Premium Content Subscriber only An aquatic vet has criticised the dredging works at Shaws Bay, saying it destroyed an important patch of seagrass in the Richmond River in order to create a new beach. Matt Landos, an associate researcher at Sydney University and adjunct senior lecturer at Charles Sturt University, said the seagrass was an important part of the aquatic environment. Seagrass acts as an underwater forest, allowing small crustaceans and other animals to live protected. "We've lost a significant amount of seagrass, a natural resource that is exotic and fascinating," he said. "You could say it wasn't natural in Shaws Bay, because it is a man-made bay, but over time the seagrass found a place to survive in the river, and if you walk via the edge in Compton Drive and go where they have installed the new ramp, you will see that the sea grass has been covered up with sand," he said.