The project emerged from a mangrove planting program started in December 2019 by The University of Melbourne, Natural Centre for Coasts and Climate (NCCC); the Western Port Seagrass Partnership (WPSP); Bass Coast Landcare Network (BCLN); and Jason Noonan, Citizen Scientist. It dealt with sites at Jam Jerrup, Grantville, Queensferry and Anderson (south of Bass River). Following this, the twelve-month research project that was run from December 2022 to December 2023 was designed to further test the validity of the Noonan Daly mangrove propagation method and investigate new mangrove propagation concepts. Noonan and Daly first trialled the proposed experiment at Queensferry in January 2020 when they planted 30 mangrove seeds in a Hiko plastic seed tray filled with intertidal mud. The tray was placed under a group of mangrove trees – in this case, the “mangrove nursery”. In March 2020 the seedlings were transplanted to the intertidal zone.

Mangroves

Method: Hybrid, planting: seedlings

Mangrove species: Avicennia marina

Hybrid structure: Coir based biodegradable pots