In short:
Scientists and Butchulla rangers are taking mud samples from cars travelling to K'gari to test for invasive species.
Researchers say more than 200 invasive plants and pathogens can be found on the World Heritage listed island.
What's next?
Experts are urging all visitors to wash their cars before arriving on K'gari.
Investigations are underway to identify the source of invasive pests on a Queensland island of the same environmental calibre as the Galapagos Islands and Uluru.
The 20,000 cars that travel to the picturesque paradise K'gari (Fraser Island) each year are all at risk of carrying invasive species to the World Heritage listed island, researchers say.
While waiting to load onto the barge at River Heads to begin their holiday, 20 minutes south of Hervey Bay, scientists and traditional owners are sampling mud from their vehicles.
Plant debris, insects, and weed seeds are just some of the unwanted pests that could be lurking below the mudflaps — all hard to spot with the untrained human eye.
But it is a job that three-year-old English springer spaniel Alice was made for.
"She has been training since she was eight weeks old to look for phytophthora," said dog trainer Ryan Tate.
Alice is sniffing out phytophthora, a plant pathogen that causes dieback. (ABC Wide Bay: Lucy Loram)
Phytophthora, a plant pathogen that causes dieback, is one of the pests the researchers are sampling for.
"Now she's at the point where she can find it in a forest, she can find it in small plants, and today what we're doing is seeing if she can find it in four-wheel drives," Mr Tate said.
"So even cars that have been cleaned really well, she's basically hunting out the smell of the pathogen and finding little bits of mud or sand that might contain the pathogen we're after."
Mud sampling cars
The researchers are also sampling for pests like myrtle rust and weed seeds. (ABC Wide Bay: Lucy Loram)
CSIRO scientist Tracey Steinrucken said before researchers took a sample, they asked drivers where they had been in the past week.
"Especially if they've done any four-wheel driving," Dr Steinrucken said.
"Then we're going to sample some mud and debris from their mud-guards and tyres with the aim to take it back to the lab and see if they're bringing across any plant diseases … or weed seeds or insects.
"We want to make sure that visitors are not bringing anything onto the island that might affect the ecosystems there."
Tracey Steinrucken is urging all drivers to wash their cars before visiting K'gari. (ABC Wide Bay: Lucy Loram)
Dr Steinrucken encouraged all visitors on K'gari to arrive with clean cars to help protect the island.
"If you go to a farm you'll often see a biosecurity sign on its gate … indicating they don't want people driving in or out with weed seeds on their vehicles. Or some national parks have boot wash-down stations before you go in," she said.
"It's the same kind of deal."
The researchers will test the car mud samples in a lab. (ABC Wide Bay: Lucy Loram)
Protecting paradise
K'gari spans 166,038 hectares and features shifting sand dunes, towering rainforests and half the world's perched freshwater lakes.
In 1992, K'gari was added to the World Heritage List in recognition of its natural and cultural significance.
Seth Henaway says there are more than 200 invasive species on K'gari. (ABC Wide Bay: Lucy Loram)
Butchulla biosecurity officer Seth Henaway said the breathtaking landscapes were already feeling the effects of invasive plants and pathogens.
"There's 200 plus invasive species already found on the island,"
he said.
K'gari is protected under the UNESCO World Heritage List for its ecological and cultural significance. (ABC Wide Bay: Lucy Loram)
"There's lots of high-traffic areas where the cars might carry different pathogens or where seeds might fall off … like Boorangoora [Lake McKenzie].
"What's also important is our culturally significant areas, so making sure particular trees or medicine plants are being protected from those plants or diseases coming over."
'Everyone's responsibility'
Forest pathologist with the Department of Primary Industries, Geoff Pegg, said small pests were having a large impact, not just on K'gari but further afield.
"Globally the threat of invasive pests and diseases is increasing — part of this work that we're doing now is to detect, report, and manage some of these threats,"
he said.
Geoff Pegg says the data will help plan for how to manage invasive species. (ABC Wide Bay: Lucy Loram)
"Everyone is aware of weeds and feral animals and that sort of thing, but they're less aware of pests and diseases. They're much smaller to deal with."
Dr Pegg said the data gathered from the mud sampling would help inform how the invasive pests could be managed.
"What we're trying to do is identify what the risk pathways are. Then we can inform people about the ways that they will be able to help because biosecurity is everyone's responsibility," he said.
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