According to Waycott et al, 2009 seagrass meadows are declining globally at 7% each year. Once a seagrass meadow is fragmented, the sediment trapped beneath becomes vulnerable to erosion which further increases the rate of attrition and undermines the conditions necessary for growth.
Between 2009 and 2014, approximately 2.8% (2.2ha) of seagrass was lost in Pittwater (Evans et al 2019). According to Meehan & West, 2000, slow-growing species, such as Posidonia australis, may take decades or centuries to recolonise disturbed areas. We believe there is no seagrass buffer zone design which is likely to be effective and adequate to prevent off-leash dogs interacting with the seagrass beds off Station beach. This applies to on-leash dogs, particularly at low tide.