Long-term Recovery – Review of sediment condition at Marine Farm lease No.76 (Gunpowder Jetty), North West Bay

This study was undertaken to assess the Gunpowder Jetty site(Marine Farm lease No.76) 10 years after it was finally vacated to determine whether the benthic, visual and physical chemical conditions were consistent with background conditions and to what extent the system has recovered. The results suggest that, based on the selected environmental condition variables assessed, the sediments around the Gunpowder lease have largely recovered. Whilst some parameters still showed small differences between locations these do not appear to be having a major effect on the ecology or nutrient mineralisation processes and consequently there is no evidence that the farming activity has had any permanent impact on the ecology in this area.