Westport has partnered with the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) to deliver the $13.5 million WAMSI-Westport Marine Science Program. This 3-year program is developing the latest data, information and modelling on the complex environmental systems and community values associated with Cockburn Sound.
Project 3.5: Cockburn Sound Benthic Biogeochemistry - Final report
Theme: Water and Sediment Quality
Researchers: Eyre, B., van Haastregt, B., Eyre, J., Yeo, J. (2025).
Evaluating benthic metabolism and nutrient flux rate across 12 different benthic habitats across Cockburn Sound
This study assessed benthic metabolism and nutrient cycling across 12 sites in Cockburn Sound, focusing on how sediment type, depth, and biological communities influence oxygen and nutrient fluxes. The 12 sites chosen represented the major benthic habitat types in Cockburn Sound.
These measured fluxes will be used to calibrate a fine-scale sediment biogeochemistry model of oxygen metabolism and nutrient cycling. In addition, this project assesses the overall “ecological health” of Cockburn Sound through several benthic indicators such as benthic respiration, gross primary productivity/respiration ratios (P/R), and denitrification efficiency.
