Gulf of Carpentaria
Location
Targeted efforts to reduce destructive feral pig populations may give degraded wetlands and waterways in north Queensland an opportunity for recovery.
We are monitoring wetland and waterway health, water quality, and the presence of threatened and invasive species eDNA in areas of feral pig control across north Queensland.
These projects will establish a systematic approach for waterway monitoring in the region.
Key points
Monitoring wetland health and recovery in the southern Gulf
Wetlands degraded by feral pigs
Feral pigs are a major threat and ongoing management challenge in northern Australian ecosystems. Through trampling and digging, feral pigs destroy vegetation, disturb freshwater turtle nests, increase erosion, and release sediment into waterways, impacting the health and survival of native species.
There is a long history of feral pig control programs across different spatial scales, and targeted control programs are currently underway in wetland catchments across north Queensland. Reducing feral pig populations is expected to benefit nearby wetlands as well as waterways further downstream, but systematic monitoring is needed to assess potential recovery.
Projects are now underway evaluating waterway health alongside feral pig management in these catchments, establishing an approach for ongoing monitoring.
Watch this space; more information on these projects is coming soon.
Photo credits: Gulf Snapping Turtle by Scott Thomson via iNaturalist; feral pig by Gwyn M Williams via iNaturalist.
Research support
Research leads
