33,461 results
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2015-017
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Maximise yield or minimise risk in the Blacklip Abalone fishery: using biological data to direct harvest strategies

The primary goal of this research was to identify attributes of the seasonal biology of Blacklip Abalone (Haliotis rubra; hereafter referred to as Blacklip) that may be beneficial for optimising fishing strategies. The optimum months to harvest Blacklip to maximise yield were identified using a...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-027
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Validating a new sampling technique for estimating egg production

Estimates of spawning biomass obtained using the Daily Egg Production Method (DEPM) are the primary biological performance indicator in the South Australian Sardine Fishery (SASF) and Commonwealth Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF). The DEPM is also being used to assess the status of other...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2015-001
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Bonamiasis in farmed Native Oysters (Ostrea angasi)

This project was a collaborative study across three research organisations: Agriculture Victoria, CSIRO (Victoria) and the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI). The overall aim of this collaborative project was to better understand many aspects of infection with the parasite...
ORGANISATION:
Agriculture Victoria
Environment

Developing novel remote camera approaches to assess and monitor the population status of Australian sea lions

Project number: 2017-119
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $184,631.00
Principal Investigator: Stephen M. Taylor
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
Project start/end date: 31 Dec 2017 - 30 Dec 2019
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) is the only endemic species of Australian pinniped and is listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act due to historical reduction in numbers, declining population trends, limited biological productivity and continued bycatch in various fisheries. Measures to mitigate sea lion mortality in the Commonwealth's Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery include extensive gillnet fishing closures that have led to significant displacement of fishing effort. Despite the measures to protect South Australian sea lion colonies, pup production has been estimated to have declined at most South Australian colonies and overall by 2.9% per year or 4.4% per breeding cycle between 2004-2008 and 2014-2015 (Goldsworthy et al., 2015).

Gillnet exclusion areas have also been proposed in the Western Australian Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline Fisheries, however these have not yet been implemented, in part due to uncertainties in the current status of most Western Australian sea lion colonies and risk of unintended consequences from displaced fishing effort. Despite the high level of conservation concern for this species and the severity of fishery management measures aimed at reducing their bycatch mortality, abundance has not been estimated for most WA colonies since the early-1990s (Gales 1993). Contemporary assessments of colony status are therefore required to identify the WA colonies that are most at risk from depletion (either through fisheries bycatch or other natural or anthropogenic processes) and guide effective conservation decisions.

Historically, monitoring has involved a 'boots-on-the-ground' approach to count the numbers of pups being born. However, this approach is expensive, logistically difficult, hazardous and entirely dependent on accurate estimation of the timing of colony-specific pupping seasons. It is therefore proposed to evaluate the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of remote camera methods to collect alternative sea lion abundance estimates.

Objectives

1. Evaluate the feasibility of using remote cameras as a method for monitoring the status of Australian sea lion colonies
2. Collect sea lion abundance estimates from study colonies over an 18 month period (full breeding cycle) to update understanding of their conservation status
3. Provide continuous time-series of vision and ancillary in-situ data for other ecological or behavioural research into dynamics of WA sea lion colonies

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-921845-32-1
Authors: Mat Hourston Daniela Waltrick Stuart Blight Ainslie Denham Alex Hesp Stephen Taylor
Final Report • 2022-12-01 • 4.54 MB
2017-119-DLD.pdf

Summary

This project trialled the use of remote cameras to monitor the relative abundance of Australian sea lions (ASLs, Neophoca cinerea) at three Western Australian (WA) breeding colonies. The research was undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to assess whether the analysis of camera footage could be used to estimate ASL relative abundance, providing an alternative to the traditional “boots on the ground” approach (hereon in “BoG”) of visiting colonies to count animals. This report outlines the strengths and limitations of this novel approach rather than providing an update on the population status of ASLs.

Socio-ecological assessment of the ecosystems, industries and communities of Spencer Gulf

Project number: 2016-104
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $150,000.00
Principal Investigator: Timothy M. Ward
Organisation: SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Project start/end date: 31 Jul 2017 - 29 Apr 2019
Contact:
FRDC

Need

This project is a case study that addresses science needs identified in the National Marine Science Plan 2015, relating to:

i) systematic collection of environmental, social and economic baseline data;
ii) establishing a monitoring program to support effective management and conservation;
iii) incorporating social, economic and cultural data into marine assessments.

This socio-ecological assessment of Spencer Gulf is needed to evaluate and support future management of the gulfs ecosystems, industries and communities.

It will: i) improve current understanding of the web of interactions that drive patterns and trends in the Gulfs key ecological, economic and social feature and ii) help ensure that ecological, economic and social benefits from future use of the Gulf’s assets are balanced and maximised.

This assessment of Spencer Gulf is needed to build on progress towards 1) ecosystem-based management of the fishing and aquaculture sectors achieved through previous FRDC projects (see references in Goyder application attached) and 2) ecosystem-based management of the gulfs ecosystems, industries and communities (especially stakeholder engagement) achieved as part of the $2.5M industry-funded SGEDI.

Funding provided by FRDC and the Goyder Institute for Water Research are needed to ensure that momentum towards ecosystem-based management achieved through SGEDI previous projects is maintained during a period where the availability of additional industry funds is limited.

Objectives

1. Establish a time series of key indicators for monitoring the social, economic and ecological status of Spencer Gulf.
2. Establish online interactive maps of the environmental conditions, ecological assets, human activities and socio-ecological values of the gulf.
3. Undertake an integrated assessment of the status of the gulf’s socio-ecological systems.

Final report

Authors: Tanner J.E. Bailleul F. Bryars S. Doubell M. Foster N. Gaylard S. Gillanders B.M. Goldsworthy S. Huveneers C. James C. Jones A.R. Maher J. Nursey-Bray M. van Ruth P. and Ward T.M.
Final Report • 2020-12-04 • 3.63 MB
2016-104-DLD.pdf

Summary

Traditionally, management of marine activities has occurred on a sector-by-sector basis, with limited consideration of the interactions between different activities and users, or their cumulative impacts. There is increasing global recognition of the need for Integrated Management (IM) of the complex array of commercial and recreational activities that occur in marine environments, and their impacts on the socio-ecological assets that comprise these systems. An integrated monitoring program that includes social, economic and ecological indicators is an essential element of IM. 
This report collates existing information on the threats to the ecosystems of Spencer Gulf and its industries and communities.  Datasets that may provide a useful indicator for one or more assets or threats are collated.  The focus is on datasets for which there are available time-series data. Most existing monitoring programs are designed to assess the impacts of and/or manage individual activities, or to monitor particular species.  While we have identified a broad range of valuable data sets for Spencer Gulf (~170), we have also identified many gaps, and a number of data sets that are only collected sporadically, and for which there is no guarantee of continuation.
Overall, we have identified around 170 different data time-series that could be used as the basis for a suite of indicators of the overall social, economic and ecological status of Spencer Gulf, as well as numerous data gaps.  One challenge identified by this work is that a number of potentially important data sets are collected and reported at spatial scales that are not useful for examining the status of Spencer Gulf.  This data is either collected/reported at a statewide scale, or for terrestrially-based natural resources management regions.  The next step is be to consolidate the datasets collated here into a smaller subset that provide a useful and amenable set of actual indictors that can be utilised to monitor the status of the gulf and assess the impacts of the range of activities undertaken in it, going forward.  The collation of information undertaken in this report is an important steps towards undertaking an Integrated Ecosystem Assessment of Spencer Gulf.

Project products

Article • 3.49 MB
2016-104-SPG Task 2 Industries & Communities Report.pdf

Summary

This report describes a new software platform - named 'Gulfview' - that was developed to allow stakeholders to efficiently access spatially-explicit information about the environmental characteristics, ecological assets, human activities, management arrangements and socio-economic values of Spencer Gulf. 
Map • 408.16 KB
2016-104-Spencer Gulf socio-ecological status.pdf

Summary

This map depicts the socio-ecological Status of Spencer Gulf 2019
Presentation • 2019-04-01 • 1.58 MB
2016-104-Goyder Presentation Gulfview.pdf

Summary

This presentation highlights the interactive software platform called Gulfview, which allows stakeholders to access spatially-explicit information about the environmental characteristics, ecological assets, human activities, management arrangements and socio-economic values of Spencer Gulf 
Presentation • 2019-04-01 • 3.33 MB
2016-104-Goyder Presentation SG socio-ecological status and recommendations.pdf

Summary

This presentation reports the socio-ecological assessment of the industries, communities and ecosystems of Spencer Gulf by:
• Collating existing data-sets
• Developing potential social, ecological and economic indicators
• Assessing status of the Spencer Gulf
• Identifying key knowledge gaps and other data limitations
• Recommending next steps
Presentation • 2019-04-01 • 2.47 MB
2016-104-Goyder Presentation SG Integrated Management.pdf

Summary

Why Spencer Gulf?
• increasingly crowded marine space
• gateway for SA’s agriculture, mining and energy sectors
• produces approximately half of SA’s seafood
• recreational hotspot and growing ecotourism
• important conservation values
• nationally recognised case-study for integrated management
• process needed to resolve conflict among user groups (fishers, conservation, miners, desalination plants)
• need a more efficient and transparent decision-making process
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