A new system of Abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) have proven to be successful in collecting juvenile abalone in Tasmanian waters. This design was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Zone, Victoria, where IMAS staff and Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association (EZIZA) members installed ARMs at four sites with contrasting abalone populations: 1) healthy abalone reef subject to commercial abalone fishing, 2) previously healthy abalone reef that no longer supports abalone populations as it has been denuded by urchins, 3) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat but has not had any abalone translocated from elsewhere, and 4) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat and has had abalone translocated from elsewhere. After a 6-month deployment the ARMs incurred no major damage and had attracted juvenile abalone across a broad size range (9-91 mm SL) at all four sites. Overall there was a significant difference in abalone density between sites with the highest density recorded at the Petrel Point control site attributed mostly to the higher density of larger individuals (>25 mm SL). In contrast, remaining sites had lower but similar densities except for the Barren site which recorded no individuals larger than 45 mm SL. Small abalone (<25 mm SL) abundances were generally consistent and not significantly different across all four sites. These results demonstrate that both recent and historical spawning events have contributed to maintaining some level of recruitment in these areas, however, suggests there may be some disparity in the survival of recruits between sites.

A new system of Abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) have proven to be successful in collecting juvenile abalone in Tasmanian waters. This design was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Zone, Victoria, where IMAS staff and Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association (EZIZA) members installed ARMs at four sites with contrasting abalone populations: 1) healthy abalone reef subject to commercial abalone fishing, 2) previously healthy abalone reef that no longer supports abalone populations as it has been denuded by urchins, 3) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat but has not had any abalone translocated from elsewhere, and 4) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat and has had abalone translocated from elsewhere. After a 6-month deployment the ARMs incurred no major damage and had attracted juvenile abalone across a broad size range (9-91 mm SL) at all four sites. Overall there was a significant difference in abalone density between sites with the highest density recorded at the Petrel Point control site attributed mostly to the higher density of larger individuals (>25 mm SL). In contrast, remaining sites had lower but similar densities except for the Barren site which recorded no individuals larger than 45 mm SL. Small abalone (<25 mm SL) abundances were generally consistent and not significantly different across all four sites. These results demonstrate that both recent and historical spawning events have contributed to maintaining some level of recruitment in these areas, however, suggests there may be some disparity in the survival of recruits between sites.

A new system of Abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) have proven to be successful in collecting juvenile abalone in Tasmanian waters. This design was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Zone, Victoria, where IMAS staff and Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association (EZIZA) members installed ARMs at four sites with contrasting abalone populations: 1) healthy abalone reef subject to commercial abalone fishing, 2) previously healthy abalone reef that no longer supports abalone populations as it has been denuded by urchins, 3) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat but has not had any abalone translocated from elsewhere, and 4) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat and has had abalone translocated from elsewhere. After a 6-month deployment the ARMs incurred no major damage and had attracted juvenile abalone across a broad size range (9-91 mm SL) at all four sites. Overall there was a significant difference in abalone density between sites with the highest density recorded at the Petrel Point control site attributed mostly to the higher density of larger individuals (>25 mm SL). In contrast, remaining sites had lower but similar densities except for the Barren site which recorded no individuals larger than 45 mm SL. Small abalone (<25 mm SL) abundances were generally consistent and not significantly different across all four sites. These results demonstrate that both recent and historical spawning events have contributed to maintaining some level of recruitment in these areas, however, suggests there may be some disparity in the survival of recruits between sites.

A new system of Abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) have proven to be successful in collecting juvenile abalone in Tasmanian waters. This design was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Zone, Victoria, where IMAS staff and Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association (EZIZA) members installed ARMs at four sites with contrasting abalone populations: 1) healthy abalone reef subject to commercial abalone fishing, 2) previously healthy abalone reef that no longer supports abalone populations as it has been denuded by urchins, 3) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat but has not had any abalone translocated from elsewhere, and 4) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat and has had abalone translocated from elsewhere. After a 6-month deployment the ARMs incurred no major damage and had attracted juvenile abalone across a broad size range (9-91 mm SL) at all four sites. Overall there was a significant difference in abalone density between sites with the highest density recorded at the Petrel Point control site attributed mostly to the higher density of larger individuals (>25 mm SL). In contrast, remaining sites had lower but similar densities except for the Barren site which recorded no individuals larger than 45 mm SL. Small abalone (<25 mm SL) abundances were generally consistent and not significantly different across all four sites. These results demonstrate that both recent and historical spawning events have contributed to maintaining some level of recruitment in these areas, however, suggests there may be some disparity in the survival of recruits between sites.

A new system of Abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) have proven to be successful in collecting juvenile abalone in Tasmanian waters. This design was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Zone, Victoria, where IMAS staff and Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association (EZIZA) members installed ARMs at four sites with contrasting abalone populations: 1) healthy abalone reef subject to commercial abalone fishing, 2) previously healthy abalone reef that no longer supports abalone populations as it has been denuded by urchins, 3) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat but has not had any abalone translocated from elsewhere, and 4) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat and has had abalone translocated from elsewhere. After a 6-month deployment the ARMs incurred no major damage and had attracted juvenile abalone across a broad size range (9-91 mm SL) at all four sites. Overall there was a significant difference in abalone density between sites with the highest density recorded at the Petrel Point control site attributed mostly to the higher density of larger individuals (>25 mm SL). In contrast, remaining sites had lower but similar densities except for the Barren site which recorded no individuals larger than 45 mm SL. Small abalone (<25 mm SL) abundances were generally consistent and not significantly different across all four sites. These results demonstrate that both recent and historical spawning events have contributed to maintaining some level of recruitment in these areas, however, suggests there may be some disparity in the survival of recruits between sites.

A new system of Abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) have proven to be successful in collecting juvenile abalone in Tasmanian waters. This design was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Zone, Victoria, where IMAS staff and Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association (EZIZA) members installed ARMs at four sites with contrasting abalone populations: 1) healthy abalone reef subject to commercial abalone fishing, 2) previously healthy abalone reef that no longer supports abalone populations as it has been denuded by urchins, 3) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat but has not had any abalone translocated from elsewhere, and 4) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat and has had abalone translocated from elsewhere. After a 6-month deployment the ARMs incurred no major damage and had attracted juvenile abalone across a broad size range (9-91 mm SL) at all four sites. Overall there was a significant difference in abalone density between sites with the highest density recorded at the Petrel Point control site attributed mostly to the higher density of larger individuals (>25 mm SL). In contrast, remaining sites had lower but similar densities except for the Barren site which recorded no individuals larger than 45 mm SL. Small abalone (<25 mm SL) abundances were generally consistent and not significantly different across all four sites. These results demonstrate that both recent and historical spawning events have contributed to maintaining some level of recruitment in these areas, however, suggests there may be some disparity in the survival of recruits between sites.

A new system of Abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) have proven to be successful in collecting juvenile abalone in Tasmanian waters. This design was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Zone, Victoria, where IMAS staff and Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association (EZIZA) members installed ARMs at four sites with contrasting abalone populations: 1) healthy abalone reef subject to commercial abalone fishing, 2) previously healthy abalone reef that no longer supports abalone populations as it has been denuded by urchins, 3) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat but has not had any abalone translocated from elsewhere, and 4) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat and has had abalone translocated from elsewhere. After a 6-month deployment the ARMs incurred no major damage and had attracted juvenile abalone across a broad size range (9-91 mm SL) at all four sites. Overall there was a significant difference in abalone density between sites with the highest density recorded at the Petrel Point control site attributed mostly to the higher density of larger individuals (>25 mm SL). In contrast, remaining sites had lower but similar densities except for the Barren site which recorded no individuals larger than 45 mm SL. Small abalone (<25 mm SL) abundances were generally consistent and not significantly different across all four sites. These results demonstrate that both recent and historical spawning events have contributed to maintaining some level of recruitment in these areas, however, suggests there may be some disparity in the survival of recruits between sites.

A new system of Abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) have proven to be successful in collecting juvenile abalone in Tasmanian waters. This design was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Zone, Victoria, where IMAS staff and Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association (EZIZA) members installed ARMs at four sites with contrasting abalone populations: 1) healthy abalone reef subject to commercial abalone fishing, 2) previously healthy abalone reef that no longer supports abalone populations as it has been denuded by urchins, 3) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat but has not had any abalone translocated from elsewhere, and 4) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat and has had abalone translocated from elsewhere. After a 6-month deployment the ARMs incurred no major damage and had attracted juvenile abalone across a broad size range (9-91 mm SL) at all four sites. Overall there was a significant difference in abalone density between sites with the highest density recorded at the Petrel Point control site attributed mostly to the higher density of larger individuals (>25 mm SL). In contrast, remaining sites had lower but similar densities except for the Barren site which recorded no individuals larger than 45 mm SL. Small abalone (<25 mm SL) abundances were generally consistent and not significantly different across all four sites. These results demonstrate that both recent and historical spawning events have contributed to maintaining some level of recruitment in these areas, however, suggests there may be some disparity in the survival of recruits between sites.

A new system of Abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) have proven to be successful in collecting juvenile abalone in Tasmanian waters. This design was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Zone, Victoria, where IMAS staff and Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association (EZIZA) members installed ARMs at four sites with contrasting abalone populations: 1) healthy abalone reef subject to commercial abalone fishing, 2) previously healthy abalone reef that no longer supports abalone populations as it has been denuded by urchins, 3) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat but has not had any abalone translocated from elsewhere, and 4) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat and has had abalone translocated from elsewhere. After a 6-month deployment the ARMs incurred no major damage and had attracted juvenile abalone across a broad size range (9-91 mm SL) at all four sites. Overall there was a significant difference in abalone density between sites with the highest density recorded at the Petrel Point control site attributed mostly to the higher density of larger individuals (>25 mm SL). In contrast, remaining sites had lower but similar densities except for the Barren site which recorded no individuals larger than 45 mm SL. Small abalone (<25 mm SL) abundances were generally consistent and not significantly different across all four sites. These results demonstrate that both recent and historical spawning events have contributed to maintaining some level of recruitment in these areas, however, suggests there may be some disparity in the survival of recruits between sites.

A new system of Abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) have proven to be successful in collecting juvenile abalone in Tasmanian waters. This design was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Zone, Victoria, where IMAS staff and Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association (EZIZA) members installed ARMs at four sites with contrasting abalone populations: 1) healthy abalone reef subject to commercial abalone fishing, 2) previously healthy abalone reef that no longer supports abalone populations as it has been denuded by urchins, 3) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat but has not had any abalone translocated from elsewhere, and 4) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat and has had abalone translocated from elsewhere. After a 6-month deployment the ARMs incurred no major damage and had attracted juvenile abalone across a broad size range (9-91 mm SL) at all four sites. Overall there was a significant difference in abalone density between sites with the highest density recorded at the Petrel Point control site attributed mostly to the higher density of larger individuals (>25 mm SL). In contrast, remaining sites had lower but similar densities except for the Barren site which recorded no individuals larger than 45 mm SL. Small abalone (<25 mm SL) abundances were generally consistent and not significantly different across all four sites. These results demonstrate that both recent and historical spawning events have contributed to maintaining some level of recruitment in these areas, however, suggests there may be some disparity in the survival of recruits between sites.

A new system of Abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) have proven to be successful in collecting juvenile abalone in Tasmanian waters. This design was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Zone, Victoria, where IMAS staff and Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association (EZIZA) members installed ARMs at four sites with contrasting abalone populations: 1) healthy abalone reef subject to commercial abalone fishing, 2) previously healthy abalone reef that no longer supports abalone populations as it has been denuded by urchins, 3) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat but has not had any abalone translocated from elsewhere, and 4) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat and has had abalone translocated from elsewhere. After a 6-month deployment the ARMs incurred no major damage and had attracted juvenile abalone across a broad size range (9-91 mm SL) at all four sites. Overall there was a significant difference in abalone density between sites with the highest density recorded at the Petrel Point control site attributed mostly to the higher density of larger individuals (>25 mm SL). In contrast, remaining sites had lower but similar densities except for the Barren site which recorded no individuals larger than 45 mm SL. Small abalone (<25 mm SL) abundances were generally consistent and not significantly different across all four sites. These results demonstrate that both recent and historical spawning events have contributed to maintaining some level of recruitment in these areas, however, suggests there may be some disparity in the survival of recruits between sites.

A new system of Abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) have proven to be successful in collecting juvenile abalone in Tasmanian waters. This design was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Zone, Victoria, where IMAS staff and Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association (EZIZA) members installed ARMs at four sites with contrasting abalone populations: 1) healthy abalone reef subject to commercial abalone fishing, 2) previously healthy abalone reef that no longer supports abalone populations as it has been denuded by urchins, 3) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat but has not had any abalone translocated from elsewhere, and 4) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat and has had abalone translocated from elsewhere. After a 6-month deployment the ARMs incurred no major damage and had attracted juvenile abalone across a broad size range (9-91 mm SL) at all four sites. Overall there was a significant difference in abalone density between sites with the highest density recorded at the Petrel Point control site attributed mostly to the higher density of larger individuals (>25 mm SL). In contrast, remaining sites had lower but similar densities except for the Barren site which recorded no individuals larger than 45 mm SL. Small abalone (<25 mm SL) abundances were generally consistent and not significantly different across all four sites. These results demonstrate that both recent and historical spawning events have contributed to maintaining some level of recruitment in these areas, however, suggests there may be some disparity in the survival of recruits between sites.

A new system of Abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) have proven to be successful in collecting juvenile abalone in Tasmanian waters. This design was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Zone, Victoria, where IMAS staff and Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association (EZIZA) members installed ARMs at four sites with contrasting abalone populations: 1) healthy abalone reef subject to commercial abalone fishing, 2) previously healthy abalone reef that no longer supports abalone populations as it has been denuded by urchins, 3) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat but has not had any abalone translocated from elsewhere, and 4) a site that has been subject to urchin culls to improve abalone habitat and has had abalone translocated from elsewhere. After a 6-month deployment the ARMs incurred no major damage and had attracted juvenile abalone across a broad size range (9-91 mm SL) at all four sites. Overall there was a significant difference in abalone density between sites with the highest density recorded at the Petrel Point control site attributed mostly to the higher density of larger individuals (>25 mm SL). In contrast, remaining sites had lower but similar densities except for the Barren site which recorded no individuals larger than 45 mm SL. Small abalone (<25 mm SL) abundances were generally consistent and not significantly different across all four sites. These results demonstrate that both recent and historical spawning events have contributed to maintaining some level of recruitment in these areas, however, suggests there may be some disparity in the survival of recruits between sites.