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.

From April 2007 to June 2009, six field trips were undertaken to investigate the elasmobranch faunal composition of the Ningaloo Marine Park (NMP), determine the distribution and abundance of species, and examine the habitat utilisation, movement patterns and activity space of selected key species. Dive and longline surveys, passive acoustic telemetry and satellite tracking were used to collect data. Of interest to management, was whether existing sanctuary zones were effective for elasmobranchs as well as the location and timing of aggregation sites reported for some species. Satellite tagging data: Two types of platform transmitter terminals (PTTs) were used, Wildlife Computers (Redmond, USA) smart position or temperature transmitting tag (SPOT4 or SPOT5) and SPLASH tags. Longline survey data Longline fishing was used to survey elasmobranchs outside the reef and was carried out from the Western Australia Fishery Department vessel RV 'Naturaliste'. A total of 111 longline sets were made between Three Mile Camp towards the southern extremity of the Marine Park, to northeast of the Muiron Islands outside the northern limits of the Park; the distribution of these sets are shown in the thumbnail. Of these 111 sets, 17 were in sanctuary zones and 94 in non-sanctuary zones (in the thumbnail picture the hatched areas are sanctuary zones). Lagoon and reef edge dive survey data Snorkel and SCUBA underwater visual surveys were conducted as part of four field trips to Ningaloo in April and June 2007 and August and December 2008. The June and August surveys were restricted to the reef edge on SCUBA, while the April and December surveys were mainly on snorkel and in the lagoon. While the original intention was to provide coverage through the different seasons, poor weather conditions coincided with most of the planned fieldwork (including cyclone 'Nicholas') resulting in re-scheduling of some trips. A total of 137 sites were surveyed between Vlaming Head on the northeast of the Cape to Gnaraloo in the southern part of the Marine Park (see thumbnail picture). Of these surveys, 89 were in sanctuary zones and 48 in non-sanctuary zones (sanctuary zones are shown as hatched in the picture). Acoustic data Elasmobranchs were tagged with acoustic tags and subsequently monitored with acoustic receivers (Vemco VR2, VR2W and VR3) moored on the seabed that constitute the Ningaloo Reef Ecosystem Tracking Array (NRETA). This array is part of the nationwide network of marine acoustic monitoring, the Australian Acoustic Tagging and Monitoring System (AATAMS). A total of 96 acoustic receivers are deployed at Ningaloo Reef between Coral Bay and Tantabiddi. A total of 56 acoustic tags were deployed on six species of sharks and three species of rays in the Ningaloo Marine Park in February 2008. Data is accessible through the IMOS AATAMS website 11 Nervous Sharks (Carcharhinus cautus) 10 Giant Shovelnose Rays (Glaucostegus typus) 9 Blacktip Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) 9 Grey Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) 8 Cowtail Stingrays (Pastinachus atrus) 4 Porcupine Rays (Urogymnus asperrimus) 4 Lemon Sharks (Negaprion acutidens) 1 Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) 1 Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus)

The Ningaloo Marine Park (State Waters) Plan 1989 was designated A class in 1990. A review of the Management Plan began in 2000; this resulted in a revised Management Plan being approved by the Minister in January 2005. Changes in the current Management Plan include extending the Marine Park southwards to incorporate the full extent of the reef, increasing the number and extent of Sanctuary Zones, introducing Special Purpose Benthic Protection and shore-based line fishing zones. The purpose of this project is to assess the effectiveness of 1989 Management Plan and also provide what will become the first data point in a long-term data set. These data will become an integral part of several sections of the NRP, evaluating the effectiveness of zoning for biodiversity conservation, assessing the implications of zoning for fish populations and for fishing outside sanctuary zones. The surveys will provide data not only for newly established zones, but also for those zones already established within the park under previous zoning provisions. Where possible the survey will build on existing data sets, though these are limited in scope and spatial extent. Objectives For fish taxa targeted by anglers (e.g. labridae, lethrinidae, lutjanidae, serranidae, carangidae): - Measure the distribution, abundance and size-structure of key fish populations at Ningaloo - Provide data that will allow a quantitative comparison of these parameters to be made across Ningaloo Marine Park zones (pre-2005 sanctuary zones, new sanctuary zones, benthic protection zones, recreational zones and general use zones). - Provide data that will form the basis for being able to: - Measure the rate and magnitude of any changes in fish population size or structure related to changes in marine park zoning - Determine how responses of fish populations may vary with respect to factors such as size of reserve, type of reserve, distance from boundary and fish life-history - Parameterize and test spatially-explicit models of fish populations.

This dataset contains seagrass distribution and density data from Marmion Lagoon, Perth, Western Australia. Every 6 months from 1979 until January 1998, two transects a north south and an east west (370 m and 330 m long) in 4 m of water were conducted. Any species or density changes along the transects were recorded.

This project now supports in part Australia's first permanent acoustic listening station array on Ningaloo Reef - the Ningaloo Reef Ecosystem Tracking Array (NRETA) which has been established to answer major questions about the trophic structure, function and management of this environment, especially in terms of movement and migration patterns of key organisms within this ecosystem. NRETA has connected Australian acoustic telemetry science with the Census of Marine Life's (CoML) Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking (POST) project in North America and the $35 million worldwide acoustic tracking initiative proposed by R O'Dor - Ocean Shelf Tracking and Physics Array (OSTAPA). NRETA will be a key factor in the development of shelf tracking arrays within Australia as part of AATAMS and will place Australia in a good position to take a leading role as this technology continues to expand worldwide. This project will add important data management and analysis tools to this array, essentially ensuring that the ability to process and understand data and keep pace with our ability to collect it.