This project aims to document the aquatic fauna on Kimba Station pre and post installation of a 10kms fence to manage cattle access to the water way. These surveys will target fish and crustaceans and of particular concern is the Freshwater Tiger Crab, Austrothelphusa tigrina, endemic to one tributary of the Alice River. The Tiger Crabs form sealed holes in the sandy bank to last out the dry season. As such they are very susceptible to trampling by cattle during this time. The section of the Jeremy Dodd’s Creek will be assessed for aquatic biodiversity prior to the on ground works, to provide a baseline assessment. The proposed fence will exclude cattle from much of this area and the site will be again assessed once the fence has been installed and impact from cattle reduced.
The project will document the aquatic fauna of the area and fill in knowledge gaps surrounding aquatic biodiversity in the northern section of the Alice River catchment. JCU TropWATER plan to use a suite of different techniques including traps, nets and cameras to survey this challenging environment. The field work component of the trip will take place over two trips taken to Kimba Station, commencing in 2017.
The project will culminate in a short report complete with photos, maps and an inventory of species observed at each site surveyed.