Prediction of fishery year-class-strengths from larval growth and zooplankton size structure. The abundance of young fish produced in the ocean each year is highly variable, and banks or managers need to prepare for these future changes when the fish reach market size. Therefore many nations conduct special trawl surveys of juvenile fish each year, but these are expensive, particularly when Australia has over 200 commercially harvested fish. We propose that the growth of fish larvae, recorded as ....Prediction of fishery year-class-strengths from larval growth and zooplankton size structure. The abundance of young fish produced in the ocean each year is highly variable, and banks or managers need to prepare for these future changes when the fish reach market size. Therefore many nations conduct special trawl surveys of juvenile fish each year, but these are expensive, particularly when Australia has over 200 commercially harvested fish. We propose that the growth of fish larvae, recorded as daily growth rings within the earstone of undersized fish from the fishery, could predict future abundance. We will link growth to a cost-effective assessment of their zooplankton prey in spawning areas that lead to Australia's South East Trawl region.Read moreRead less
Coastal cold core eddies of the East Australian Current and their fisheries potential. Offshore eddies shed by the East Australian Current can draw in coastal water from the Stockton Bight on the NSW central coast. This area is anecdotally recognized as a fisheries nursery area. It is often enriched by upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich waters which can seed these eddies with larval fish and their food. We will test if such eddies nurture plankton communities and then transport them back to the co ....Coastal cold core eddies of the East Australian Current and their fisheries potential. Offshore eddies shed by the East Australian Current can draw in coastal water from the Stockton Bight on the NSW central coast. This area is anecdotally recognized as a fisheries nursery area. It is often enriched by upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich waters which can seed these eddies with larval fish and their food. We will test if such eddies nurture plankton communities and then transport them back to the coast, giving rise to a useful index for predicting future fisheries, as well as explaining biodiversity changes to marine park planners. We will provide a census of these eddies during El Nino-Southern Oscillation events and climate change of the past 15 years in unprecedented detail.Read moreRead less