YR11 BIOLOGY 2023 Kayla Steen
11 BIOLOGY (Prelim) DEPTH STUDY 2023
MINNAMURRA Ecosystems
1
,YR11 BIOLOGY 2023 Kayla Steen
Table of Contents
The Task 3
Depth study Inquiry Question 3
SECTION ONE 3
Ecosystem Overview 3
Outline of Section 3
Coastal Ecosystems 3
Minnamurra's coastal ecosystem’s abiotic and biotic factors 6
Climate Change and Sea Level Rise 9
Coastal Squeeze 11
Ecological State of the Minnamurra Coastal Ecosystem Due to Sea Level Rise 12
SECTION TWO 12
Ecosystem investigations 12
Outline of Section 12
Pilot study 13
Aim 13
Methodology 13
Results 13
Conclusion 15
Plant Distribution Study 15
Aim 15
Hypothesis 16
Methodology 16
Results 17
Conclusion 18
SECTION THREE 19
Ecosystem analysis 19
Outline of Section 19
Discussion and Predictions 19
Secondary sources 20
Predictions 20
Limitations 23
Accuracy 23
Validity 23
Reliability 24
Overall 24
Mitigation Strategies 24
Living Shorelines 25
Coastal Structures 27
Overall 29
BIBLIOGRAPHY 30
2
,YR11 BIOLOGY 2023 Kayla Steen
The Task
This task involves an investigation of the Minnamurra River ecosystem and writing a report to
answer the in-depth study inquiry question “How will sea level rise affect the Minnamurra River
coastal ecosystem?”
The task will involve;
● Pre-lessons about the Minnamurra estuary ecosystem and abiotic risks
● An excursion to the estuary to collect data on abiotic and biotic factors.
● Post-lesson analysing of the collected data with past data and future predictions.
● Class time to write a report.
Depth study Inquiry Question
“How will sea level rise affect Minnamurra River coastal ecosystem?”
SECTION ONE
Ecosystem Overview
Outline of Section
In this section, I will explain Australia's coastal ecosystems, e.g. rock platforms, coastal dunes
and intertidal estuaries. I will be exploring the Minnamurra's coastal ecosystem’s abiotic and
biotic factors and how they impact the relationship between the two, I will explain what climate
change is and how it is a vital factor in causing rising sea levels and coastal squeeze in the
Minnamurra and lastly how all of this contributes to the ecological state of the Minnamurra area.
Coastal Ecosystems
Coastal Ecosystems are filled with many unique habitats (Heidi Nepf, int 2021) that occur when
the land meets the sea. They help house highly biodiverse communities of plants and animals
that, like a forest, can help reduce the CO2 in our atmosphere (Emily Neal, 2019). The most
common coastal ecosystems that are known are beaches, coral reefs and rainforests, each helps
their environment thrive while also bringing more than half of the European population every
year in tourism. Australia is home to many different types of coastal ecosystems. These
ecosystems are all controlled by the abiotic and biotic factors within them. Coastal ecosystems
like;
3
, YR11 BIOLOGY 2023 Kayla Steen
● Rock platforms;
Rock platforms, shown in Figure 1, are
environmentally made ecosystems that span a
shoreline, These ecosystems are formed when
waves, wind and rain are carved into coastal
rocks (Queensland Government, 2022).
Salinity is a big factor that contributes to the
living organisms on rock platforms. When
seawater is pushed on the rock platform, the
sun will dry out the water leaving the salt
behind and making the rock platform saltier
each time. The organisms that live on the
forum will have a negative impact as the salt
will cause the organism to lose water and
therefore must adapt to it. For example in Nirit
Bernstein's report “Plant response and
adaptations to salinity” (2019), she explains that salinity affects the alteration of
metabolism, hormonal changes, oxidative damage, and impaired photosynthesis which
causes a smaller crop yield and shorter life expectancy. Overall rock platforms provide a
home to many living organisms that are being affected by the rising salinity level on the
platforms.
● Coastal dunes;
Coastal dunes, shown in Figure 2, are also
known as natural buffers that help to
separate the land from the ocean tides.
Coastal dunes are caused by wind
velocity, air moisture and vegetation that
push sand behind the coastline and can
only form when close to flat beach faces
(Craig R. Sloss, Michael Shepherd &
Patrick Hesp, 2012) (Internet
Geography). Dunes are subcategorised in
two ways, primary dunes being the
foreshore and secondary dunes being the
backshore seen in Figure 3, each helps to
protect the inland from extreme weather and they minimalise erosion. Dune vegetation
4
11 BIOLOGY (Prelim) DEPTH STUDY 2023
MINNAMURRA Ecosystems
1
,YR11 BIOLOGY 2023 Kayla Steen
Table of Contents
The Task 3
Depth study Inquiry Question 3
SECTION ONE 3
Ecosystem Overview 3
Outline of Section 3
Coastal Ecosystems 3
Minnamurra's coastal ecosystem’s abiotic and biotic factors 6
Climate Change and Sea Level Rise 9
Coastal Squeeze 11
Ecological State of the Minnamurra Coastal Ecosystem Due to Sea Level Rise 12
SECTION TWO 12
Ecosystem investigations 12
Outline of Section 12
Pilot study 13
Aim 13
Methodology 13
Results 13
Conclusion 15
Plant Distribution Study 15
Aim 15
Hypothesis 16
Methodology 16
Results 17
Conclusion 18
SECTION THREE 19
Ecosystem analysis 19
Outline of Section 19
Discussion and Predictions 19
Secondary sources 20
Predictions 20
Limitations 23
Accuracy 23
Validity 23
Reliability 24
Overall 24
Mitigation Strategies 24
Living Shorelines 25
Coastal Structures 27
Overall 29
BIBLIOGRAPHY 30
2
,YR11 BIOLOGY 2023 Kayla Steen
The Task
This task involves an investigation of the Minnamurra River ecosystem and writing a report to
answer the in-depth study inquiry question “How will sea level rise affect the Minnamurra River
coastal ecosystem?”
The task will involve;
● Pre-lessons about the Minnamurra estuary ecosystem and abiotic risks
● An excursion to the estuary to collect data on abiotic and biotic factors.
● Post-lesson analysing of the collected data with past data and future predictions.
● Class time to write a report.
Depth study Inquiry Question
“How will sea level rise affect Minnamurra River coastal ecosystem?”
SECTION ONE
Ecosystem Overview
Outline of Section
In this section, I will explain Australia's coastal ecosystems, e.g. rock platforms, coastal dunes
and intertidal estuaries. I will be exploring the Minnamurra's coastal ecosystem’s abiotic and
biotic factors and how they impact the relationship between the two, I will explain what climate
change is and how it is a vital factor in causing rising sea levels and coastal squeeze in the
Minnamurra and lastly how all of this contributes to the ecological state of the Minnamurra area.
Coastal Ecosystems
Coastal Ecosystems are filled with many unique habitats (Heidi Nepf, int 2021) that occur when
the land meets the sea. They help house highly biodiverse communities of plants and animals
that, like a forest, can help reduce the CO2 in our atmosphere (Emily Neal, 2019). The most
common coastal ecosystems that are known are beaches, coral reefs and rainforests, each helps
their environment thrive while also bringing more than half of the European population every
year in tourism. Australia is home to many different types of coastal ecosystems. These
ecosystems are all controlled by the abiotic and biotic factors within them. Coastal ecosystems
like;
3
, YR11 BIOLOGY 2023 Kayla Steen
● Rock platforms;
Rock platforms, shown in Figure 1, are
environmentally made ecosystems that span a
shoreline, These ecosystems are formed when
waves, wind and rain are carved into coastal
rocks (Queensland Government, 2022).
Salinity is a big factor that contributes to the
living organisms on rock platforms. When
seawater is pushed on the rock platform, the
sun will dry out the water leaving the salt
behind and making the rock platform saltier
each time. The organisms that live on the
forum will have a negative impact as the salt
will cause the organism to lose water and
therefore must adapt to it. For example in Nirit
Bernstein's report “Plant response and
adaptations to salinity” (2019), she explains that salinity affects the alteration of
metabolism, hormonal changes, oxidative damage, and impaired photosynthesis which
causes a smaller crop yield and shorter life expectancy. Overall rock platforms provide a
home to many living organisms that are being affected by the rising salinity level on the
platforms.
● Coastal dunes;
Coastal dunes, shown in Figure 2, are also
known as natural buffers that help to
separate the land from the ocean tides.
Coastal dunes are caused by wind
velocity, air moisture and vegetation that
push sand behind the coastline and can
only form when close to flat beach faces
(Craig R. Sloss, Michael Shepherd &
Patrick Hesp, 2012) (Internet
Geography). Dunes are subcategorised in
two ways, primary dunes being the
foreshore and secondary dunes being the
backshore seen in Figure 3, each helps to
protect the inland from extreme weather and they minimalise erosion. Dune vegetation
4
