The City of Greater Geelong is managing seagrass at the Eastern Beach promenade in early November.
This is part of the City’s routine maintenance works within the Eastern Beach swimming enclosure.
For the public’s safety, the swimming enclosure will be closed while the works take place. The closure is expected to last a day, and on-site signage will alert the public.
Long seagrass can hide hazardous objects in its dense foliage, which may pose a risk to swimmers.
Seagrasses are excellent at capturing carbon and storing it beneath the ocean floor. High levels of disturbance to the seabed can cause the stored carbon to be released into the atmosphere.
The species of seagrass that populates 70 to 75 per cent of the swimming enclosure, Heterozostera nigricaulis, is considered endangered under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act.
Seagrasses will be trimmed and maintained to a shorter length using an amphibious vehicle to prevent carbon emissions and protect the seagrass.
