Quantifying The Exposure, Protection And Recovery Of Seafloor Habitats In Spencer Gulf To Prawn Trawling
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$314,535.00
Summary
An independent review (FishListic Pty Ltd. 2019) identified knowledge gaps that need to be addressed for the SGPF to have a successful re-assessment of their MSC certification. The review found that detailed information was needed on the percentage of key seafloor habitat types within and outside the trawl footprint.
The review highlighted the need to visually monitor the SGPF’s associated habitats to address knowledge gaps of habitat extent, regeneration, detailed mapping, sensitivity ....An independent review (FishListic Pty Ltd. 2019) identified knowledge gaps that need to be addressed for the SGPF to have a successful re-assessment of their MSC certification. The review found that detailed information was needed on the percentage of key seafloor habitat types within and outside the trawl footprint.
The review highlighted the need to visually monitor the SGPF’s associated habitats to address knowledge gaps of habitat extent, regeneration, detailed mapping, sensitivity and understanding of gear impacts. Specific knowledge gaps are: a) the presence/extent of sponge and rhodolith habitats currently in medium to high-intensity trawl areas; b) regeneration of sponge and rhodolith habitats previously subjected to high-intensity trawling; c) post-capture survivability of rhodolith pavement; and d) impact of gear on specific habitats.
The MSC Fisheries Standard for Habitats (PI 2.4) requires explicit assessment of the fishery’s impact on commonly encountered habitats, vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) and minor habitats. While VMEs are not currently designated in Spencer Gulf, the common, sensitive and minor habitats associated with the SGPF need to be evaluated. Data are needed on the amount of exposure of these habitats to prawn trawling in Spencer Gulf, as well as on their protection and recovery, to determine their status.
In order for the SGPF to maintain its status as one of the world’s best managed prawn trawl fisheries and retain its social licence to operate, the requirements of MSC Principle 2: Habitat (2.4) need to be addressed. Seafloor habitat types found within the trawl grounds need to be visually monitored, described, quantified, and impacts from prawn trawling assessed.
New understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of key habitats and impacts from fishing in the context of the entire Spencer Gulf is needed to protect fisheries resources and the environment that supports them, and for integrated ecosystem-based management to be implemented in the future.
Objectives: 1. Estimate the proportion of key seafloor habitats (namely sponge gardens, rhodolith pavements and seagrass) and selected by-catch species that occur inside and outside the SGPF trawl footprint; 2. Quantify the spatial distribution of cumulative trawl intensity and time-since-trawled across Spencer Gulf; 3. Quantify the exposure and protection of seafloor habitats and by-catch species to trawling; 4. Estimate the potential regeneration timeframes of key seafloor habitats and assess their current status. Read moreRead less
Marine spatial planning (MSP) has emerged in recent years as a tool for sea use management. However, MSP requires adequate and accurate information on the biophysical state and usage of the marine environment. Such data often exists, but generally not in a format which allows several data layers to be overlaid in order to identify potential conflicts/trade-offs.
Marine information management and data science are developing areas of research addressing how to easily access, collate and u ....Marine spatial planning (MSP) has emerged in recent years as a tool for sea use management. However, MSP requires adequate and accurate information on the biophysical state and usage of the marine environment. Such data often exists, but generally not in a format which allows several data layers to be overlaid in order to identify potential conflicts/trade-offs.
Marine information management and data science are developing areas of research addressing how to easily access, collate and use multiple disparate sources of data to support marine ecosystem and resource management. Significant efforts are made to standardize the collection, reporting and open access to marine data in existing databases and platforms, but these platforms commonly use specific (and differing) sources and types of data. Challenges arise from disparities in spatiotemporal resolution, uncertainty in geographic positioning, diversity of data sources and types, lack of access, and often limited metadata standards within and across scientific disciplines. To address this problem, this project will identify, compile and standardize spatially-resolved datasets required for marine social-ecological system management for Tasmanian State waters. No new field-based data will be collected, although secondary analysis may create new datasets. Rather than duplicating effort, this project builds on accessible databases and platforms to provide recommendations on the availability and best practices of using marine data to support data-driven decision-making processes in Tasmanian waters.
Perhaps more importantly, this project will also compare various off-the-shelf tools to identify trade-offs at various scales and resolutions of interest. Currently, many off-the-shelf spatial multi-criteria decision-analysis tools and methods exist (e.g. Marxan, CommunityViz, SSANTO…). More have been developed for more specific uses (e.g. the Aquaspace tool - developed to plan trade-offs with aquaculture in Europe). Research is required to identify the most appropriate tools for use in identifying conflicts/trade-offs in Tasmanian waters, given the needs of decision-makers and the available data.
Finally, this project will provide planning for database longevity. Objectives: 1. Identify, collate and create database of available spatially-resolved environmental, resource use, and cultural heritage data for Tasmania’s state waters 2. Develop an interactive web-based mapping service to display and download Tasmania’s Marine Atlas data 3. Analyse and compare existing trade-off tool(s), to be used in conjunction with Tasmania’s Marine Atlas, for use in decision-making 4. Establish protocols for ongoing updates (automatic and manual) to, and management of, Tasmania’s Marine Atlas database Read moreRead less
Methods To Account For Climate Impacts In Fishery Models And Management: Case Study Example Of Environmental Contributors That Affect Tiger Prawn Population Dynamics
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$481,669.00
Summary
Commercial in confidence. To know more about this project please contact FRDC. Objectives: Commercial in confidence
Trials Of Oceanographic Data Collection On Commercial Fishing Vessels In SE Australia
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$347,802.00
Summary
Australia’s fisheries span a large area of ocean. Australia has the world’s third largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), with an area of over 8 million km2. This zone contains mainly Commonwealth managed fisheries, with State jurisdictions mainly in coastal waters up to the 3 nautical mile limit. Australia's total wild-catch fisheries gross value of production is $1.6 billion, of which 28% is from Commonwealth fisheries and 72% from the smaller coastal inshore fisheries managed by state jurisdic ....Australia’s fisheries span a large area of ocean. Australia has the world’s third largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), with an area of over 8 million km2. This zone contains mainly Commonwealth managed fisheries, with State jurisdictions mainly in coastal waters up to the 3 nautical mile limit. Australia's total wild-catch fisheries gross value of production is $1.6 billion, of which 28% is from Commonwealth fisheries and 72% from the smaller coastal inshore fisheries managed by state jurisdictions. The wildcatch fisheries sector employs about 10,000 people across Australia (https://www.awe.gov.au/abares/research-topics/fisheries/fisheries-and-aquaculture-statistics/employment).
The commercial fishing industry has a network of thousands of vessels working mainly in inshore waters around Australia. They can supply a potential platform for extensive and fine scale spatial and temporal monitoring of the waters of the continental shelf (0-1200m), from the surface to the ocean floor. Given that their livelihoods depend on it, they have a keen understanding of oceanographic conditions with respect to fish behaviour, feeding and spawning and the various oceanographic factors that may influence this. In some fisheries (e.g. surface tuna longlining), fishers eagerly seek and use readily available fine-scale oceanographic data such as sea surface temperature and sea level, to improve their targeting and achieve higher resultant catch rates. For many other fisheries, however, it is the fine-scale sub-surface oceanographic conditions (feed layers, thermoclines, temperature at depth etc) that have a critical influence on their fishing dynamics. Unfortunately, this type of oceanographic data is far less readily available. Although fishers and scientists know these factors are important, the time series of fine scale spatial and temporal data relevant to fishery operations is not available to include in stock assessments. As a result, it is often assumed that variations in catch rates reflect changing stock abundance, when it may simply be a result of changing oceanographic conditions.
Marine scientists collect a vast range of oceanographic data using satellites, subsurface drones, and static and drifting buoys. Sea surface data, however, is much easier and more cost-effective to collect at high spatial and temporal resolutions than sub-surface data. Hence, understanding of sub-surface oceanographic conditions tends to be derived from modelling more than actual measurement. This may be sufficient at a wide-scale global or continental level, but it is not adequate at the fine-scale spatial and temporal resolution required for fisheries management.
The use of commercial fishing gear as a research data platform has been increasing in popularity internationally (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.485512/full). A number of groups in Europe have been doing this for a decade (e.g Martinelli et al 2016), and New Zealand are also now involved (https://www.moanaproject.org/te-tiro-moana). However, this approach has yet to be implemented in Australia in a coordinated way. In particular, our approach dictates open access data served through the IMOS Australian Ocean Data Network (www.aodn.org.au) that can be collected once and used many times.
In this project we intend to instrument seafood sector assets (e.g Trawl Nets, longlines, pots) with fit-for- purpose quality-controlled (QC'd) temperature/pressure sensors to increase the sub-surface temperature data coverage around Australia’s shelf and upper slope regions (0-800m) at low cost. Not only will this assist in the collection of data at relevant spatial and temporal scales for use by fishers, but it will also provide a far more extensive level of QC’d data to oceanographers in near real time (NRT) for evaluation and ingestion into data-assimilating coastal models that will provide improved analysis and forecasts of oceanic conditions. In turn, this will also be of value to the fishing sector when used to standardise stock assessments.
Martinelli, M., Guicciardi, S., Penna, P., Belardinelli, A., Croci, C., Domenichetti, F., et al. (2016). Evaluation of the oceanographic measurement accuracy of different commercial sensors to be used on fishing gears. Ocean Eng. 111, 22–33. doi: 10.1016/J.OCEANENG.2015.10.037
Objectives: 1. Effective installation and operation of oceanographic data collection equipment on network of commercial fishing vessels using a range of common fishing gear 2. To provide QC’d data direct to fishers in near real-time to assist in habitat characterisation and the targeting of effort 3. To cost-effectively increase the spatial resolution of sub-surface physical data collected in Australia’s inshore, shelf, upper-slope, and offshore waters by fitting commercial fishing equipment from a variety of gear types with low-cost temperature/pressure sensors 4. To make the QC’d temperature depth data publicly available through the IMOS-AODN portal for uptake and use in ways that support safe maritime operations the sustainable management of marine resources, and improves understanding of drivers of change. Read moreRead less
Understanding snow gum dieback for effective and integrated management. The project leverages recent research and infrastructure investments and our determined and collaborative team as it aims to: 1) assess the future geography of snow gum dieback in the high country and identify priority locations for pro-active management, 2) quantify the impact of snow gums on high country water and carbon budgets and thus the socio- economic and biodiversity values, and 3) determine options for mitigation. ....Understanding snow gum dieback for effective and integrated management. The project leverages recent research and infrastructure investments and our determined and collaborative team as it aims to: 1) assess the future geography of snow gum dieback in the high country and identify priority locations for pro-active management, 2) quantify the impact of snow gums on high country water and carbon budgets and thus the socio- economic and biodiversity values, and 3) determine options for mitigation. Dieback of our iconic snow gum forests is diminishing the ecological, hydrological and cultural values of the Australian Alps and will impact state and national water-supply and power-generation systems. Our research will inform Alps-wide management efforts designed for long-term success.Read moreRead less
Does climatic thermal variability matter? This project aims to research how annual and daily variability in temperature effects the distribution of species, their tolerance to temperature, their dispersal ability and genetic structuring. Expected outcomes include more accurate assessment of the ecological risk of climate change, which is expected to result in altered average temperatures and temperature variability. Such assessments will result in better management of species and ecosystems faci ....Does climatic thermal variability matter? This project aims to research how annual and daily variability in temperature effects the distribution of species, their tolerance to temperature, their dispersal ability and genetic structuring. Expected outcomes include more accurate assessment of the ecological risk of climate change, which is expected to result in altered average temperatures and temperature variability. Such assessments will result in better management of species and ecosystems facing threats from climate change.Read moreRead less
Rebuilding Abalone Populations To Limit Impacts Of The Spread Of Urchins, Abalone Viral Ganglioneuritis And Other External Impacts
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$340,000.00
Summary
Local abalone populations can be severely depleted by a range of impacts, including loss of habitat from the spread of sea urchins, diseases such as AVG and Perkinsus, environmental change and theft. Many of these impacts have been increasing for over a decade, although impacts of sea urchins on abalone and reef habitats in the last 5 years have been spreading in eastern Victoria, and appear related to climate change. Similarly, impacts remain from the spread of AVG through western Victoria.Local abalone populations can be severely depleted by a range of impacts, including loss of habitat from the spread of sea urchins, diseases such as AVG and Perkinsus, environmental change and theft. Many of these impacts have been increasing for over a decade, although impacts of sea urchins on abalone and reef habitats in the last 5 years have been spreading in eastern Victoria, and appear related to climate change. Similarly, impacts remain from the spread of AVG through western Victoria.
There is evidence that production from commercial abalone fisheries continues to be reduced by the ongoing increase in external impacts to local abalone populations. While tools have been developed at a small-scale to help recover abalone populations, there is a strong need to investigate, implement and assess these at a larger scale to be able to minimise further impacts and recover productivity of abalone populations.
VicFRAB this year rated its highest priority to facilitate the investigation of translocating abalone to address declines caused by urchins and disease. Similarly, the NSW DPI strategic research plan identifies a priority to "determine methods to restore depleted reefs of abalone through techniques such as transplants, habitat rehabilitation and reseeding". The ACA Strategic Plan also details actions to plan and support remedial action to reduce the impact of pests, disease and theft on abalone.
The ongoing spread of impacts to local abalone populations is having a broad impact on shallow reef habitats. Small-scale research has demonstrated the potential of recovery techniques, but have not been implemented at a broad scale to actually attempt to recover lost productivity. This project will address the need to investigate the scaling up of recovery techniques, and their costs and long-term benefits, in an attempt to recovery lost productivity from abalone populations in south east Australia. Objectives: 1. Identify and prioritise sites and strategies for assessment to recover shallow reef habitat and productive abalone populations 2. Assess strategies for recovery of shallow reef habitats and productive abalone populations. 3. Develop a business plan to guide ongoing future actions and strategies to extend the project outputs and rebuild abalone populations. Read moreRead less
Linking terrestrial–aquatic fluxes to rectify the Australian carbon balance. This project aims to rectify the Australian carbon balance by determining the amount of terrestrial carbon that is lost to streams and rivers across the country. Through a novel integration of high-resolution hydrochemical and gas measurements, remote sensing and machine learning algorithms, the project intends to generate new knowledge about the links between terrestrial carbon sequestration and aquatic carbon export. ....Linking terrestrial–aquatic fluxes to rectify the Australian carbon balance. This project aims to rectify the Australian carbon balance by determining the amount of terrestrial carbon that is lost to streams and rivers across the country. Through a novel integration of high-resolution hydrochemical and gas measurements, remote sensing and machine learning algorithms, the project intends to generate new knowledge about the links between terrestrial carbon sequestration and aquatic carbon export. Expected outcomes include a refined estimate of the net carbon sequestration potential across Australian biomes and seasons. This should provide significant benefits such as avoiding misalignment of greenhouse gas abatement policies and advancing carbon cycling models and predictions.Read moreRead less
Resolving the role of dryland flooding in the global carbon cycle. Aquatic sources of carbon dioxide and methane are globally significant, but unknown for flooded drylands. The aim of this project is to use an innovative combination of well-integrated methodologies to determine if flooded drylands release large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane. This project is significant because this release of carbon dioxide and methane has not previously been accounted for and may change the magnitude of ....Resolving the role of dryland flooding in the global carbon cycle. Aquatic sources of carbon dioxide and methane are globally significant, but unknown for flooded drylands. The aim of this project is to use an innovative combination of well-integrated methodologies to determine if flooded drylands release large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane. This project is significant because this release of carbon dioxide and methane has not previously been accounted for and may change the magnitude of the global terrestrial carbon dioxide sink and account of some of the planet’s missing sources of methane. The outcomes of this project will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the global carbon cycle and earth climate system, and inform future management of these systems.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100032
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$456,645.00
Summary
Unravelling how ecosystems function through time and space. This project aims to build a whole-of-ecosystem model to trace the biological capture of energy and cycling of matter as it moves through entire river catchments. It is expected to generate new knowledge about ecological responses to environmental streamflow through the novel integration of all major food-web compartments – from dissolved molecules to predatory fish – in a single framework. The expected outcome of this project is an enh ....Unravelling how ecosystems function through time and space. This project aims to build a whole-of-ecosystem model to trace the biological capture of energy and cycling of matter as it moves through entire river catchments. It is expected to generate new knowledge about ecological responses to environmental streamflow through the novel integration of all major food-web compartments – from dissolved molecules to predatory fish – in a single framework. The expected outcome of this project is an enhanced capacity to predict the ecological consequences of future water management scenarios, facilitating more precise management of river systems. This should provide considerable benefits to the health of Australia’s rivers and the contributions these ecosystems make to society, environment, and agriculture.Read moreRead less