had a long history of natural science, it has only been since 1970 that there was a sufficient growth in zoological staff to make any serious dint in the massive amount of work that needs to be done. It has been a period of momentous change for the Museum, where we have gone from a total staff of 30 to about 160 today. We have moved into purpose built facilities on the South Bank, and through our active research and publishing programs have gained a respected international reputation. We have never before been in such a good position to be effective documenters of the natural environment, and to this end the Museum has recently adopted a goal-oriented, corporate strategy.

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Our mission statement is: "The Queensland Museum will collect and maintain items that are material evidence of the State's natural resources, history and development, and use them for research, and for the enjoyment, education and cultural enrichment of the community."

A SPECIMEN BASE Collections are the Museums "raison d'etre". A specimen base allows a species' identity to be checked quickly and easily, and this is vital from two perspectives.

Firstly, as a service to taxonomy, museums maintain type specimens - the original specimen upon which the species concept is based - thus when there is doubt about the identity of a specimen it can be verified against the original specimen.

Secondly, voucher specimens from ecological, physiological, genetic studies and so on, will always allow the identities of the research animals to be checked into the far future. This aspect of the Museum has been generally neglected by both academic and governmentalresearch agencies, who have

Future Marine Science in Moreton Bay

tended to think their projects ended with the publication of their papers or research reports.

The diverse nature of the tropical fauna, and the modem neglect of ta-..;:onomic studies, have meant that more often than not faunal lists have been full of unidentified species, and even genera, and many of the names that have been given, have been applied on a 'best guess' basis. Too often the collections have then been thrown away or allo\ved to dry out in a comer. The bottom line is that they cost a lot of money to collect and it is very important that they are deposited in the Museum; or at least that we have an opportunity to assess their worth.

The museum collection however, should. no longer be seen purely in the light of its value to ta-..;:onomy. The more contemporary collections made by Museum scientists include detailed collection data for every specimen (see Figure 1).

QUEENSLAND MUSEUM SESSILE MARINE.INVERTEBRATE REGISTER

REG.NO.: G 301304

In the past this information, even if kept, was not easily retrievable, so to cross-correlate the data meant a major research project of its own. However the computer era has meant a major leap forward in the kinds of information that the Museum can store and easily retrieve; and we have devoted a lot of effort and resources to developing efficient database systems. We have now largely logged all our historical collection information into a relational database, and information can be retrieved from it, using virtually any search parameters. For example we can generate a list of species recorded from seagrass, or what crabs we have found in Acropora coral species; alternatively, because we record latitudes and longitudes, we can simply generate distribution maps using a mapping program (Figure 2).

Even where habitat information is missing, as it often is for older specimens, overlaying maps of sediment, or current flows, or reefs, or seagrass, etc., can show interesting patterns.

21/01/1993

IDENTIFICATION: ECHINODICTYUM MESENTERINUM (Lamarck), 1814 HIGHER CLASSIFICATION: (Porifera: Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida: Raspailiidae) SPECIES NUMBER: 31. STATUS: specimen DET. BY: Hooper J.N.A. DATE DET.: 1992 TAXONOMIC REM.:

LOCALITY: Myora, 'tripod' W ofN Stradbroke I, Moreton Bay, QLD, Australia, 27°28.6'S; !53°24.4'E COLLECTOR: Hooper, J.N.A. & Cook, S.D. Date: 03/11/1992. GEAR: Scuba. DEPTH: 4. m STATION: JH-92-027. HOLDING INSTITUTE: QM. CROSS REF: SOURCE OF DATA: SUPP STORAGE: Wet HABITAT: base of tripod, in sand REMARKS: massive flabellate vase, beige alive, very fibrous; possibly a sibling species of tropical species DONOR: DATE REG.: 21101/1993 REFERENCES: unpublished

Figure 1: An example of a computer generated collection label showing the types of information we aim at keeping. In particular, precise locality and habitat information are recorded if possible.

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Museum Research and Moreton Bay

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the right to retain information that is the subject of current research.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MORETON BAY Moreton Bay is of enormous taxonomic and biogeographic interest. The region is a meeting point of the southern (Peronian) and northern (Solanderian) faunas, representing a peculiar mix of both temperate and tropical species (see Endean eta!., 1956). The Bay serves as a refuge for several species from both faunas, in some cases considerably extending their range of distribution northwards or southwards, respectively. Endean (1953) noted that the Moreton Bay echinoderm fauna was

lJ )- very rich but isolated and that the nearest /* comparable assemblage was over two hundred Charybdis natator miles to the north at Port Curtis. The Bay is

almost unique in its geography, and this has '* allowed the development of a diversity of p habitats, all in close proximity, which in turn has allowed a remarkably diverse fauna to develop. This may help explain why there appears to be relatively large numbers of endemic species present within this system, as

'--------------'-"'--L'----'----' evidenced by recent work on sponges and

Figure 2: A map of the distribution of two species of crab from Moreton Bay, taken directly from our database.

Clearly the larger our collection the more useful it will be.

Our databases are set up on a sectional basis ·on desktop computers, so requests for information on a number of different phyla need to be internally co-ordinated, but this is pot a great problem. In terms of access to the data, the Museum is able to provide lllli~m,,.tinn to the public and to bone fide •esf~r<,hPr~ free of charge, but will charge COniSUI.tar1ts. or others wishing to use the data

commercial purposes. Of course we reserve

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tunicates (Hooper, unpublished; Kott, 1985, 1990, 1992). The intertidal fiddler crab, [Jca

longidigitum is a well known species that is completely restricted to Moreton Bay. The invertebrate fauna is still so poorly knmm that we estimate there are many more unique taxa than are presently recognised living in this region. What better place for a Museum to get excited about!

MAJOR COLLECTIONS AND PAST RESEARCH Although we have accrued a lot of material in dribs-and-drabs, there have been some large significant collections deposited. In particular, voucher specimens from Professor W. Stephenson's dredge and trawl surveys across

Future Marine Science in Moreton Bay

the whole Bay, and his intensive collections at Middle Banks and Bramble Bay were deposited at the Musewn ( eg. Stephenson and Cook, 1979; Stephenson eta!. , 1970, 1974, 1976, 1978).

Campbell and Stephenson (1970) reported on a large Queensland Musewn collection of sublittoral crabs from Moreton Bay. Eighty-four species, including two new, were described, and interestingly they found that the sublittoral crab fauna showed greater affinities \vith the northern Indian Ocean than with the western Pacific.

The Musewn has made intensive collections of mangrove fauna and macrobenthos from the Serpentine Creek, before its destruction, and also has made baseline surveys of the macrobenthos of other estuaries draining into the Bay (Campbell eta!., 1974, 1977a, b). Good coral collections exist from the Bay and Flinders Reef, made by John Wells (Wells 1955), Ed Lovell (Lovell, 1989) and Carden Wallace (Wallace, 1978).

Our knowledge of the marine parasitic fauna while still fragmentary, ha_s been growing steadily in parallel with the growth of interest in marine parasitology at The University of Queensland.

CURRENT RESEARCH We are currently involved in a broad range of research projects centered on the Bay.

VERTEBRATE STUDIES

Mammals: Our marnmalogist, Steve Van Dyke, is undertaking a large study into the autecology of the False Water Rat, Xeromys myoides, (Figure 3) which has a healthy community in the mangroves at Myora. This rat is considered extremely rare, and is only known from isolated records around northern Australia. Moreton Bay is certainly the

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southern-most end of its distribution. Steve's work follows on from an environmental impact assessment of the proposed A.C.I. conveyor belt which is projected to go through the middle of the site. To date he has tagged 80 individuals. They build mound nests just behind the mangrove zone and emerge nocturnally to feed in the intertidal zone. Crabs, gastropods, and an interesting undescribed polyclad flatworm are the main prey.

Each Xeromys has about a 2 hectare home­range for foraging, and they are completely dependent on the mangrove community. The Myora rats were first discovered in 1978, but only now with Steve's work, are we beginning to understand their ecology. The small size and genetic isolation of the population means that habitat disturbance causing fragmentation could place it at risk.

Reptiles: Another member of our vertebrate section, Patrick Couper, is currently involved in collaborative research with Col Limpus Of Department of Environment and Heritage, studying the population dynamics and feeding ecology of Green and Loggerhead Turtles in Moreton Bay.

Fish: Roly McKay and Jeff Johnson of the Fish Section are working on a checklist of the fishes of the Bay, to complement one they compiled for the Brisbane River, published in the book of that name.

INVERTEBRATE STUDIES

Worms and Parasites: Lester Cannon, the Curator of Worms, is co-ordinating studies on the intertidal meiofauna of southeast Queensland, and at least a part of this study will be conducted in the Bay. Leslie Newman who is working at the Musewn, funded by an Australian Research Council grant to Dr Cannon, is studying marine polyclad flatworms, many of which occur in Moreton

Bay. As part of this work she is describing the species that is the prey of Xeromys, mentioned earlier, which she believes could represent a new genus.

Sessile Invertebrates: John Hooper, the Curator of Sessile Invertebrates, recently began a major comparative, biogeographic study of the species of Moreton Bay, the Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia, and the temperate southeast Australian region. In conjunction with this a frozen specimen bank is being developed for chemotaxonomy studies, _and to supply groups working on anti-cancer drugs and other marine bioactive compounds. Over three decades Patricia Mather (Kott) has amassed a significant collection of ascidians from the Bay (e.g. Kott, 1972), and contineus to publish on this fauna.

Crustacea: Peter Davie, Curator of Crustacea, is working on the crab fauna of Moreton Bay, but mostly as part of revisionary work of broader taxa. He has recently (Davie, 1993)

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described a new genus and species of crab, Enigmaplax littoralis, that is found quite commonly in seagrasses of Moreton Bay.

Mollusca: Whilst the thrust of the mollusc sections activities concerns research and collection ofland snails, close liason with the Malacological Society of Australia has led to the acquisition of local material. In particular the voluntary collecting and research activities of Kevin Lamprell and Thora Whitehead, have made major contributions to our knowledge of the local marine fauna.

Invertebrate Survey: The Museum has recently initiated a field program to document the benthic marine biodiversity in the Southeast Queensland region making collections by SCUBA diving. The study area, extends from Fraser Island to Cape Byron, but has a particular emphasis on Moreton Bay.

One site that we have concentrated on, is the small patch of reef at Myora. It is particularly

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Future Marine Science in Moreton Bay

diverse, with especially high numbers of molluscs and crustaceans. The Myora coral community occtrrs as a shallow (1-3m), narrow reef, with six coral species (Lovell, 1989). It is unusual within Moreton Bay in having large plates of Acropora digitifera (Dana). These grow attached to loose rubble on a muddy-sand substrate, which means they are easily overturned to sample the associated fauna. This small reef has a high diversity of invertebrates - including species which are more typically expected on outside reefs. This is possibly because during times of flooding when the rest of the Bay is subject to severe freshwater dilution, circulation patterns within the Bay cause a pooling of undiluted seawater along the northern side of Stradbroke Island (Stephenson, 1968). The reef also lies just to the side of the main channel leading in and out of the Bay, so recruitment from open coastal waters, and the warm southerly flowing East Australian Current, can be expected. Last .year we discovered an extremely rare shrimp, Phyllognathia ceratophthalma Balss, under a plate of Acropora (see Davie, 1992). It is only known from a few specimens over the last I 00 years, and despite intensive collecting along the Barrier Reef, it has only been recorded once before in Australia, from Lizard Is.

We are working at building a collection of colour transparencies which are tied to specimens in the collection, so that we have a record of live colour. Also we are looking at recording and storing video images of the communities as they exist today.

Current funding for this surveying is presently only permitting a low level investigation, but we are hoping that external funds will be found to accelerate our present activities.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

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We will continue to conduct field work until we feel we have a good knowledge of the fauna in the Bay.

We will actively solicit and encourage taxonomic studies, through the distribution of collections to appropriate experts; by the encouragment of students to undertake studies; and by the organisation of conferences and taxonomic workshops when appropriate.

We will endeavour to publish faunal guides to cover Moreton Bay and South-eastern Queensland. The Queensland Museum takes its educational role very seriously and tries to actively publish information pertinent to understanding and preserving our faunal heritage.

SUMMARY

.The Queensland Museum is a permanent institution with a primary role of gathering and storing information, centered around specimens, which reflects the present structure of our world, and therefore in time will show the historical and ecological changes. This is an enormous task, and we are keen to be involved with any group whose research goals coincide with our objectives. While we collect specimens statewide, we can't collect everywhere with equal intensity, and therefore Moreton Bay has become a major priority area in our search for understanding.

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LITERATURE CITED

Campbell, B.M. and Stephenson, W. 1970. The sublittoral Brachyura (Crustacea: Decapoda) of Moreton Bay. Mem. Qd Mus. 15(4): 235-301, lpl.

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Museum Research and Moreton Bay

Campbell, B.M., Monroe, R, Mather, P. and Wallace, C. 1974. The estuarine sublittoral macrobenthos of southeastern Queensland: a preliminary survey. A Report to the Coastal Management Investigation. Queensland Museum, Brisbane.

Campbell, B.M., Wallace, C. and King, H. 1977a. The sublittoral macrobenthos of the proposed Brisbane Airport extension area. Brisbane Airport Development Project Environmental Study. Vol. IV. Marine Study Factor Reports. pp. 20-48. Aust. Govt. Publ. Serv. : Canberra.

Campbell, B.M., Wallace, C. and King, H. 1977b. Field study of marine littoral invertebrate macrofauna from the proposed Brisbane Airport extension area. Brisbane Airport Development Project Environ­mental Study. Vol. IV. Marine Study Factor Reports. pp. 49-77. Aust. Govt. Pub I. Serv.: Canberra.

Davie, P.J.F. 1992. The rare shrimp, Phyllognathia ceratophtha/ma (Balss), discovered in Moreton Bay. Mem. Qd Mus. 32(1): 98.

Davie, P.J.F. 1993. A new genus of macrophthalmine crab (Crustacea: Decapoda: Ocypodidae) from eastern Australia. Rec. Aust. Mus. 45(1): 5-9.

Endean, R. 1953. Queensland faunistic records - Part III - Echinodermata (excluding Crinoidea). Pap. Dep. Zoo/. Univ. Qd 1(3).

Endean, R., Kenny, R. and Stephenson, W. 1956. The ecology and distribution of intertidal organisms on the rocky shores of the Queensland mainland. Aust. J. Mar. Freshw. Res. 7(1): 88-146.

Kott, P. 1972. Some sublittoral ascidians in Moreton Bay, and their seasonal occurrence. Mem. Qd Mus. 16(2): 233-260.

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Kott, P. 1985. The Australian Ascidiacea Pt 1 Phlebobranchia and Stolidobranchia. Mem: QdMus. 23: 1-440.

Kott, P. 1990. The Australian Ascidiacea Pt 2 Aplousobranchia (1). Mem. Qd Mus. 29(1): 1-266.

Kott, P. 1992. The Australian Ascidiacea Pt 3 Aplousobranchia (2). Mem. Qd Mus. 32(2): 375-620.

Lovell, E.R. 1989. Coral assemblages of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, before and after a major flood. Mem. Od Mus. 27(2): 535-50. -

Stephenson, W. 1968. The effects of a flood upon salinities in the southern portion of Moreton Bay. Proc. R. Soc. Qd 80(3): 19-23.

Stephenson, W.and Cook, S.D. 1979. Changes in the macrobenthos of Moreton Bay during three years of sampling. In: Bailey, A. and Stevens, N.C. (eds) Northern Moreton Bay Symposium. ·· Pro c. R. Soc. Qd: 87: 96.

Stephenson, W., Cook, S.D. and Newlands S.J. 1978. The macrobenthos of the ' Middlebanks area of Moreton Bay. Mem. Qd Mus. 18: 185-212.

Stephenson, W., Raphael, Y.I. and Cook, S.D. 1976. The macrobenthos ofBramble Bav Moreton Bay, Queensland. Mem. Od M~;. 17(3): 425-47. -

Stephenson, W., Williams, W.T. and Cook, S.D. 197 4. The benthic fauna of soft bottoms, southern Moreton Bay. Mem. Od Mus. 17(1): 73-123. -

Stephenson, W., Williams, W.T. and Lance, G.N. 1970. The macrobenthos ofMoreton Bay. Eco/. Monogr. 40: 459-94.

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Wallace, C. C. 1978. The coral genus Acropora (Scleractinia: Astrocoeniina: Acroporidae) in the central and southern Great Barrier Reef Province. Mem. Qd Mus. 18(2): 273-319, pis 43-103 .

Wells, J.W. 1955. Recent and subfossil corals of Moreton Bay, Queensland. Univ. Qd Pap., Dept. Geo/. 4(10): 1-23.

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