The reefs of east Torres Strait were surveyed in in January 2005, visiting 123 sites from the previous survey in 2002; density estimates for each species in the fishery were compared to previous surveys to calculate density trends. These surveys were designed to provide information on the stock status of fished species and recovery of depleted species. The results of the surveys showed that the three closed species, sandfish, black teatfish and surf redfish, had not recovered from their low densities observed in previous surveys. Sandfish density actually decreased to similar levels as in 1998, when the fishery was closed. While most of the decrease occurred in the juvenile sandfish population, the adult sandfish population had also declined since the previous survey in 2002. This result was quite unexpected given the relatively strong breeding cohort evident in 2002.
This collection of Southern Hemisphere Deep-sea Corals consists of antipatherians (black corals), gorgonians (soft corals) and scleractinians (stony corals). This includes both live caught, sub-fossil and fossil material. Some samples date back to ca. 20,000 years before present; some of the un-dated material (based on work on samples sent to Californian Institute of Technology) are likely to be very much older. The collection is housed at CSIRO Marine Laboratories in Hobart, Tasmania.
The Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) is an informatics workbench aiding the acquisition, storage, analysis and publication of DNA barcode records. CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (CMAR) contributes to this database, as of May 2008, it has contributed about 1000 species of fish, mostly from multiple samples, along with ~100 species of decapods and ~100 species of echinoderms (marine invertebrates). There is DNA data for a specific gene (COI). The collection of data includes GPS location, date, depth, who collected and identified sample, and some have photos. The samples used in providing the information to the Database from CMAR are housed at the Marine Laboratories in Hobart.
Pilbara Marine Conservation Partnership (PMCP) coral reef underwater visual census (UVC) survey of reef invertebrate species between northern Ningaloo and the Dampier Archipelago. The data include: * Invertebrate database - 25x1m transects * Abundance of invertebrates: Solitary invertebrates, principally echinoderms, molluscs and crustaceans. ---- The Pilbara Marine Conservation Partnership (PMCP) was an initiative designed to enhance the net conservation benefits of the globally-significant coral reef ecosystems of the Pilbara (Western Australia) by providing an assessment of the condition and trajectory of key ecological values. These assessments were designed to inform and complement existing governance and management arrangements and the PMCP is intended to provide ongoing advice and assessment for conservation efforts in the region, providing lasting benefits. The PMCP concept is based on three core ecological components, namely: Coral Reef Health - concentrating mainly on habitat forming primary producers. Fish and Sharks - their community structure, interactions and impacts on lower trophic levels. Environmental Pressures - physical and anthropogenic factors that influence the condition of reefs and associated biota.
Thirty hard corals of the species Plesiastrea versipora have been collected from Marmion Reef for sectioning and x-ray analysis to provide measurements of growth. These data will be combined with coral population structures collected in 2006-2007 invertebrate surveys, enabling us to independently validate models of patch dynamics (including patch longevity) using estimated coral ages.
To further monitor the recovery and investigate the feasibility of experimental fishing to monitor the fishery, a small experimental fishing exercise was undertaken. Islanders from Iama and Poruma Islands, which historically fished Warrior Reef, were engaged in the exercise. This represented a significant training and community co-management opportunity. Fishing effort was controlled to a level where there was little risk to the overall population stock status (<2 tonnes), even at the 2010 estimates of low stock size. Catch and swept area data from different locations and time of day were compared with historical survey data and estimates of catch in the early 1990s, when the fishery was first exploited. This provided information on population status and dynamics.
The sandfish on Warrior Reef were surveyed in October 2002 including a resurvey of sites examined in 1995/6, 1998 and 2000. This showed that the population had continued to recover, but was still seriously depleted and we are not yet able to recommend its reopening. However, the density of the breeding cohort was the strongest ever surveyed, so we might hope for a strong recruitment in 2004. We did observe a significant change in the distribution of sandfish on Warrior Reef that may be related to habitat changes in the northern section of Warrior Reef.
This record describes a derived data set of museum records collated and quality assured in 2015 by Shirley Sorokin (SARDI), Franzis Althaus (CSIRO), Karen Gowlett-Holmes (CSIRO) and Jason Tanner (SARDI) under the GAB Research Program. The GABRP aims to describe the key elements of the GAB marine ecosystem. This understanding of the structure and function of the ecosystem will be used to inform future integrated and sustainable ocean management and assessment/mitigation of potential future impacts. The collation and examination of museum data contributed to our endeavor of documenting existing knowledge of species distributions in the GAB region. Museum database managers were asked to provide an inventory of all specimens listed in their respective data bases that were collected in Australian waters between Perth and Sydney at >=200 m depth. The data were collated and CAAB identifiers were added taking into account differences in spelling, synonyms (outdated names) etc. Where uncertainty in an identification existed the next higher level in the taxonomic hierarchy was used for assigning CAAB.
Beam trawl surveys of juvenile prawns were carried out between the Vanderlin Islands and Rosy Creek, Gulf of Carpentaria to investigate the impact of dredging by MacArthur River Mines.
This current research project was based on a population surveys of sandfish on Warrior Reef in January 2004. Sandfish density actually decreased to similar levels as in 1998, when the fishery was closed. While most of the decrease occurred in the juvenile sandfish population, the adult sandfish population had also declined since the previous survey in 2002. This result was quite unexpected given the relatively strong breeding cohort evident in 2002.