This record contains a listing of reports archived in the Torres Strait CRC (Cooperative Research Centre) Data and Information Repository, excluding those associated with specific data files (which will be listed in the relevant MarLIN metadata records).

This work formed part of a thesis looking at the concerns and aspirations of the Torres strait Islanders with respect to the TS Fisheries and Fishery arrangements via interviews.

The dataset contains the traditional island names for fish and reefs which differ between the three Torres Strait Islander communities of Darnley, Murray and Yorke.

This study collects information on intertidal seagrass meadows at Thursday and Horn Island, Torres Strait. Data is collected by scientists and trained students/ community volunteers using the standard Seagrass-Watch protocols (see www.seagrasswatch.org). Three permanently marked sites (50mx 50m) are monitored 3 - times a year. Data is submitted to Seagrass-Watch HQ for QAQC and submission to the main Seagrass-Watch MSAccess database (Northern Fisheries Centre, DPI&F custodians). Summary data and anaylis is presented in quarterly newsletters and available on the web as part of State of teh Environment reporting.

Distribution and size frequency patterns of sessile organisms such as sponges may vary among and within neighbouring reefs. In this study, we examine small scale variation of dictyoceratid sponges (class Demospongiae), commonly found on coral reefs, by surveying six neighbouring islands in central Torres Strait. Each island had four study sites, at least 1 km apart, with each site consisting of three shallow (4-6 m) and three deep (10-15 m) 20 m2 transects. For each transect, we recorded the number of each species and measured the size of the more common dictyoceratid sponges. Seven species of dictyoceratid were recorded in central Torres Strait, with only three species, Coscinoderma sp., Dysidea herbacea and Hyrtios erecta, common to all six islands. Abundance patterns generally varied greatly among islands or sites within islands, perhaps resulting from a combination of physical, biological and stochastic factors. More dictyoceratids were found in deeper water, although abundance across depth for some species varied among islands or sites. Size frequency distribution patterns also varied greatly among islands and between dictyoceratid species, indicating that factors that may promote growth for one species may not necessarily promote growth for a related species. This study shows that patterns of abundance and size of dictyoceratids can vary greatly over small spatial scales and that patterns are species specific.

A population survey of all sea cucumber species was carried out in east Torres Strait in January 2005. The survey was designed to provide information on the stock status of fished species and recovery of depleted species. Habitat data for comparison with previous years was also collected.

Spatial variability in community structure of dictyoceratid sponges (Class Demospongiae; Order Dictyoceratida) was examined on coral reefs in Torres Strait, an archipelago of islands and reefs between northern Queensland, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. Dictyoceratid sponge abundances and environmental parameters were recorded at 4 locations, separated by 50-220 km. Each location was subdivided into 5-7 sites, each ≥2 km apart. At each site four 50x2 m belt transects were quantitatively surveyed, recording dictyoceratid numbers, substrate type (rock, rubble and sand), water clarity, degree of reef slope and depth. Dictyoceratid abundance was similar among locations, averaging 15.5 individuals per 100 m2, but varied significantly among sites. Twenty three dictyoceratid species were recorded in Torres Strait, with approximately half (12/23) found in only one location. Canonical Correspondence Analysis determined that the measured environmental factors explained only 26% of the spatial variation. Cluster analysis revealed a complex dictyoceratid community structure with consistent patterns among neighbouring sites and among sites separated by hundreds of kilometres. Conversely the dictyoceratid community could vary greatly between neighbouring sites 2 km apart and on the same reef complex. The results of this study suggest that spatial variability of dictyoceratid sponges in Torres Strait is influenced by a combination of environmental, biological and stochastic processes.