Marine Biology Commons^™

Fisheries Occasional Publication No.148 - Aquaculture Of Seaweed In Western Australia: Policy Principles Relating To Licences And Exemptions For The Aquaculture Of Seaweed In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

of aquaculture, and clarifies the process and information required to assess applications for aquaculture licences, leases and exemptions for seaweed aquaculture in WA.

Development of principles will support decision-making for the take of wild seaweed and for the grant or variation of aquaculture licences for seaweed aquaculture.

Western Australia’S Marine Heatwave Update - 9th May 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

Category 1 – Moderate marine heatwave (MHW) conditions continue for the Gascoyne and South Coast Bioregions. Marine heatwave conditions in the North Coast Bioregion have abated and the West Coast Bioregion remains warm but neither are categorised as experiencing MHW conditions.

Marine Heatwave Conditions In Western Australia Marine Waters - 26th March 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

Marine heatwave (MHW) conditions across the state have persisted. Category 1 – Moderate conditions continue for the Gascoyne and South Coast Bioregions. The North Coast Bioregion has returned to Category 1 – Moderate conditions. The West Coast Bioregion remains warm but is not categorised as experiencing MHW conditions.

Western Australia’S Marine Heatwave Update - 27 March 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia, Arani Chandrapavan

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

No abstract provided.

Applying Data-Limited Assessment Methods To Charter Logbook Length Data, Brett Crisafulli, Sybrand Alex Hesp, David Fairclough, Emily A. Fisher, Paul D. Lewis, Jeffrey V. Norriss, Corey B. Wakefield, Fabian Trinnie, Stephen J. Newman

Fisheries Research Reports

Marine waters along the Western Australian coastline are characterised by low ecosystem productivity and high species diversity of fishes. With over 3,000 known species comprising estuarine, nearshore, demersal and pelagic fishes in the region, many contribute to important commercial and recreational fisheries (Lenanton et al. 1991; Molony et al. 2011; Newman et al. 2018). As it is logistically and economically infeasible to conduct intensive monitoring and high-level stock assessments of all exploited fish species in Western Australia, indicator species are used to assess the sustainability of suites of species of biological and ecological similarity, for optimal use of available resources …

Spatial Characterisation And Drivers Of Catch And Effort In Highly Specialised Recreational Pelagic Fisheries, Shannon J. Burchert, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, Karina L. Ryan, Ute Mueller, Glenn A. Hyndes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Large pelagic finfish are highly mobile, distributed across broad geographical scales, and often targeted by both commercial and recreational sectors. Fishing effort in these fisheries is variable due to seasonal patterns in fish behaviour and accessibility of fishing locations. Similarly, fisher behaviour and access are likely to differ within the recreational sector, between private boat-based fishing and charter (or for hire) fishing. Here, we compare spatio-temporal patterns in catch per unit effort (CPUE), effort (boat days) and catch (total catch per fishing party) for private boat-based and charter fishing, and identify environmental variables that may influence those patterns, for two …

The Social And Economic Dimensions Of One Of The World’S Longest-Operating Shark Fisheries, Matias Braccini, Maddison Watt, Clinton Syers, Nick Blay, Matthew Navarro, Michael Burton

Fisheries Research Articles

Context

Social and economic information is limited for coastal commercial and recreational fisheries, particularly shark fisheries, which are perceived as unsustainable and as targeting sharks for fins.

Aims

To characterise the social and economic dimensions of one of the world’s few long-standing sustainable shark fisheries.

Methods

We reviewed historic data and surveyed stakeholders to understand the economic and social dimensions of the shark fishery currently operating in Western Australia.

Key results

Since the fishery’s historic peak, there has been a substantial reduction in the number of operating vessels and ports due to management intervention. For the vessels that have remained, …

Marine Heatwaves And Impacts On Marine Ecosystems, Anna Lafratta, Hollie Williams, Stanley Mastrantonis, Sharyn Hickey, Kathryn Mcmahon, Arani Chandrapavan, Andi Laidlaw, Emily Lester

Research Datasets

The metadata is a compilation of existing long-term datasets available across Western Australia coastline. This was prepared as an initial step in identifying what is known about the Western Australia marine ecosystem and to explore the responses to marine heatwaves and for future planning. For each dataset a series of information are provided, including Institute that collected the data and contact details, period and frequency of data collection, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) bioregion, habitat and species studies, variables analysed and methods of data collection. Seventeen organizations contributed to these metadata records. The details of these datasets …

Spatial And Temporal Variation In Population Genetic Diversity In Seagrasses And The Implications For Resilience, Anna Maria Frouws

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Seagrass ecosystems are highly productive and fulfil vital roles in the coastal environment as ecosystem engineers and keystone species. Unfortunately, anthropogenic pressures have resulted in a significant loss of seagrass habitat and associated ecosystem services. The complex and unpredictable nature of these pressures, and their increasing extent and intensity globally, makes resilience-based ecosystem management a valuable approach. Resilience-based management requires knowledge on processes enhancing ecosystem resilience and on actions supporting these processes. Genetic diversity, which is the allelic variation among individuals of a population, has been recognised as one of the pillars of resilient ecosystems. Genetic diversity within a population …

A Large-Scale Experiment Finds No Consistent Evidence Of Change In Mortality Or Commercial Productivity In Silverlip Pearl Oysters (Pinctada Maxima) Exposed To A Seismic Source Survey, Miles J G Parsons, Diego R. Barneche, Conrad W. Speed, Robert D. Mccauley, Ryan D. Day, Cecile Dang, Rebecca Fisher, Hosna Gholipour-Kanani, Stephen J. Newman

Fisheries Research Articles

High-intensity, impulsive sounds are used to locate oil and gas reserves during seismic exploration of the seafloor. The impacts of this noise pollution on the health and mortality of marine invertebrates are not well known, including the silverlip pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima), which comprises one of the world's last remaining significant wildstock pearl oyster fisheries, in northwestern Australia. We exposed ≈11,000 P. maxima to a four-day experimental seismic survey, plus one vessel-control day. After exposure, survival rates were monitored throughout a full two-year production cycle, and the number and quality of pearls produced at harvest were assessed. Oysters from two …

Otoliths Of South-Western Australian Fish: A Photographic Catalogue, Chris Dowling, Kim Smith, Elaine Lek, Joshua Brown

Fisheries Research Reports

Due to the species-specific nature of otoliths and given they are often the only part of the fish preserved when fish die, otolith catalogues can be used in numerous applications, such as diet studies in fish eating animals, including pinnipeds, fish and sea birds; archaeological purposes such as reconstructing indigenous people’s diets from otoliths found in middens or evolutionary history of fish species by comparing fossilized otoliths. Given the unique mixture of subtropical and temperate fish, including many endemic species that occur off the southwest corner of WA having a catalogue for this area is extremely important for people working …

Limitations On Inferring Shark Vulnerability From Spatial Habitat Protection. Response To Shark Conservation Hindered By Lack Of Habitat Protection, Matias Braccini, Stephen J. Newman

Fisheries Research Articles

Birkmanis et al. (2020a) used occurrence data obtained from commercial fisheries to infer the suitable habitat for eight shark species within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Australia, and quantify the amount of suitable habitat contained within existing no-fishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The authors state that shark conservation is hindered because suitable habitat is mostly unprotected from commercial fishing, therefore increasing the vulnerability of the assessed species. In doing so, the authors imply that shark conservation depends predominantly on establishing MPAs in highly suitable habitats; this, unfortunately, would disregard the broad range of other measures available in the fisheries …

Bleaching Susceptibility Of Aquarium Corals Collected Across Northern Australia, Morgan S. Pratchett, Ciemon F. Caballes, Stephen J. Newman, Shaun Wilson, Vanessa Messmer, Deborah J. Pratchett

Fisheries Research Articles

There are a wide range of Scleractinian corals that are collected for the global reef aquarium market, often from non-reefal environments. The sustainability of coral harvesting is potentially threatened by increasing anthropogenic disturbances and climate change, though it is unknown to what extent many commonly harvested corals are susceptible to environmental change, or actually bleach during marine heatwaves. In this study, we experimentally tested the temperature sensitivity and bleaching susceptibility of six coral species (Homophyllia australis, Micromussa lordhowensis, Catalaphyllia jardinei, Trachyphyllia geoffroyi, Duncanopsammia axifuga, and Euphyllia glabrescens), which are important components of the …

Tropicalisation Of Temperate Seagrass Meadows In Western Australia: Predicting The Impact Of Tropical Herbivorous Fishes On Temperate Seagrass Meadows, Maria Samsonova

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Rising sea temperatures through climate change produce shifts in the distribution of tropical species to temperate regions, a process termed “tropicalisation”. The poleward expansion of tropical herbivores into temperate seagrass meadows is predicted to increase grazing pressure and alter ecosystem services and processes in these seagrass systems. This study attempted to examine the effects of tropicalisation on temperate seagrass meadows along the western coast of Australia, where the increasing abundance of tropical consumers such as the herbivorous Siganus fuscescens has already been documented. Through the assessment of fish assemblages in seagrass meadows and the grazing levels on seagrass in 2001 …

Snp Population Genetic Data For The Seagrass Halodule Uninervis From Pilbara Region, Western Australia, Kathryn Margaret Mcmahon, Richard Evans

Research Datasets

This dataset contains 80 SNP loci from 15 locations with 25-47 samples per locations. Each column contains data from two alleles. All genotyped samples are included. Prior to population genetic analysis clone mates were identified and removed.

Contribution Of Seagrass Blue Carbon Toward Carbon Neutral Policies In A Touristic And Environmentally-Friendly Island, Camila Bedulli, Paul S. Lavery, Matt Harvey, Carlos M. Duarte, Oscar Serrano

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Estimates of organic carbon (C_org) storage by seagrass meadows which consider inter-habitat variability are essential to understand their potential to sequester carbon dioxide (CO₂) and derive robust global and regional estimates of blue carbon storage. In this study, we provide baseline estimates of seagrass extent, and soil C_org stocks and accumulation rates from different seagrass habitats at Rottnest Island (in Amphibolis spp., Posidonia spp., Halophila ovalis, and mixed Posidonia/Amphibolis spp. meadows). The C_org stocks in 0.5 m thick seagrass soil deposits, derived from 24 cores, were 5.1 ± 0.7 kg C_org m^{–2 …}

Geography And Island Geomorphology Shape Fish Assemblage Structure On Isolated Coral Reef Systems, Scott Bennett, Andrew R. Halford, Howard Choat, Jean-Paul A. Hobbs, Julia Santana-Garcon, Anthony M. Ayling, Euan S. Harvey, Stephen J. Newman

Fisheries Research Articles

We quantify the relative importance of multi-scale drivers of reef fish assemblage structure on isolated coral reefs at the intersection of the Indian and Indo-Pacific biogeographical provinces. Large (>30 cm), functionally-important and commonly targeted species of fish, were surveyed on the outer reef crest/front at 38 coral reef sites spread across three oceanic coral reef systems (i.e. Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the Rowley Shoals), in the tropical Indian Ocean (c. 1.126 x 106 km2). The effects of coral cover, exposure, fishing pressure, lagoon size and geographical context, on observed patterns of fish assemblage structure were …

Fisheries Management Paper No.283 - Abalone Resource Of Western Australia Harvest Strategy 2106 - 2021, Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Harvest strategies for aquatic resources managed by the Western Australian Department of Fisheries (the Department) are formal documents prepared to support the decision-making processes required to ensure the management of these resources are consistent with the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD). The objectives of ESD are reflected in the objects of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA) and Section 9 of the Aquatic Resources Management Act, which will replace the FRMA once proclaimed.

The publication of these strategies is intended to make the decision-making considerations and processes for the management of specified aquatic resources publicly transparent and provide …

White Shark Research Report Q And A - Based On Fisheries Research Report 273: Evaluation Of Passive Acoustic Telemetry Approaches For Monitoring And Mitigating Shark Hazards Off The Coast Of Western Australia, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Research Reports

This document is a Question and Answer summary based on Fisheries Research Report 273: Evaluation of passive acoustic telemetry approaches for monitoring and mitigating shark hazards off the coast of Western Australia.

Shark attacks are rare but traumatic events that involve complex and dynamic interactions between sharks’ ecology and human demographics and behaviours. To better understand the biological and ecological factors contributing to the series of incidents of white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) attacks off Western Australia, sharks were fitted with acoustic transmitters (‘tags’) that emit unique identification codes every 50 to 150 seconds. Tagged sharks were monitored by up to …

Fisheries Management Paper No 274 - Finfish Resources Of The Peel-Harvey Estuary - Harvest Strategy 2015-2020 (Version 1.0), Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

WEST COAST ESTUARINE MANAGED FISHERY (AREA 2)

Harvest strategies for aquatic resources managed by the Western Australian Department of Fisheries (the Department) are formal documents prepared to support the decision-making processes required to ensure the management of these resources are consistent with the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD). The objectives of ESD are reflected in the objects of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA), Section 3, and the draft Aquatic Resources Management Bill 2013 (ARMB), Clause 9, which will replace the FRMA once enacted.

The publication of these strategies is intended to make the decision-making considerations and processes …

Fisheries Management Paper No.273 - Blue Swimmer Crab Resource Of The Peel-Harvey Estuary Harvest Strategy, 2015-2020. Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Harvest strategies for aquatic resources managed by the Western Australian Department of Fisheries (the Department) are formal documents prepared to support the decision-making processes required to ensure the management of these resources are consistent with the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD). The objectives of ESD are reflected in the objects of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA), Section 3, and the draft Aquatic Resources Management Bill 2013 (ARMB), Clause 9, which will replace the FRMA once enacted.

The publication of these strategies is intended to make the decision-making considerations and processes for the management of specified aquatic resources …

Fisheries Management Paper No.266 - Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery Bycatch Action Plan 2014-2019. Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Bycatch is described as the part of the catch which is returned to the sea (usually referred to as non-retained or discarded) either because it has no commercial value or because legislative requirements preclude it being retained. Thus, this Bycatch Action Plan (BAP) includes unmarketable finfish and invertebrate species, along with endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species, such as marine mammals, reptiles and some elasmobranchs.

It is Government policy to minimise bycatch in all commercial fisheries. This BAP details a program of actions to address bycatch issues in the Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery (EGPMF), in accordance with the EGPMF …

Fisheries Management Paper No.265 - Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery Harvest Strategy 2014 - 2019 Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

This fishery-specific harvest strategy has been developed in line with the Department of Fisheries' (Department) over-arching Harvest Strategy Policy for Aquatic Resources (Department of Fisheries in prep.) and in consultation with licensees. The broad scope of the Harvest Strategy Policy for Aquatic Resources is consistent with the National Harvest Strategy Guidelines but as well as considering all retained target species, it also incorporates retained non-target species, bycatch' and other ecological components to ensure the risks to these elements are managed effectively.

The Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery (EGPMF) harvest strategy outlines the longand short-term fishery-specific management objectives; a description of …

Release Of Dissolved Organic Carbon From Seagrass Wrack And Its Implications For Trophic Connectivity, Paul S. Lavery, Kathryn M. Mcmahon, Julia Weyers, Mary C. Boyce, Carolyn Elizabeth Oldham

Research outputs 2013

The export of old leaves and stems (wrack) from seagrass meadows provides a mechanism for trophic connectivity among coastal ecosystems. As little of this wrack is consumed by mesograzers, leached dissolved organic carbon (DOC) may determine the importance of wrack as a trophic subsidy. However, few studies have examined the effect of seagrass type or age on the release of DOC or its bioavailability. We examined the amount and composition of DOC released from different wrack: Posidonia sinuosa, Amphibolis antarctica and the alga Laurencia sp. We then examined the effect of age on DOC leaching from P. sinuosa wrack. The …

Drift Algae, An Invasive Snail And Elevated Temperature Reduce Ecological Performance Of A Warm-Temperate Seagrass, Through Additive Effects, H Hoffle, Thomas Wernberg, Mads Thomsen, M Holmer

Research outputs 2012

Seagrasses are under pressure from multiple concurrent threats, including rising temperatures, invasive species and nutrient-driven algal accumulations. We quantified the abundance of drift algae and the invasive snail Batillaria australis in 3 Halophila ovalis seagrass beds in the Swan River Estuary (Perth, Western Australia), and tested in an aquarium experiment for interactive effects of temperature (21 vs. 27°C), cover of drift algae Chaetomorpha linum (0 vs. 1.4 kg fresh wt m -2) and presence (0 vs. 120 snails m -2) of B. australis on the ecological performance of H. ovalis. The survey showed that drift algae varied considerably between sites …

Wounded Kelps: Patterns And Susceptibility To Breakage, Thibaut De Bettignies, Mads Thomsen, Thomas Wernberg

Research outputs 2012

Kelps are highly productive seaweeds predominantly found in wave-exposed environments. Physical and biological processes such as sand abrasion, whiplash and grazing can wound kelp tissue, potentially weakening its ability to withstand wave forces. Despite the ecological importance of kelp tissue loss, few studies have quantified wounding patterns in kelps or how wounding might affect the biomechanical properties of kelps. We quantified the prevalence of wounds on 360 Ecklonia radiata kelps collected across 3 different reef lines (levels of wave exposure) in April (autumn), June (early winter), August (winter) and October (early spring) (i.e. before, during and after peak wave activity). …

Fussy Feeders: Phyllosoma Larvae Of The Western Rocklobster (Panulirus Cygnus) Demonstrate Prey Preference, M I Saunders, P A Thompson, A G Jeffs, Christin Sawstrom, N Sachlikidis, L E Beckley, A M Waite

Research outputs 2012

The Western Rocklobster (Panulirus cygnus) is the most valuable single species fishery in Australia and the largest single country spiny lobster fishery in the world. In recent years a well-known relationship between oceanographic conditions and lobster recruitment has become uncoupled, with significantly lower recruitment than expected, generating interest in the factors influencing survival and development of the planktonic larval stages. The nutritional requirements and wild prey of the planktotrophic larval stage (phyllosoma) of P. cygnus were previously unknown, hampering both management and aquaculture efforts for this species. Ship-board feeding trials of wild-caught mid-late stage P. cygnus phyllosoma in the eastern …

Are Western Australian Waters The Least Productive Waters For Finfish Across Two Oceans? A Review With A Focus On Finfish Resources In The Kimberley Region And North Coast Bioregion, B. W. Molony, S. J. Newman, L. Loll, R C J Lenanton, B. Wise

Fisheries Research Articles

The marine ecosystems of Western Australia, including those in the Kimberley, are classified as being of moderate to low productivity. This is primarily a consequence of the influence of the Leeuwin Current, the eastern boundary current that flows poleward delivering warm, low nutrient waters, and only sporadic short-term upwelling events to shelf habitats off the Western Australian coast. This, coupled with little riverine inflow from old weathered terrestrial systems, results in low levels of primary and secondary production in habitats along most of the coast. The consequence is that finfish fisheries in the Kimberley and throughout the State typically land …

Fisheries Research Report No.196 - Management Of Bioeroding Sponges In Wild Stocks Of Pinctada Maxima In Western Australia, Sabine Daume, Jane Fromont, Anthony M. Hart

Fisheries Research Reports

Final FRDC Report – Project 2005/074

The Western Australian fishery is the only remaining significant fishery for pearl oysters in the world and comprises most of the exported pearl product of Australia, currently worth around $125 million annually. The majority of pearl shells used to culture pearls come from the pearling beds in the inshore waters near Broome. The fishery for pearl oysters preferentially targets smaller ‘culture’ shell (4-5 years age class, 120mm - 160mm shell length) that are more suitable for growing pearls, leaving larger MOP oysters (6+ age class, 175mm+) on the fishing grounds.

Silver-lipped pearl oysters (Pinctada …

Fisheries Management Paper No.245 - Aquaculture Of Coral, Live Rocks And Associated Products. Aquaculture Policy, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Aquarium enthusiasts use corals, live rock and associated products (e.g. live sand) for display and to maintain healthy water quality conditions in their marine aquariums. There is a large and growing market for these products. While the wild harvest fisheries for aquarium products in Western Australia are sustainably managed, output is capped, so increased product is needed to meet the market demand. With a trend towards the capping of wild harvest and additional pressures, such as the introduction of Marine Parks and other marine protected areas, the aquaculture of these products is set for industry development and expansion.

The large …