15 results

Evaluating the Effects of Seismic Energy on Pinctada maxima Pearl Oysters

Project number: 2019-170
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $12,103.20
Principal Investigator: Mark Meekan
Organisation: Australian Institute Of Marine Science (AIMS)
Project start/end date: 19 Mar 2020 - 30 Dec 2021
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Recent studies into the effects of seismic energy on molluscs have demonstrated a number of cumulative and sub-lethal impacts that indicated impairment of immune systems, cellular damage and adverse changes in behaviour. In scallops, cumulative exposure to seismic energy resulted in increased rates of mortality after 120 days (R Day et al. (2017)). These findings are of critical importance to the pearling industry, which relies on the harvest and husbandry of pearl oysters in coastal shelf water . Pearl oyster crops are typically 2 years duration, so long term effects will have a chronic sub-lethal effect on pearl production. In addition, as the oysters were still not fully recovered at the day 180 sampling, there is concern that the long recovery time may result in a reduction of the reproductive output for up to one year. Energetically compromised oysters will have a reduced reproductive output, and a higher proportion of male oysters, as egg production is more energy intensive.

This would have major ramifications for recruitment into the wildstock pearl oyster fishery and the pearling industry it underpins.

To these ends it became apparent that a 4th sampling round was critical in order to provide a condition data from the oyster sample set after 360 days; so that the responses of the oysters to seismic treatment may be better understood after the completion of one year – bearing in mind that at different times of the year oysters do different things.

The overarching objective of this experiment is to measure the impact of seismic surveys on wild harvested pearl oysters in a way that provides information that is useful to stakeholders in the pearl production and oil and gas industries and to the managers of these resources. The uncertainty surrounding the long-term impacts of seismic surveys on the health of pearl oysters and their pearl production capacity is the key driver of this study.

Objectives

1. Assess the impact seismic operations have on mortality of P. maxima: (a) The ranges at which these impacts occur and (b) the time period these impacts occur.
2. Assess the impact seismic operations have the on growth and health of P. maxima with increasing range and time from exposure to a seismic source (with respect to a. Immunology
b. Physiology
c. Morphology
d. Gene expression
e. Growth and f. Mortality
3. Whether there are long-term health impacts that could reduce the reproductive capacity of the oysters, potentially affecting recruitment. This will be achieved by visual observation and categorisation according to photographic standards of: (a) Gonad index & (b) Sex

Rock Lobster Enhancement and Aquaculture Subprogram: reducing rock lobster larval rearing time through hormonal manipulation

Project number: 2000-263
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $180,838.00
Principal Investigator: Michael Hall
Organisation: Australian Institute Of Marine Science (AIMS)
Project start/end date: 9 Oct 2000 - 15 Mar 2006
Contact:
FRDC

Need

As with the majority of world wild fisheries, the sustainable landings of Australian rock lobsters have reached their maximum. Nevertheless, demand from the world markets to which Australia exports to continue to increase. Increases in rock lobster production will only arise from aquaculture production.

One approach towards aquaculture production is that of ranching. It is already possible to grow rock lobsters from newly-settled puerulus harvested from natural recruitment, in commercial fisheries areas, to market size in 2-3 years using cost effective diets. However, natural settlement is unreliable and recruitment from the wild fishing sector has many political implications. The only method for resolving this problem is to develop a cost/effective larval culture technique to produce pueruli from eggs.

The participants at the FRDC Rock Lobster Propagation workshop in 1999 concluded that culture of pueruli from eggs was biologically feasible and worthy of investigation. The workshop identified several components needing to be addressed by further research in order to improve the survival and growth of larvae through the extended larval phase, including:

1. Advancing the design of larval culture systems.
2. Identifying larval nutrition requirements and production of cost effective larval feeds.
3. Reducing the long larval period.

Preliminary research of the RLEAS subprogram in 1999/00 indicates that progress can be made towards addressing the three major constraining components. Based on the recent Workshop for Rock Lobster Enhancement and Aquaculture Subprogram (RLEAS) in Hobart (February 2000), the RLEAS Steering Committee requested that separate funding applications be submitted for the research effort towards issues of nutrition and larval period.

Objectives

1. To identify triggers for moulting to evaluate a shortening of the larval phase.

Final report

The development of manufactured attractants as a means to harvest prawns specifically

Project number: 2000-256
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $304,920.00
Principal Investigator: Michael Hall
Organisation: Australian Institute Of Marine Science (AIMS)
Project start/end date: 17 Dec 2000 - 17 Feb 2006
Contact:
FRDC

Need

This proposal represents an attempt to develop alternative technologies that would allow the prawn trawl industry to meet present and future strict environmental standards at a reduced operating cost. The proposal is not without risk, but reflects a genuine need to consider alternative fishing approaches outside the current thought envelope. If successful it would allow the industry to claim high environmental standards, meeting or exceeding the community expectations.

Alternatives to established fishery harvest methods are essential to meet ecologically sustainable development (ESD) requirements as dictated by international (UN) and national legislation (both federal and state) covering the marine environment. In recent years drift nets have been banned in many areas due to their detrimental impacts on non-targeted species and ecosystem structure. Similarly, ground trawling has been identified as a harvest technology that requires either restriction or banning due to its putative detrimental impacts on benthic ecosystems and disruption to food webs. Whereas drift net has been largely replaced by the sustainable and targeted method of hook and line harvesting, there are few alternatives to ground trawling.

Traps are used extensively for the harvesting of crustacea. Suitably designed pot traps can result in a minimum of by-catch and target individuals of specific size classes. However, pot trap fisheries utilise food as bait by which to attract the targeted species into the trap. Baited traps and pots are used for the commercial harvesting of pandalid prawns in the east Pacific and North Atlantic, where average catch/vessel/day of fishing effort is 80-110 kg. A smaller pot fishery exists for penaeid prawns in various parts of the Pacific basin and the Caribbean. However, attempts to date to develop a large pot trap fishery based on food bait for penaeid prawns have been largely unsuccessful.

It is proposed that chemical attractants, and not food bait, be examined as a means to harvest penaeid prawns in pots. The development of alternative harvest methods could form a non-trawl fishery with minimum by-catch, open up new areas to harvesting which are unsuitable for trawling, and produce a less stressful method to collect broodstock P. monodon prawns for the aquaculture sector as well as have spin-off potential for the development of pot trap fisheries for other species of crustacea.

Objectives

1. 1. To quantify the attraction and specificity of pheromones from crustacea in experimental environments.
2. 2. To develop methods suitable for isolating and concentrating pheromones from crustacea, especially penaeid prawns.
3. 3. To identify a mechanism for manufacturing a bait incorporating these novel attractants.

Final report

ISBN: 0-642-32261-9
Author: Michael Hall

Hatchery feeds workshop

Project number: 2000-241
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $28,225.00
Principal Investigator: David A. McKinnon
Organisation: Australian Institute Of Marine Science (AIMS)
Project start/end date: 24 Mar 2000 - 30 Jun 2003
Contact:
FRDC

Need

There is already considerable Australian research commitment to the production of hatchery feeds and to the development of new feeds. Many research insitutions have a proven track record in development of production technology, but with the expansion of aquaculture in Australia there is a clearly defined need to improve coordination between the research organisations in the area of fish larvae feeds, and to identify opportunities and priorities for future research.

In October 99 McKinnon acted on advice from QFIRAC and FRDC, and canvassed support for a live feeds workshop. All respondents indicated support, but indicated that such a workshop should encompass all aspects of hatchery feeds research. We propose that the workshop will focus on hatchery feeds for finfish, and will aim to summarise the current status of research within Australia, identify gaps in research effort, and prioritise research needed.

Objectives

1. To assess the status of hatchery feeds including live and compounded feeds and identify research in progress
2. To assess priorities for research and development needs in the area of hatchery feeds
3. To identify constraints to the continued develoment of Australian aquaculture in the area of hatchery feeds.
4. To identify opportunities to enhance collaboration and information exchange amongst researchers and industry.
5. To develop an R&D plan for hatchery feeds.

Final report

ISBN: 0-642-32229-5
Author: David McKinnon
Final Report • 2003-01-30 • 426.87 KB
2000-241-DLD.pdf

Summary

With the expansion of aquaculture in Australia there is a need to improve coordination between and within both the R&D and industry sectors with regard to the study of hatchery feeds, and to identify opportunities and priorities for future research. The recent world shortage of the brine shrimp Artemia has precipitated a crisis situation in aquaculture hatcheries. Accordingly, in late 1999 FRDC commissioned a Hatchery Feeds R&D Plan, which was developed at a workshop held in Cairns, Queensland, on 9–10 March 2000. 

The aquaculture community was widely polled to establish industry priorities for future research.  A questionnaire was sent to all stakeholders, together with an invitation to attend the workshop, which was held in Cairns on 9-10 March 2000. Researchers were invited to present the results of work in progress, and industry needs were canvassed in open forums.

For convenience, the subject was divided into 5 main areas of research: microalgae, rotifers, brine shrimp, copepods and formulated diets.  Status reviews were commissioned in each of these areas, and priorities in each defined in the workshop. In all areas, the need to benchmark best practice and to more efficiently transfer research results to industry were highlighted.

Keywords: Aquaculture, hatchery, hatchery feeds, rotifer, Artemia, copepod, diet.

Project products

Plan • 983.88 KB
Hatchery Feeds - Research and Development Plan 2000-2005.pdf

Summary

Nutrition during the early life stages is a major problem in intensive fish culture. Inadequate food sources, either in terms of quantity or quality, is a major cause of mortality. Live food such as zooplankton has been employed for culturing the early life stages of marine fish and is currently obligatory for successful culture past metamorphosis, when the fish are weaned onto dry formulated diets. Continuing research and development into production technology for a range of marine finfish species has consistently demonstrated the inadequacy of existing live prey organisms used for larviculture. 

The Annual International Conference and Exposition of the World Aquaculture Society in Sydney in 1999 (WAS 99) provided the opportunity for representatives from all the research groups working with larval feeds and larviculture to meet.  All concurred that there was a considerable Australian research commitment to the production of hatchery feeds and to the development of new feeds.  However, with the expansion of aquaculture in Australia there was seen to be a need to improve coordination between the research organisations in the study of fish larvae feeds, and to identify opportunities and priorities for future research. Accordingly, FRDC subsequently requested us to prepare a strategic R&D plan to more appropriately match the needs of industry. 

On 9–10 March 2000 we convened a Hatchery Feeds workshop in Cairns, with the following objectives: 
1. To assess the status of hatchery feeds, including live and compounded feeds, and to identify research in progress.
2. To assess priorities for research and development needs in the area of hatchery feeds.
3. To identify constraints to the continued development of Australian aquaculture in the area of hatchery feeds.
4. To identify opportunities to enhance collaboration and information exchange amongst researchers and industry.
5. To develop a national R&D plan for hatchery feeds.

This document is the outcome of that meeting.

Proceedings • 893.33 KB
Hatchery Feeds - Proceedings of a workshop held in Cairns, 9-10 March 2000.pdf

Summary

With the expansion of aquaculture in Australia, the Fisheries Research and Development Commission (FRDC) perceived a need to improve coordination between research organisations and industry in the study of fish larvae feeds, and to identify opportunities and priorities for future research. Accordingly, FRDC subsequently requested us to prepare a strategic R&D plan to more appropriately match the needs of industry.

New targets for aquaculture - stage 1

Project number: 2000-231
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $322,449.00
Principal Investigator: Christopher Battershill
Organisation: Australian Institute Of Marine Science (AIMS)
Project start/end date: 26 Aug 2000 - 19 Oct 2004
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Commercial in confidence. To know more about this project please contact FRDC.

Objectives

Commercial in confidence

Seventh international symposium on genetics in aquaculture

Project number: 1999-335
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $83,524.00
Principal Investigator: John Benzie
Organisation: Australian Institute Of Marine Science (AIMS)
Project start/end date: 11 Jul 1999 - 17 Jun 2003
Contact:
FRDC

Need

As the Australian Aquaculture Industry makes more use of genetic techniques, and works more with fully domesticated stock, there is a need to be fully informed of advances in this area. To remain competitive, and to maximise the effectiveness of limited research funds, industry and government will require to identify and access technologies developed overseas as rapidly as possible.

Advances in genetics are occuring at considerable speed and there is a need to establish and maintain interactions with research groups worldwide. The effectiveness with which this can be done is enhanced not only by demonstrating the research skills developed in Australia, but by exposure of International scientists to Australia, it aquaculture industries and research groups.

Holding the 7th International Symposium on Genetics in Aquaculture in Australia will provide an excellent opportunity to provide this exposure, to establish or strengthen networks, and, by maintaining the tradition of the "Genetics in Aquaculture" Symposia, establishing our position in the International scene in this area of research and technology development.

The importance of this area of research and technology development was demonstrated by the demand for, and the conduct of, a national meeting on Genetics in Aquaculture in Perth in Sept 1998 supported by FRDC. At that meeting, the development of international interactions were identified as an important requirement for Australia.

Objectives

1. To provide an International Class Symposium on Genetics in Aquaculture, covering all aquaculture species, and different genetic approaches.
2. To ensure a financially viable event.

Final report

Author: John Benzie
Final Report • 2017-09-29 • 75.84 KB
1999-335-DLD.pdf

Summary

The successful staging of the Seventh International Symposium on Genetics in Aquaculture, the premier international conference for genetic experts specializing in Aquaculture, for the first time in the southern hemisphere, has led to greater exposure of the Australian Aquaculture Industries to that group.  It also facilitated the development of new contacts between Australian researchers and industry members with those overseas and provided a venue for exchange of the latest information in aquaculture genetics between Australian researchers and the international community.  Considerable media interest during the conference raised the profile of genetic applications in Aquaculture.  Positive feedback was received from research and industry groups as to the value of the conference. 

Keywords: Genetics, aquaculture, Aquaculture Symposium.

Project products

Proceedings

Summary

The Seventh International Symposium on Genetics in Aquaculture (ISGA) was hosted by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and held at the beach-side Jupiters Sheraton Hotel in Townsville, Queensland, 15-22 July 2000. Over 140 people attended, including representatives from more than 30 countries, and a total of 137 papers were given in six topic areas.

The Special Issue Genetics in Aquaculture VII, volume 204(3-4) (2002), can be found here

Stock size of beche-de-mer, and recruitment patterns and gene flow in the black teatfish on the Great Barrier Reef

Project number: 1998-133
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $646,968.50
Principal Investigator: John Benzie
Organisation: Australian Institute Of Marine Science (AIMS)
Project start/end date: 28 Jun 1998 - 5 Jun 2003
Contact:
FRDC

Need

There is an urgent need to provide basic information to assist management of beche-de-mer fishery in Queenslands GBR and to determine sustainable harvest levels. The proposed research directly addresses two of the highest priority research topics for harvest fisheries outlined by QFMA (Research needs and priorities for the management of Queensland’s fisheries, QFMA, 1997, p 16), which are

· to estimate of standing stocks of beche-de-mer (holothurians) off the east coast

· to determine sustainable annual harvest levels of beche-de-mer off the east coast

The project also addresses the lower priority research topic

· to determine the ecology of the major beche-de-mer species (black teatfish)

Objectives

1. To develop a survey methodology applicable for all shallow water beche-de-mer species.
2. To adapt established techniques for enzyme electrophoretic analyses of holothurians to several beche-de-mer species.
3. To determine the stock size of beche-de-mer over a large geographic area in the GBR.
4. To determine the stock size and biomass of the black teatfish over a large geographic area in the GBR.
5. To establish the period of reproduction of the black teatfish on the GBR.
6. To measure dispersal and recruitment in black teatfish using genetic markers.
7. To identify and report the implications of these findings for management of beche-de-mer fisheries.
8. To measure the recovery time for overfished black teatfish stocks (numbers and biomass)
9. To assess the likely source of recruits to recovering populations, including the role of protected reefs.
10. To estimate growth rates for black teatfish.
11. To describe large scale geneflow and dispersal of sandfish among fished populations in NT and WA.

Final report

ISBN: 0-642-32254-6
Author: John Benzie
Final Report • 2003-03-25 • 2.92 MB
1998-133-DLD.pdf

Summary

The main purpose of the project was to provide biological data urgently needed for a sustainable management of the black teatfish fishery in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR); The principal goals were:

  • 1) to estimate the standing stock of the black teatfish and estimate densities of other bêche-de-mer species by undertaking large scale surveys in the GBR, and
  • 2) provide further information required to determine annual harvest levels and proposed closed seasons for the black teatfish including reproduction period and likely sources of supply of recruits;
  • Following closure of the fishery the project was extended to:
  • 3) establish re-colonisation rates of holothurians on the fished reefs where fishing had ceased, and
  • 4) determine the sources of those recruits, and 5) estimate growth of holothurians using genetic fingerprinting to identify individuals;
  • The project was also extended to include genetic work on sandfish (Holothuria scabra) in Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Pearl oyster genetics

Project number: 1997-344
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $429,395.00
Principal Investigator: John Benzie
Organisation: Australian Institute Of Marine Science (AIMS)
Project start/end date: 22 Jun 1997 - 30 Nov 2002
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Commercial in confidence. To know more about this project please contact FRDC.

Objectives

Commercial in confidence

Impact of prawn farm effluent on coastal waterways

Project number: 1997-212
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $358,997.00
Principal Investigator: Lindsay Trott
Organisation: Australian Institute Of Marine Science (AIMS)
Project start/end date: 9 Aug 1997 - 26 Sep 2001
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The need for the research described in this proposal was initially identified in two major reports instigated by the FRDC.
· The Macarthur Report (1995), identified that "The industry and the key researchers do not yet fully know the effect of nutrient and suspended solids on specific coastal ecosystems and hence are unable to estimate sustainable loads."
· The Queensland Fisheries Research and Development Strategy (1995-2005), recommended a strategy to "Assess the relative impacts of different Aquaculture methods on the environment." (Strategies 1.2.4, p. 5), "Provide a scientific basis for the objective evaluation of sustainable fisheries and Aquaculture management options.", and to "Develop sustainability indicators for fisheries." (Strategies 2.1 and 2.3, p. 6).

The proposed research will provide the missing information, identified in these two reports as being "….the effect of nutrient and suspended solids on specific coastal ecosystems…", and will "Assess the relative impacts of different Aquaculture methods on the environment." This proposal is a logical and necessary step forwards for the research co-ordinated through the CRC for Aquaculture which, until now, has focused on optimising farm operations and minimising effluent loads.

The urgent need for a co-ordinated research program to investigate the environmental impacts of prawn farm effluent was identified in a series of workshops held in Cairns, Townsville and Brisbane from July to September 1996 (see Discussion Paper, Appendix 1). These workshops affirmed that the current research priorities are to determine the composition of prawn farm effluent, to determine the impact of the effluent in coastal waterways and to investigate methods to minimise levels of nutrients and sediment in effluent The research outlined in this proposal will begin the work necessary to determine the impact of prawn farm effluent in coastal waterways.

This research will deliver information required to estimate sustainable loads of nutrients and suspended sediments in coastal ecosystems, provide a scientific basis for the evaluation of aquaculture management options, and assist in the development of sustainability indicators for aquaculture. It will therefore be an essential component of a recent initiative of the QDOE to prepare a Regional Plan for coastal areas between Cooktown and Cardwell. This Regional Plan will contribute to the sustainability of, not just the prawn farming industry, but also the highly valuable commercial and recreational fisheries resources within this area, currently valued at above $200 million annually.

Objectives

1. 1. Quantify the assimilative capacity of the receiving environment for the major nutrients and sediments in prawn farm effluent by describing the dynamics of C,N,O,P pathways in the substrate and water column of discharge channels and creeks, and thereby determine the environmental impact of prawn farm effluent.
2. 2. Refine and extend existing hydrodynamic models of the Hinchinbrook Channel and Pt Douglas estuaries in order to predict the behaviour of prawn farm effluent entering coastal waterways, thus enabling simulation modelling of the carrying capacity of the environment for prawn farming.
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