The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF) is one of the most valuable and sustainable single-species fisheries in Australia. WCRLMF is managed, in part, using larval (puerulus) settlement indices obtained from artificial seagrass stations that are continuously monitored at eight locations throughout the shallow coastal habitats of the Western Bioregion of Western Australia. The settlement indices correlate to subsequent catch rates of the Western Rock Lobster (WRL) and are used to predict catch into the WCRLMF in typically 3-4 years times. Recently, the relationship of the settlement indices to catch have become less evident in some parts of the fishery, particularly after the marine heatwave that occurred in Western Australia in 2011.  Since the heatwave reportedly impacted habitats, these ocean climate mitigated changes WRL recruitment habitats, such as seagrasses and macroalgae, are hypothesised to be the source of increased unexplained variation in the WRL population, but causal links remain unclear.

Modelling and tracking the changes in coastal habitat in space and time has become an important aspect of managing our environments more generally. This project set out to investigate if including measures of recruitment habitat into the WCRLMF stock assessment will improve management of the fishery.

The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF) is one of the most valuable and sustainable single-species fisheries in Australia. WCRLMF is managed, in part, using larval (puerulus) settlement indices obtained from artificial seagrass stations that are continuously monitored at eight locations throughout the shallow coastal habitats of the Western Bioregion of Western Australia. The settlement indices correlate to subsequent catch rates of the Western Rock Lobster (WRL) and are used to predict catch into the WCRLMF in typically 3-4 years times. Recently, the relationship of the settlement indices to catch have become less evident in some parts of the fishery, particularly after the marine heatwave that occurred in Western Australia in 2011.  Since the heatwave reportedly impacted habitats, these ocean climate mitigated changes WRL recruitment habitats, such as seagrasses and macroalgae, are hypothesised to be the source of increased unexplained variation in the WRL population, but causal links remain unclear.

Modelling and tracking the changes in coastal habitat in space and time has become an important aspect of managing our environments more generally. This project set out to investigate if including measures of recruitment habitat into the WCRLMF stock assessment will improve management of the fishery.

The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF) is one of the most valuable and sustainable single-species fisheries in Australia. WCRLMF is managed, in part, using larval (puerulus) settlement indices obtained from artificial seagrass stations that are continuously monitored at eight locations throughout the shallow coastal habitats of the Western Bioregion of Western Australia. The settlement indices correlate to subsequent catch rates of the Western Rock Lobster (WRL) and are used to predict catch into the WCRLMF in typically 3-4 years times. Recently, the relationship of the settlement indices to catch have become less evident in some parts of the fishery, particularly after the marine heatwave that occurred in Western Australia in 2011.  Since the heatwave reportedly impacted habitats, these ocean climate mitigated changes WRL recruitment habitats, such as seagrasses and macroalgae, are hypothesised to be the source of increased unexplained variation in the WRL population, but causal links remain unclear.

Modelling and tracking the changes in coastal habitat in space and time has become an important aspect of managing our environments more generally. This project set out to investigate if including measures of recruitment habitat into the WCRLMF stock assessment will improve management of the fishery.

The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF) is one of the most valuable and sustainable single-species fisheries in Australia. WCRLMF is managed, in part, using larval (puerulus) settlement indices obtained from artificial seagrass stations that are continuously monitored at eight locations throughout the shallow coastal habitats of the Western Bioregion of Western Australia. The settlement indices correlate to subsequent catch rates of the Western Rock Lobster (WRL) and are used to predict catch into the WCRLMF in typically 3-4 years times. Recently, the relationship of the settlement indices to catch have become less evident in some parts of the fishery, particularly after the marine heatwave that occurred in Western Australia in 2011.  Since the heatwave reportedly impacted habitats, these ocean climate mitigated changes WRL recruitment habitats, such as seagrasses and macroalgae, are hypothesised to be the source of increased unexplained variation in the WRL population, but causal links remain unclear.

Modelling and tracking the changes in coastal habitat in space and time has become an important aspect of managing our environments more generally. This project set out to investigate if including measures of recruitment habitat into the WCRLMF stock assessment will improve management of the fishery.

The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF) is one of the most valuable and sustainable single-species fisheries in Australia. WCRLMF is managed, in part, using larval (puerulus) settlement indices obtained from artificial seagrass stations that are continuously monitored at eight locations throughout the shallow coastal habitats of the Western Bioregion of Western Australia. The settlement indices correlate to subsequent catch rates of the Western Rock Lobster (WRL) and are used to predict catch into the WCRLMF in typically 3-4 years times. Recently, the relationship of the settlement indices to catch have become less evident in some parts of the fishery, particularly after the marine heatwave that occurred in Western Australia in 2011.  Since the heatwave reportedly impacted habitats, these ocean climate mitigated changes WRL recruitment habitats, such as seagrasses and macroalgae, are hypothesised to be the source of increased unexplained variation in the WRL population, but causal links remain unclear.

Modelling and tracking the changes in coastal habitat in space and time has become an important aspect of managing our environments more generally. This project set out to investigate if including measures of recruitment habitat into the WCRLMF stock assessment will improve management of the fishery.

The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF) is one of the most valuable and sustainable single-species fisheries in Australia. WCRLMF is managed, in part, using larval (puerulus) settlement indices obtained from artificial seagrass stations that are continuously monitored at eight locations throughout the shallow coastal habitats of the Western Bioregion of Western Australia. The settlement indices correlate to subsequent catch rates of the Western Rock Lobster (WRL) and are used to predict catch into the WCRLMF in typically 3-4 years times. Recently, the relationship of the settlement indices to catch have become less evident in some parts of the fishery, particularly after the marine heatwave that occurred in Western Australia in 2011.  Since the heatwave reportedly impacted habitats, these ocean climate mitigated changes WRL recruitment habitats, such as seagrasses and macroalgae, are hypothesised to be the source of increased unexplained variation in the WRL population, but causal links remain unclear.

Modelling and tracking the changes in coastal habitat in space and time has become an important aspect of managing our environments more generally. This project set out to investigate if including measures of recruitment habitat into the WCRLMF stock assessment will improve management of the fishery.

The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF) is one of the most valuable and sustainable single-species fisheries in Australia. WCRLMF is managed, in part, using larval (puerulus) settlement indices obtained from artificial seagrass stations that are continuously monitored at eight locations throughout the shallow coastal habitats of the Western Bioregion of Western Australia. The settlement indices correlate to subsequent catch rates of the Western Rock Lobster (WRL) and are used to predict catch into the WCRLMF in typically 3-4 years times. Recently, the relationship of the settlement indices to catch have become less evident in some parts of the fishery, particularly after the marine heatwave that occurred in Western Australia in 2011.  Since the heatwave reportedly impacted habitats, these ocean climate mitigated changes WRL recruitment habitats, such as seagrasses and macroalgae, are hypothesised to be the source of increased unexplained variation in the WRL population, but causal links remain unclear.

Modelling and tracking the changes in coastal habitat in space and time has become an important aspect of managing our environments more generally. This project set out to investigate if including measures of recruitment habitat into the WCRLMF stock assessment will improve management of the fishery.

The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF) is one of the most valuable and sustainable single-species fisheries in Australia. WCRLMF is managed, in part, using larval (puerulus) settlement indices obtained from artificial seagrass stations that are continuously monitored at eight locations throughout the shallow coastal habitats of the Western Bioregion of Western Australia. The settlement indices correlate to subsequent catch rates of the Western Rock Lobster (WRL) and are used to predict catch into the WCRLMF in typically 3-4 years times. Recently, the relationship of the settlement indices to catch have become less evident in some parts of the fishery, particularly after the marine heatwave that occurred in Western Australia in 2011.  Since the heatwave reportedly impacted habitats, these ocean climate mitigated changes WRL recruitment habitats, such as seagrasses and macroalgae, are hypothesised to be the source of increased unexplained variation in the WRL population, but causal links remain unclear.

Modelling and tracking the changes in coastal habitat in space and time has become an important aspect of managing our environments more generally. This project set out to investigate if including measures of recruitment habitat into the WCRLMF stock assessment will improve management of the fishery.

The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF) is one of the most valuable and sustainable single-species fisheries in Australia. WCRLMF is managed, in part, using larval (puerulus) settlement indices obtained from artificial seagrass stations that are continuously monitored at eight locations throughout the shallow coastal habitats of the Western Bioregion of Western Australia. The settlement indices correlate to subsequent catch rates of the Western Rock Lobster (WRL) and are used to predict catch into the WCRLMF in typically 3-4 years times. Recently, the relationship of the settlement indices to catch have become less evident in some parts of the fishery, particularly after the marine heatwave that occurred in Western Australia in 2011.  Since the heatwave reportedly impacted habitats, these ocean climate mitigated changes WRL recruitment habitats, such as seagrasses and macroalgae, are hypothesised to be the source of increased unexplained variation in the WRL population, but causal links remain unclear.

Modelling and tracking the changes in coastal habitat in space and time has become an important aspect of managing our environments more generally. This project set out to investigate if including measures of recruitment habitat into the WCRLMF stock assessment will improve management of the fishery.

The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF) is one of the most valuable and sustainable single-species fisheries in Australia. WCRLMF is managed, in part, using larval (puerulus) settlement indices obtained from artificial seagrass stations that are continuously monitored at eight locations throughout the shallow coastal habitats of the Western Bioregion of Western Australia. The settlement indices correlate to subsequent catch rates of the Western Rock Lobster (WRL) and are used to predict catch into the WCRLMF in typically 3-4 years times. Recently, the relationship of the settlement indices to catch have become less evident in some parts of the fishery, particularly after the marine heatwave that occurred in Western Australia in 2011.  Since the heatwave reportedly impacted habitats, these ocean climate mitigated changes WRL recruitment habitats, such as seagrasses and macroalgae, are hypothesised to be the source of increased unexplained variation in the WRL population, but causal links remain unclear.

Modelling and tracking the changes in coastal habitat in space and time has become an important aspect of managing our environments more generally. This project set out to investigate if including measures of recruitment habitat into the WCRLMF stock assessment will improve management of the fishery.

The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF) is one of the most valuable and sustainable single-species fisheries in Australia. WCRLMF is managed, in part, using larval (puerulus) settlement indices obtained from artificial seagrass stations that are continuously monitored at eight locations throughout the shallow coastal habitats of the Western Bioregion of Western Australia. The settlement indices correlate to subsequent catch rates of the Western Rock Lobster (WRL) and are used to predict catch into the WCRLMF in typically 3-4 years times. Recently, the relationship of the settlement indices to catch have become less evident in some parts of the fishery, particularly after the marine heatwave that occurred in Western Australia in 2011.  Since the heatwave reportedly impacted habitats, these ocean climate mitigated changes WRL recruitment habitats, such as seagrasses and macroalgae, are hypothesised to be the source of increased unexplained variation in the WRL population, but causal links remain unclear.

Modelling and tracking the changes in coastal habitat in space and time has become an important aspect of managing our environments more generally. This project set out to investigate if including measures of recruitment habitat into the WCRLMF stock assessment will improve management of the fishery.