murdochuniversity centre for fish and fisheries research centre for fish and fisheries research locations 2005 Annual Research Report

Transcription

1 murdochuniversity centre for fish and fisheries research Annual Research Report wwwscieng.murdoch.edu.au/centres/fish/ centre for fish and fisheries research locations /

2 Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia 2006 (all photographs were taken by staff and students at Murdoch University unless otherwise stated) Front cover: Andrew Rowland and Paul Lewis (DoF) tagging Samson fish before release (photo by Mike Mackie (DoF)) Back cover: CFFR research locations (compiled by David Morgan)

3 Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research Murdoch University 2005 ANNUAL REPORT Director Professor Neil Loneragan Deputy Director Associate Professor Norm Hall

4

5

6 CONTENTS 1. Administrative details Centre members as at 31 December Management board... 4 Director s report... 5 Centre staff and students in Awards... 9 Committee membership/community service Research activities Biology...11 Population biology...11 Teleosts...11 Sharks and rays...16 Crustaceans...16 Sea lice...16 Freshwater crayfish...17 Genetics, stock structures and systematics...17 Lampreys...17 Phylogeny...18 Ecology...18 Biological oceanography...18 Community ecology...18 Faunal/habitat relationships...19 Marine protected areas...19 Trophic interactions...20 Environmental rehabilitation...20 Assessment of fauna in dams and reservoirs...20 Barriers to migration...20 Estuaries...21 Fish fauna of south coast estuaries...21 Upper Swan estuary...21 Relationships between faunal assemblages and habitat type...22 Modelling and resource use...23 Ecosystem modelling...23 Marine resource usage...23 Coastal management...23 Fish Health and Aquaculture Publications Books...25 Refereed publications in Refereed publications 2006 and in press...27 Other publications in 2005 and Conference and workshop presentations

7 CONTENTS 4. Postgraduate students and their research topics PhD students (awarded in 2005)...31 PhD students (submitted in 2005)...31 PhD students (enrolled in 2005)...31 MVSc student (enrolled in 2005)...33 MSc student (completed in 2005)...33 MSc student (enrolled in 2005)...33 Honours students (completed in 2005)...33 Honours students (enrolled in 2005) Summary of research income Table 1. List of projects and research income for Table 2. Summary of research income from different funding sources in Appendices Posters

8 ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS 1. Administrative details Centre members as at 31 December 2005 Director Neil Loneragan PhD Deputy Director Norm Hall PhD Academic staff Adjunct appointments Lynnath Beckley PhD Stuart Bradley PhD Max Cake PhD Jennie Chaplin PhD Stan Fenwick PhD (DHS) Howard Gill PhD Alan Lymbery PhD (DHS) Belinda Cannell PhD Nick Dunlop PhD Philip Nicholls PhD (DHS) Ian Potter PhD Shane Raidal PhD (DHS) Malcolm Tull PhD (MBS) Fiona Valesini PhD Graham Wilcox PhD (DHS) Ron Wooller PhD Rod Lenanton PhD Jeremy Prince PhD Research fellows Research staff Rob Doupé PhD (DHS) Alex Hesp PhD David Morgan PhD Dan French Russell Hobbs (DHS) Margaret Platell PhD William White PhD Gordon Thomson PhD students Indre Asmussen Doug Bearham (DHS) Stephen Beatty Farhan Bokhari (DHS) Benjamin Chuwen (DHS) Natasha Coen Peter Coulson David Fairclough Bryn Farmer Nicola Fox Matthew Harvey Marina Hassan (DHS) Steeg Hoeksema Mathew Hourston Michelle Ingram (DHS) Gary Jackson (DSE/DoF) Ashlee Jones Christine Lamont Elaine Lek Thea Linke Carina Marshall Karen Marshall Heather McLetchie (DHS) Barbara Muhling Gavin Partridge (DHS) Matthew Pember Kellie Pendoley Chris Powell Mahmoud Rashnavadi (DHS/DSE) Andrew Rowland Emilia Santos-Yap Ertug Sezmis Kimberley Smith Zoe Spiers (DHS) Dean Thorburn Michael Travers Corey Wakefield (DSE/DoF) Michelle Wildsmith Andrew Winzer Brent Wise (DSE/DoF) 3

9 ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS MVsc student MSc students Honours students Neil Griffiths (DHS) Raquel Carter Chris Jones Claire Bartron Tim Carter Steven Cossington Gavin Kay (DHS) Fiona McAleer Steven Moore Nicole Phillips Sheryn Prior Michelle Tay (DHS) Chea Faang Yann (DHS) MBS Murdoch Business School DoF Department of Fisheries WA DSE Division of Science and Engineering DHS Division of Health Sciences Management board Chair Director Deputy Director Postdoctoral representative Centre member Centre member Centre member Centre member Head of School External representative Postgraduate student representatives Professor Yianni Attikiouzel Professor Neil Loneragan Associate Professor Norm Hall Dr David Morgan Dr Howard Gill Dr Jennie Chaplin Associate Professor Lynnath Beckley Associate Professor Alan Lymbery Associate Professor Max Cake Associate Professor Rod Lenanton Mr Peter Coulson Mr Andrew Rowland 4

10 DIRECTOR S REPORT Director s report The staff and researchers of the Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research continued to be very active in It was a very successful year for higher degree completions with the award of seven PhDs (a further four have been submitted or examined) and the completion of five Honours theses (all Class I). The research areas of staff and students, which range widely, include population and community biology, systematics, fisheries and ecosystem modelling, recreational fishing, marine protected areas, restocking, aquaculture, genetics and fish health. Furthermore, research is conducted over a wide geographical area, extending southwards from the Pilbara/Kimberley region in north-western Australia to the Capes region at the south-western tip of Australia and then eastwards to Esperance, a distance along the coastline of over 4,000 km! Research also encompasses different types of environments, including estuaries, coastal, shelf and oceanic waters, rivers and lakes. Two major Fisheries Research and Development Corporation studies of the biological characteristics of fish populations were completed to the Draft Final report stage in These studies, which were supervised by Ian Potter, Norm Hall and Alex Hesp and for some species, colleagues at the Department of Fisheries, focused on five teleosts found in waters off the northwest of the State and three species found off the west and south coasts. They have yielded detailed information on age, growth and reproduction, including identifying which species change sex during their life cycle, i.e. are hermaphroditic. This will greatly enhance the information available for stock assessment and management. These and other studies in progress on commercially and recreationally important species in Western Australian waters, have shown that three species live for more than 50 years (Mangrove Jack Lutjanus argentimaculatus, Western Blue Groper Achoerodus gouldii, Foxfish Bodianus frenchii) and others for more than 20 years (Mulloway Argyrosomus japonicus, Black Spotted Rockcod Epinephelus malabaricus, Gold Spotted Rockcod Epinephelus coioides, and Blue Morwong Nemadactylus valenciennesi). Detailed data on age structures of populations provide critical information for estimating mortality, which, combined with information on reproductive biology, enable the development of management strategies aimed at ensuring that the harvest of these stocks can be sustained. A collaborative study with the Department of Fisheries, led by Mike Mackie (DoF) and Howard Gill, has provided information on the dynamics of spawning aggregations of Samson Fish Seriola hippos, off Rottnest Island, and has resulted in a very successful collaboration between researchers and recreational fishers. William White s taxonomic and biological studies of the sharks and rays that are caught in Indonesian waters are continuing and he is developing a field guide for these groups of elasmobranchs. David Morgan has developed excellent relationships with Aboriginal communities in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia and this has facilitated studies of the fish fauna of the King Edward River. Moreover, David s involvement has enabled him to produce a compendium of the Aboriginal names for each of the fish species found in that river. Research in the area of community ecology has covered larval fish in eddy systems of the Leeuwin Current, identification of the relationships between invertebrate and fish communities and the habitat types found in different estuaries of south-western Australia, the influence of habitat type and management zoning on fish communities in the Jurien Bay Marine Park, and determining the effects of extreme salinities on the fish fauna of the south coast estuaries. A three week visit by Dr Pilar 5

11 DIRECTOR S REPORT Olivar, from the Institute of Marine Science in Barcelona, greatly facilitated the identification of fish larvae collected in the Leeuwin Current by Lynnath Beckley and Barbara Muhling. Research by Fiona Valesini, Ian Potter and their team of PhD students, on identifying faunal/habitat relationships in open (Swan, Peel-Harvey), seasonally open (Wilson) and normally closed (Wellstead) estuaries of southwestern Australia is progressing well. Extreme salinities have been recorded in three estuaries on the south coast (Stokes, Culham and Hamersley inlets). Under these extreme conditions, large mortalities of Black Bream Acanthopagrus butcheri, were recorded in the Hamersley and Culham inlets and by the end of the study, only one species remained in the basin of Hamersley Inlet and none were left in that part of the Culham. Future research will focus on the fish faunas of other south coast estuaries. In addition to her research on biological oceanography, Lynnath Beckley has been examining recreational boating and fishing in the Blackwood River estuary, with funding being obtained from the Natural Heritage Trust (South West Catchment Council) for a 12 month creel survey in Studies in the Fish Health Unit have continued to focus strongly on environmental impacts, such as secondary salinisation, eutrophication and the effect of exotic species, on freshwater and estuarine ecosystems. In particular, research has continued on various aspects of aquaculture in the inland saline waters of Western Australia: the environmental management of such aquaculture (supported by Rural Industries Research Development Corporation), developing a genetic approach to increasing the growth rates of suitable fish species for inland saline aquaculture and developing new production technologies to improve stocking densities and growth rates of fish (a new project supported by FRDC in 2005). Studies are also continuing on the development of an environmental management system for aquaculture in disused mine lakes (through the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Mine Lakes), determining the ramifications of the appearance of Red Claw Crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus in the Kimberley, the risk posed to native fish by parasites imported with exotic fish species and the use of fish parasites as bio-indicators of ecosystem health. During 2005, Centre staff were involved in approximately 40 projects, with research income of about $1 million in 2005 (total research income of $4 million). The main funding bodies were the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), CSIRO, Western Australian Department of Fisheries and, through its support for research students, Murdoch University. We are greatly indebted to those funding authorities for their support. Much of our research aims to provide the types of data that are required by fisheries and environmental managers for producing appropriate and realistic plans for conserving fish stocks and important habitats and thus focus on the crucial issue of ecological sustainability in Western Australia. The staff and students of the Centre have continued to publish a large number of papers in international journals (35 in 2005), provide detailed reports to their funding agencies (9) and present the results of their studies at conferences and workshops (28). In particular, I would like to congratulate Barbara Muhling, who won the award for the best PhD student presentation at the annual Strategic Research Fund for the Marine Environment symposium, for her talk on larval fish assemblages off the coast of south-western Australia. Two academic staff also deserve special mention for the recognition they achieved in Ian Potter was presented with the Vice-Chancellor s award for sustained research excellence over many years at Murdoch University and Norm Hall was presented with the Kay Radway Allen award for outstanding contributions to fisheries science in Australia at the 2005 conference of the Australian Society of Fish Biology. Norm is also to be congratulated for the success of his FRDC application with the Department of Fisheries on Development of an ecosystem approach to the monitoring and management of Western Australian fisheries, and for having been promoted to Professor. Congratulations also to Lynnath Beckley and Alan Lymbery for their promotions to Associate Professor. 6

12 DIRECTOR S REPORT 2005 was my first year as the Director of the Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research. Since arriving, I have been completing my research activities with CSIRO and developing my research directions in Western Australia. I have been exploring the areas of ecosystem understanding for fisheries (in collaboration with CSIRO) and looking at aspects of the western rock lobster and Exmouth Gulf prawn fishery (both in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries). I have been pleased to see the development of a postgraduate unit in Quantitative Resource Ecology by Fiona Valesini, Stuart Bradley and Norm Hall to cover univariate and multivariate statistics and an introduction to modelling. The immediate past Director, Ian Potter, is continuing his very energetic and extensive research in his position as Research Professor. Although Margaret Platell left Western Australia in mid-2005, she will continue her collaborative studies on fish trophodynamics with Ian Potter and her strong association with the Centre. I have appreciated the assistance of many people who have helped and continue to assist me with developing the Centre, particularly Norm Hall, Max Cake, Ian Potter and Andris Stelbovics at Murdoch. Thanks also to the other members of the Centre Advisory Group (Lynnath Beckley, Jennie Chaplin, Howard Gill, Alan Lymbery, David Morgan and Fiona Valesini) for their input and advice during the year. The success of the Centre is very dependent on the efforts of its numerous and highly motivated research students and postdoctoral fellows and I congratulate them on their achievements in the past year. The activities and staff of the Centre have also received strong support and advice from a number of people in external organisations, and particularly to Peter Rogers, Executive Director of the WA Department of Fisheries, Frank Prokop, Executive Director of RecFishWest, Richard Stevens, Research and Development Manager of the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council, and Chris Simpson and Nick D Adamo of the Department of Conservation and Land Management. We are indebted to them for their continuing help and encouragement. Neil Loneragan Director 7

13 CENTRE STAFF AND STUDENTS IN 2005 Centre staff and students in 2005 Back row left to right: David Morgan, Alex Hesp, David Fairclough, Mathew Hourston, Steven Cossington, Peter Coulson, Steeg Hoeksema, Howard Gill, Daniel French, Elaine Lek, Steven Moore, Michael Travers Front row left to right: Matthew Pember, Norman Hall, Neil Loneragan, Bryn Farmer, Ian Potter, Natasha Coen, Fiona Valesini 8

14 AWARDS/COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP Awards Norm Hall K. Radway Allen Award for outstanding contributions to fisheries science at the 2005 Australian Society for Fish Biology Conference in Darwin Ian Potter Vice-Chancellors award for Sustained Scientific Excellence Committee membership/ Community service Lynnath Beckley Murdoch University, Marine Science Program Chair Editorial Board - African Journal of Marine Science WA Marine Parks and Reserves Authority (appointed member) Australian Marine Sciences Association (National Council member) Rottnest Island Authority (Technical advisor - Marine Management Working Group) WA Environmental Protection Authority (Marine Panel)) 7 th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference (International Advisory Committee) International Evaluator of Sea and Coast II, South African national marine science research program David Fairclough International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) - member of the specialist group for groupers and wrasse Howard Gill RecfishWest Committee and Executive Murdoch University Animal Ethics Freshwater Fish Environment Research Committee Norm Hall Editorial Advisory Committee of Marine and Freshwater Research Northern Prawn Fishery Research Assessment Group WA Department of Fisheries - Advice on matters relating to the stock assessment and management of fisheries Neil Loneragan WA Fisheries Research Advisory Board ACIAR Scientific Panels for Sea Cucumber Enhancement and Sea Cucumber Fisheries Scientific Advisory Committee, NSW Department of Primary Industries WA Rock Lobster Ecosystem Effects of Fishing Committee Swan River Trust, Scientific Systems Inquiry Group Scientific Committee for 3 rd International Symposium on Stock Enhancement and Sea Ranching Western Australian Marine Science Institution (representing Murdoch University) Ningaloo Research Program (coordinating Murdoch University s input) David Morgan Invasive Species Committee (Australian Society for Fish Biology) - State representative Recreational Freshwater Fisheries Stakeholder Sub-committee - representative Ian Potter Editorial Board of Environmental Biology of Fishes Western Australia Fish Foundation Malcolm Tull Joint Editor of The International Journal of Maritime History William White International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) - Member of the Shark Specialist Group for the Asia-Northwest Pacific and Australian Regions National Shark Recovery Group (NSRG) - Department of Environment and Heritage member (DEH) 9

15 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES 10

16 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES 2. RESEARCH ACTIVITIES The main ongoing objectives of the Centre for Fish and Fisheries are to: 1. Undertake high quality research that addresses questions fundamental to understanding biological, ecological and evolutionary processes in aquatic ecosystems. 2. Communicate the results of our pure and applied studies to the wider scientific community through publishing in international journals and presentations at relevant national and international conferences. 3. Provide research students with a rigorous and intellectually-stimulating training in contemporary biological, ecological and genetic approaches to fish biology and fisheries science, with particular emphasis on developing their quantitative skills. 4. Maintain strong research collaboration with scientists both within and outside Australia. 5. Undertake the research required to provide managers with sound quantitative data that can be used to develop policies for conserving fish resources and the environment. 6. Communicate, through peer-reviewed papers, technical reports, seminars and discussions, the implications of the results of the above studies to scientists, managers and stakeholders. 7. Continue to obtain the substantial funds needed to undertake the high quality research that is essential for this group to remain at the forefront of fisheries science and to provide the data required by fisheries and environmental managers to develop appropriate management plans. The wide range of studies undertaken by the staff in the Centre are aimed at enhancing our knowledge of particular fundamental biological processes in fishes and of aquatic ecosystem function in general, as well as addressing urgent management issues. These studies consciously involve postgraduate students and thereby ensure that the research group produces fish biologists, fishery scientists and ecologists with the relevant and high quality research training required to help fulfill the future needs of resource management and scientific agencies. The Centre has four broad, interconnected themes of research that contain both fundamental science and applications to management: (1) Population Biology, (2) Community Biology, (3) Aquaculture/Stock Enhancement/Introductions and translocations and (4) Evolutionary aspects. Biology Population Biology Teleosts Blue Threadfin Eleutheronema tetradactylum, King Threadfin Polydactylus macrochir, Gold Spotted Rockcod Epinephelus coioides, Black Spotted Rockcod Epinephelus malabaricus and Mangrove Jack Lutjanus argentimaculatus Matthew Pember, Alex Hesp, Glen Young, Ian Potter and Norm Hall, in collaboration with Steve Newman of the Department of Fisheries, Western Australia, recently submitted their final report to the FRDC for their research on five commercially and recreationally important finfish species along the Kimberley and Pilbara coasts. This study determined the habitats, age and size compositions, growth, reproductive biology and stock status of the Blue Threadfin Eleutheronema tetradactylum, King 11

17 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Threadfin Polydactylus macrochir, Gold Spotted Rockcod Epinephelus coioides, Black Spotted Rockcod Epinephelus malabaricus and Mangrove Jack Lutjanus argentimaculatus. This study demonstrated that the two threadfins complete their life cycles in sandy and muddy beach habitats in nearshore, shallow waters, whereas the juveniles of both rockcod species and Mangrove Jack live in mangrove and nearshore rocky areas and move offshore to waters over reefs as they increase in size and age. King Threadfin grow far larger and live longer than the Blue Threadfin, i.e. ~1400 vs 800 mm and 10 vs 6 years. Although the two species of cod grow at a similar rate and reach a similar maximum length, the Black Spotted Rockcod lives far longer (32 vs 21 years). Mangrove Jack are very long lived (>50 years) and grow to ca 400 and 550 mm in 5 and 10 years, respectively, after which this species does not increase markedly in length. The two threadfin species spawn in spring and early summer, while the two cod species and Mangrove Jack spawn between late spring and early autumn. Although the Mangrove Jack is gonochoristic (separate sexes), the Blue and King Threadfins are protandrous hermaphrodites, i.e. mature first as males and later change sex to females, and the two cod species are protogynous hermaphrodites, i.e. they mature first as females and later change sex to become males. This is an important finding as a thorough understanding of the patterns of sex change in hermaphroditic species is required for developing appropriate strategies for conserving the stocks of such species. Our stock assessments indicate that, although current levels of fishing in north-western Australia for the two Epinephelus species and Mangrove Jack are likely to be sustainable, the Blue Threadfin is fully exploited and the King Threadfin is over-exploited. Western Blue Groper Achoerodus gouldii and Blue Morwong Nemadactylus valenciennesi Peter Coulson has been studying the biology of Western Blue Groper and Blue Morwong for his PhD, which is being supervised by Ian Potter. This FRDC funded project, which commenced in June 2004, is being conducted mainly in coastal waters off southern Western Australia (Albany to Esperance). The study is focusing on obtaining data on the age and size compositions, growth and reproductive biology of these two commercially and recreationally important fish species. Preliminary results demonstrate that the Western Blue Groper spawns in winter and early spring and can live for over 60 years. It is a monandric protogynous hermaphrodite, namely all individuals mature first as females and then at least some change sex to become males. This species apparently matures as a female at about 400 mm in length and some individuals appear to change sex when they have reached about 700 mm in length. In contrast to the Western Blue Groper, the Blue Morwong spawns in late summer and early autumn and is not hermaphroditic. It also does not live for as long, with the maximum age recorded thus far being approximately 20 years. Peter and Ian appreciate greatly the invaluable and willing assistance provided by the following members of the commercial fishing industry, Alan Bevan, Owen Macintosh, Lee Warner, Carl Beal, Jon Stewart, Ian Dhu, Carlo Galotti, Jamie Thornton and the staff of Collie Seafoods in Albany. They are also grateful for the assistance provided by several recreational fishers, and in particular Dan Winpress and members of the Bremer Bay Sports Club. When the project is completed, the data will be supplied to scientists and managers at the Department of Fisheries for use in developing policies for conserving the stocks of these two teleost species. 12

18 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Yellowtail Flathead Platycephalus endrachtensis As part of his PhD, Peter Coulson is also studying the biology of the Yellowtail Flathead in the Swan River Estuary. This species was caught most frequently during summer and in the large basins that constitute the middle estuary of this system. Although females live to about the same age as males (~7 to 8 years), they grow more rapidly and attain a greater maximum length. This species of flathead is difficult to catch in winter, presumably due either to it moving to deeper waters or out of the estuary. Peter s study has been greatly assisted by David Readshaw and Raymond Jennings, who are commercial fishers in this estuary. As it is an important component of the recreational fishery of the Swan River Estuary the data Peter is acquiring will be of value to fisheries managers. Breaksea Cod Epinephelides armatus Steve Moore was awarded Class I Honours for his study of the age composition, growth, reproductive biology and diet of the Breaksea Cod Epinephelides armatus. This serranid species, which is endemic to south-western Australia, lives around reefs and is targeted by recreational fishers. Steve (supervised by Ian Potter and Alex Hesp) found that Breaksea Cod lived for up to 19 years and that male fish grew faster and attained a greater maximum length than females (536 vs 474 mm). Epinephelides armatus, which is not hermaphroditic as previously thought, spawns between late spring and mid autumn. The females and males attain maturity at lengths of ~290 and 250 mm, respectively, which are slightly less than the current minimum legal length for retention of this species (300 mm). The diet of Breaksea Cod changes with increasing body length, with small fish consuming predominantly crustaceans and the larger fish feeding almost exclusively on teleosts. The results of Steve s study indicate that the assemblages of Breaksea Cod may have suffered from heavy fishing in coastal marine waters close to the capital city of Perth. However, additional work is required to explore this issue further and thus provide managers with more rigorous estimates of mortality. Mulloway Argyrosomus japonicus, Sand Trevally Pseudocaranx wrighti and Silver Trevally Pseudocaranx dentex The Mulloway Argyrosomus japonicus is an important recreational and commercial fish species in Western Australia. Our studies, which were funded by the FRDC and undertaken by Bryn Farmer for his PhD, demonstrated that this species can live for over 30 years. Spawning occurs between midspring and early autumn and lasts for a slightly longer period in more northern latitudes. Growth is particularly rapid during early life, with total lengths of about 530 and 900 mm being attained by the end of the second and fifth years of life, respectively. Females and males have typically attained maturity by the end of their sixth and fifth years of life, respectively. The length of 950 mm at which, on average, females reach maturity is far greater than the minimum legal length of 500 mm for retention of this species. This finding is particularly relevant when developing plans for conserving the stocks of Mulloway, especially as this species tends to form spawning aggregations. Although Mulloway typically spawn in coastal marine waters, a substantial number of mature individuals of this species enter the lower reaches of the Swan River Estuary and spawn at night in the deeper waters of this region of the estuary. These localised aggregations are targeted by these recreational fishers and must thus result in a considerable fishing mortality of fish as they are about to contribute offspring to the next generation. These findings are of obvious relevance for managing mulloway stocks and the fisheries in the Swan River Estuary. 13

19 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Tim Carter, supervised by Ian Potter and Alex Hesp, was awarded Class I Honours for his study on the biology of the Sand Trevally, Pseudocaranx wrighti, a major bycatch species of the commercial scallop and prawn trawl fishery, which operates on the lower west coast of Australia. Tim s research showed that P. wrighti is far more abundant in the deeper waters (~30 m) near Rottnest Island than in shallower waters (~10 m) of Comet Bay, near Mandurah, about 80 km south of Perth. Sand Trevally spawn for most of the year and maturity is typically attained at the end of the first year of life, when they have reached ~120 mm TL. Tim has recently discovered that the small juveniles (<30 mm) of P. wrighti are pelagic and often associated with jellyfish. Although Sand Trevally grow to a relatively small maximum length of ~220 mm, they can live for more than 10 years. By using back-calculation methods, Tim found that the oldest individuals were typically those that grew fastest early in life. A risk assessment of the susceptibility of Sand Trevally off the lower west coast of Australia to trawling indicates that trawling is having only a minimal impact on this species in this region. The biology of the Silver Trevally Pseudocaranx dentex, which was studied by Dan French for his Honours thesis and was funded by the FRDC, is one of the most important recreational fish species on the lower west coast of Australia. Juvenile Silver Trevally occupy nearshore coastal waters and estuaries, particularly in areas where there are structures that can provide shelter. The larger and older individuals are particularly abundant around reefs and in deeper waters. In contrast, the adults of the morphologically very similar Sand Trevally live predominantly over bare sandy substrates. The females of Silver Trevally typically reach maturity at three years of age, when they have attained a length of 310 mm, which is 60 mm greater than the minimum length for retention. This finding will have to be borne in mind by fisheries managers in their ongoing review of strategies aimed at conserving fish stocks, especially as there is anecdotal evidence from anglers that they do not now catch large fish in as relatively high numbers as previously. Mulloway Argyrosomus japonicus (photograph by Bryn Farmer) 14

20 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Silver Trevally Pseudocaranx dentex (photograph by Bryn Farmer) Foxfish Bodianus frenchii Steve Cossington is studying, for his Honours degree, the age composition, growth, reproductive biology and diet of the Foxfish. This species, which is endemic to southern Australia, is becoming increasingly targeted by recreational anglers and spearfishers. Steve has found that this species of labrid attains a maximum length and weight of about 450 mm and 1.7 kg. It is also very long-lived, with some individuals living for more than 50 years. Foxfish, which spawns during spring and summer, is a monandric protogynous hermaphrodite, i.e. individuals mature first as females and later change sex to become males. Females mature at about 230 mm and 10 years of age and many individuals change sex at about 330 mm and 30 years of age. The foxfish is a carnivore, feeding on echinoderms, crustacean and molluscs. The length of time to reach maturity and change sex and the longevity of Foxfish have important implications for the management of this increasingly targeted species. Samson Fish Seriola hippos In 2005, Andrew Rowland commenced a PhD, supervised by Howard Gill and Mike Mackie (DoF), on determining the biological parameters of Samson Fish Seriola hippos on the west and south coasts of Western Australia. His research is part of a large FRDC project entitled Management and monitoring of fish spawning aggregations within the west coast bio-region of Western Australia led by Mike Mackie. Part of the study involves using tagging and release studies (Samson Science) to investigate the survivorship and movement patterns of Samson Fish captured and released from spawning aggregations west of Rottnest Island. In January and November 2005, over 5,000 Samson Fish were tagged in the spawning aggregations west of Rottnest Island. The data from tag returns indicate a mass migration of Samson Fish from the waters of the south coast to join the spawning aggregations west of Rottnest Island. Individuals may only stay in the aggregations for short periods (several weeks) before returning to the south coast. They also indicate that individuals return to the spawning areas at the same time each year, i.e. most fish are recaptured in the same month as they were tagged in the previous year/s. Studies are also being carried out on the post-release survival and diets of Samson Fish. 15

21 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES The members of the Samson Science project greatly appreciates the strong support provided by Recfishwest, the Australian National Sportfishing Association, Australian Anglers Association, Charter Boat Owners and Operators Association, Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee and many non-affiliated fishers. Sharks and rays William White has continued his work on chondrichthyan fisheries in Indonesia supported by a second grant from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) in conjunction with CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (CMAR) in Cleveland and Hobart, and the Research Centre of Capture Fisheries (Indonesia) (RCCF) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences - Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI). A number of further market survey trips in Indonesia were conducted in 2005 with the aim focused on collecting biological data as well as obtaining good quality images of the species caught for a field guide. A large proportion of the text for the field guide has been drafted and etching of the primary images for each species is well underway. It is envisaged that the guide will be completed and printed by mid All specimens collected during the previous four years sampling in Indonesia have been moved to the Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense (Cibinong, Jakarta) for long-term storage. Taxonomic work on the numerous undescribed species from Indonesia and their relationship with Australian species has also continued in conjunction with Dr Peter Last (CSIRO). New descriptions were published for two species and descriptions for a further four have been recently accepted in international journals. Further taxonomic research on a large number of other species has also been undertaken, including one large publication describing ten new species of Spurdogs (Squalus spp.) from the Indo-Australian region, which more than doubles the number of known species in that family. William attended the 7 th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference in Taiwan where he presented a talk on the Indonesian shark and ray project and assisted in organizing the chondrichthyan symposium headed by Dr Peter Last. He also undertook a week long survey of one of the deepwater fishery landing sites in northeastern Taiwan. He also presented a poster and provided relevant information during the International Whale Shark Conference in Perth in May A paper submitted to the proceedings of this conference has recently been accepted. William has also been supervising an Honours student (Claire Bartron), who is studying the age and growth of gummy and silky sharks. Crustaceans Sea lice Ongoing seasonal sampling of sea lice continued in 2005 through the PhD studies of Andrew Winzer, supervised by Howard Gill, and was assisted by commercial rock lobster fishers in an effort to highlight potential factors responsible for their impact on lobster baits. Additionally, numerous laboratory and field trials have been carried out to attain relevant data concerning the feeding biology of the dominant species of sea lice (Cirolana hesperia) found off the Western Australian coastline. At the end of 2004, the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council (WAFIC) provided funding to trial the efficacy of various bait-saving devices. One bait saver, designed by Andrew Winzer and Howard Gill, performed well and, after modification, is currently being trialled successfully by volunteer commercial lobster fishers from all three zones of the fishery. 16

22 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Freshwater crayfish Stephen Beatty completed his PhD during 2005 and examined biological trends in two endemic species, Cherax cainii and Cherax quinquecarinatus, and one introduced, Cherax destructor. As a result of this biological study of two marron populations, the Department of Fisheries have increased the legal size of marron in the Hutt River and Waroona Dam. Stephen also examined disease risk and trophic interactions between the introduced yabbie and the endemic marron. Stephen is also coinvestigator on an FRDC project determining the causes of decline of the recreational marron fishery. This work, in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, examined environmental variables and found that rainfall was the key variable influencing the recreational marron catch. The project is currently determining relative sources of mortality and the degree of biological plasticity in river and reservoir populations. This research will have considerable implications for the regulation and recovery of the recreational marron fishery. The spread of yabbies throughout Western Australia continues, with Stephen Beatty and David Morgan discovering new populations in 2005, including within the Blackwood River catchment and Wilyabrup Brook near Cape Naturaliste. During 2005, a paper was published that documented the biology and spread of the species in Western Australia. Genetics, stock structures and systematics Ertug Sezmis was awarded a PhD in 2005 for his thesis, which used microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA data to explore stock structure and evolutionary history of the Blue-swimmer Crab Portunus pelagicus in Australian waters. Manuscripts associated with the data from this thesis are currently in preparation. In July 2005, Nicole Philips commenced her Honours research under the supervision of Jennie Chaplin and Howard Gill. Nicole s research is developing genetic and morphological methods for the study of sawfish populations via the analysis of old rostra. This research is significant because it will produce methods that can be used to generate fundamental information about sawfish populations without the need, and associated complexities, of obtaining fresh samples from these endangered populations. Jennie Chaplin, Ian Potter and Howard Gill have been developing their genetic studies on selected fish taxa in the estuaries of south-western Australia with a view to increasing our knowledge of the ways in which coastal and estuarine species have evolved. We look forward to Glenn Moore enrolling for his PhD in this area. Lampreys Ian Potter has continued to work with Associate Professor Shaun Collin (UQld) and his colleagues continued his work on various aspects of the eyes of lampreys. Their studies have a number of aims, including investigating ways in which visual systems have evolved in vertebrates. The implications of the very different characteristics of the eyes of the two southern hemisphere genera Geotria and Mordacia continue to prove particularly useful. Ian also undertook his annual visit to the University of Munich to continue his work with Professor Bartels. They spent their time progressing a paper which provides strong circumstantial evidence that ion uptake in the gills of lampreys is facilitated through the use of the intercalated mitochondria-rich cell and not through the ammocoete mitochondria-rich cell and pavement cell as had been proposed by some workers. 17

23 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Phylogeny The entire mitochondrial sequence for Geotria australis has now been determined and this demonstrates that this species has a similar gene order to two northern hemisphere species and is the sister group to the northern hemisphere species of lamprey. Sequence data have also been generated for Mordacia mordax and we are currently attempting to sequence the remaining 7,000 base pairs in the mitochondrial genome of this species. Ecology Biological Oceanography In 2005, work in the Strategic Research Fund for the Marine Environment (SRFME) biophysical oceanography program was devoted to analysing the vast amount of samples and data collected during the fieldwork program. Barbara Muhling continued with her PhD on the larval fish assemblages occurring in shelf and Leeuwin Current waters. Results presented at the 7 th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference in Taiwan indicate the presence of distinct inshore, shelf and oceanic assemblages, characterised by different fish families, as well as some interesting dispersal phenomena associated with oceanographic events. She has commenced writing up her thesis. Chris Jones has commenced a Masters project examining the growth rate of Sardinops sagax larvae collected on the SRFME transect. Identification of oceanic fish larvae from the ichthyoplankton samples obtained using both bongo nets and the EZ net during the RV Southern Surveyor Leeuwin Current eddies cruise in 2003 was greatly assisted by a three-week visit by Dr Pilar Olivar from the Institute for Marine Science in Barcelona. Subsequently, a manuscript on the ichthyoplankton assemblages of two contrasting Leeuwin Current eddies has been submitted for publication, as has a co-authored manuscript on food webs in the two eddies based on isotopic composition of the biota. In May 2006, there will be a further research cruise aboard the RV Southern Surveyor (National Research Facility) by a consortium from UWA, CSIRO and Murdoch University to study eddies during their formation on the shelf edge. A pilot study on the marine larval phase of the red land crabs in the coastal waters around Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean commenced in late Monthly plankton sampling will be undertaken by Parks Australia at three sites at the island throughout Community Ecology The fish and freshwater crayfish populations of a number of rivers were monitored during These included a baseline survey of fish within the Blackwood River receiving discharge from the Yarragadee Aquifer and this has led to ongoing assessment of species migrations in the Blackwood River, funded by the Department of Environment and South-west Catchment Council. The spawning periods and importance of the tributaries of the lower Blackwood River are being assessed. Specifics, such as faunal associations, impact of river regulation and allocation of environmental flows, were examined on a number of systems. Fiona McAleer, supervised by David Morgan and Howard Gill, was awarded Class I Honours for her study on the larval development, diet and morphology of the feeding apparatus on one of Western Australia s most restricted fishes, the trout minnow and compared them to congeners. The larval development conformed to other galaxiids in general, but the highly specialised teeth and tongue teeth in the trout minnow account for why this species feeds almost exclusively on terrestrial insects. 18

24 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Faunal/habitat relationships During 2004 and 2005, David Morgan received funding from Land and Water Australia to examine the fish fauna of the King Edward/Carson River system in the remote Kimberley region. The study revealed the King Edward River and Carson River to contain more freshwater fish species than has previously been reported for any river system in Western Australia. A number of range extensions were documented as was an account of the Aboriginal language names of the river s fishes (see Appendix 1). Language names have been recorded in Ngarinyin and Belaa (Kwini). Field work aimed at elucidating anthropogenic factors that have apparently resulted in a reduction in both the relative abundance and sites at which larval lampreys are found in south-western Australia continues. Marine protected areas Matt Harvey commenced a PhD on application of remotely sensed hyperspectral data to marine planning with a case study in the Rottnest Island Reserve. This project includes building a spectral library for substrates and species found in the shallow waters around the island using an underwater spectrometer and matching the remotely sensed data for Rottnest Island to this library. This project has important management implications for marine habitat mapping in the shallow oligotrophic waters of Western Australia. Nicola Fox continued with her PhD examining marine protected area planning in data-poor environments using the Kimberley region of Western Australia as a case study. This project entails the use of remotely sensed data, Marxan reserve selection software and ecological modelling. David Fairclough, PhD candidate Elaine Lek and Ian Potter, in collaboration with Dr Russ Babcock of CSIRO, have completed the first year of their study of the fish communities of the Jurien Bay Marine Park. Seasonal sampling has been conducted in three major types of habitat, with the aim of elucidating how the various fish species are distributed over reefs and unvegetated substrates and in seagrass in areas located in different management zones of the marine park. These zones are general use zones (open to fishing), scientific reference zones (open only to commercial rock lobster fishing) and sanctuary zones (closed to all types of fishing). The data on the abundances of the various fish species are being obtained using a combination of nondestructive methods, namely underwater visual census and videos of baited containers, and traditional seine netting and otter trawling. Preliminary multivariate analyses demonstrate that the species compositions of the fish faunas of reefs in the Jurien Bay Marine Park are strongly influenced by their distance from shore and degree of exposure to wave action. Seine netting is yielding information on the fish faunas of nearshore waters, while otter trawling is enabling the ichthyofaunas over seagrass and adjacent bare sand to be compared. During the studies of the fish communities in different habitat types, samples were collected of the three abundant labrid species in the marine park. These species are the Western King Wrasse Coris auricularis, the Brown-spotted Wrasse Notolabrus parilus and the Maori Wrasse Ophthalmolepis lineolatus. Preliminary macroscopic and microscopic examination of their gonads provide very strong indications that each of these species is a protogynous hermaphrodite, i.e. change from female to male at some stage in life. In the future, studies will be directed at determining how spatial and food resources are partitioned among the three species of labrid. 19

25 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES The regimes for sampling the fish communities and the three wrasse species were designed to provide managers with the data for assessing the effectiveness of marine protected areas as a fisheries management measure and for managing the stocks of the three labrid species. Trophic interactions Stephen Beatty, David Morgan and Howard Gill have recently completed a study on the trophic interactions between the introduced Yabbie (Cherax destructor) and the native marron (Cherax cainii). A multiple stable isotope analysis study was conducted in the Hutt River with samples of C. cainii, C. destructor and a wide variety of their potential food sources analysed in summer and winter. Dean Thorburn is working on trophic relationships of fishes in the Fitzroy River. This research will form two chapters in his PhD thesis on freshwater elasmobranchs that will be submitted during Environmental rehabilitation Assessment of fauna in dams and reservoirs David Morgan, Stephen Beatty and Howard Gill have been involved in the assessment of the aquatic fauna of water storage facilities that were due to be drained for remedial works. The dams included Phillips Creek Reservoir, Churchman Brook Dam and Waroona Dam (Lake Navarino). Part of this work led to many of these dams being destocked of native fish and freshwater crayfish prior to draining. The eradication of non-native species also occurred in the Vasse River where a feral goldfish (Carassius auratus) population had become established. Growth rates of goldfish in the Vasse River far exceed those reported elsewhere with individuals attaining lengths of over 180 mm TL at the end of their first year of life, the age at which they also mature. Recent studies have demonstrated that significant growth of cyanobacteria is stimulated by the passage through goldfish intestines. Goldfish, which attained lengths of over 40 cm in the Vasse River, therefore have the potential to contribute to algal blooms. Barriers to migration A collaborative study with the Kimberley Land Council, Yiriman Project and Department of Environment, which was funded by Land and Water Australia, examined the impact of the Camballin Barrage to fish communities in the Fitzroy River. The barrage on the Fitzroy River presents a considerable barrier to fish migrations in an ecologically, culturally and socially important system. In most years since 1987 the barrage was only negotiable by fishes for up to three months/year, even though flows may continue for much of the year. This barrier leads to a bottleneck of predatory species that in turn affects the prevailing fauna and disrupts important ecological aspects of the system. There are substantial differences in the fish fauna immediately below and above the barrage. This is highlighted by both a significant difference in the captures of fish in seine nets above and below and in the capture of a number of migratory species of marine origin that congregated below the barrage, including the Bull Shark, Freshwater Sawfish, Oxeye Herring and Diamond Mullet. It is also very likely that juvenile Barramundi, which migrate in the late wet would also become trapped below the Barrage in years when water levels are insufficient to provide fish passage and become preyed on by larger predators. While the diet of Bull sharks, a species that has been implicated with fatal attacks on humans both in Australia and overseas, was shown to contain mainly teleost fishes, the stomach of one individual was observed to contain the remains of a small freshwater sawfish. Predatory pressure on freshwater sawfish is likely to increase as the dry season persists, and the abundance of small prey species decline. The presence of large predators trapped below the barrage would also affect upstream migrations of important food species for Indigenous people such as barramundi but also fodder and 20

26 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES bait species such as mullet. The tagging of Freshwater Sawfish demonstrated that they are regularly recaptured below the barrage with one caught four times over the duration of this study. To restore fish passage in the river a fishway should be constructed at the barrage. Estuaries Fish fauna of south coast estuaries Steeg Hoeksema, Ben Chuwen and Ian Potter have completed the sampling component of their three year FRDC study on the fish faunas of three normally-closed estuaries on the south coast of Western Australia, i.e. the Stokes, Culham and Hamersley inlets. They are in the final stages of analysing their data, which are crucial for understanding the deleterious impacts of the highly elevated salinities to which this type of estuary is now becoming increasingly exposed. These unusually high salinities have been caused by a combination of increased salt runoff from surrounding land as a result of land clearing, unusually dry winters and high evaporation rates during summer. The extent to which the lower reaches of the tributaries and basins of the above three estuaries became hypersaline varied markedly during the course of the study. Thus, while the mean seasonal salinities in parts per thousand in all three estuaries were less than 50 at the beginning of the study, those in Stokes Inlet never rose above 65, whereas those in the Hamersley and Culham inlets increased to 143 and 293, respectively. The number of species, abundance and species composition of fishes underwent relatively minor changes in Stokes Inlet, reflecting the modest increases that occurred in salinity in this estuary. In contrast, the number of species and abundance declined markedly in Hamersley and Culham inlets as salinities rose markedly and, by the end of the study, all but one small species of atherinid in the main body of Hamersley Inlet and of all fish in the corresponding region of Culham Inlet had died. Tracking the changes in the fish fauna in the Hamersley and Culham inlets during the study provided overwhelming evidence that the species found in south coast estuaries vary markedly in their ability to tolerate salinity increases. Thus, the Hardyhead Leptatherina wallacei and the Goby Pseudogobius olorum were the first to die, followed by the Black Bream, Acanthopagrus butcheri, which could not apparently tolerate salinities greater than 65-85, and finally another Hardyhead Atherinosoma elongata, which, unlike other fish species, could tolerate salinities at least as high as 150, survived the longest. Massive mortalities of Black Bream, estimated in one case to exceed one million, occurred as a result of the development of very high salinities in the Culham and Hamersley inlets. These were disastrous events in view of the great importance of Black Bream as a recreational and commercial fish species. There is thus clearly an urgent need for the suite of appropriate managers to develop integrated policies that will ameliorate the extreme environmental changes that are currently occurring in certain south coast estuaries such as Culham and Hamersley inlets. The study of the biology of Black Bream in Stokes, Culham and Hamersley inlets was undertaken by Ben Chuwen, who was awarded Class I Honours for his thesis, while the work on the fish faunas of these three estuaries will comprise a major component of Steeg Hoeksema s PhD thesis which is due to be submitted in

27 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Upper Swan River Estuary Previous studies of the fish fauna of the Swan River Estuary have been undertaken in the entrance channel, basins and lower reaches of the tributary rivers. For this reason, Steeg Hoeksema, as part of his PhD, sampled the upper estuary, with a view to exploring, in detail, how the characteristics of the ichthyofauna of the nearshore, shallow waters of the uppermost part of this important estuary are influenced by the very pronounced changes that occur in the salinity of this region throughout the year. The fish fauna of the uppermost part of the estuary was dominated to such a remarkable extent by the hardyhead Leptatherina wallacei and the gobies Pseudogobius olorum and Afurcagobius suppositus, that they collectively contributed over 90% to the total number of fish caught in this region. These species are found in estuaries and freshwater environments. The number of species and densities of fish in nearshore, shallow waters were greater at night than during the day, due largely to the nocturnal movement inshore by those abundant species. The composition of the fish fauna underwent cyclical annual changes in each region of the upper Swan River Estuary during both the day and night, due to differences in the times when the various species reached peak densities. Relationships between faunal assemblages and habitat type The FRDC is supporting Fiona Valesini and Ian Potter for a four year study aimed at developing a quantitative approach to classifying habitat types in south-western Australian estuaries and to determining the extent to which the compositions of the fish and invertebrate faunas are related to those habitat types. This study builds on a very successful project that was conducted in nearshore marine waters along the lower west coast of Australia between 2000 and 2004, and which led to the identification of six main habitat types and their fish and invertebrate fauna. During 2005, a diverse range of nearshore sites throughout the permanently-open Swan River and Peel-Harvey estuaries on the lower west coast of Australia were each allocated to one of a number of habitat types on the basis of a suite of enduring environmental criteria. These criteria fall under the following three broad headings. (i) Location of each site with respect to its vicinity to marine and freshwater sources, (ii) exposure to wave activity and (iii) composition of the substrate and area occupied by any submerged vegetation. More than 100 sites in each system were assigned to their respective habitat types by subjecting data for their environmental characteristics to a range of routines in the recently-released PRIMER v6 multivariate statistics package and, in some cases, also employed novel applications of those routines. This was done in collaboration with Dr Bob Clarke from the Plymouth Marine Laboratories. Fish and invertebrates were sampled seasonally at two nearshore sites representing the various habitat types in both the Swan River and Peel-Harvey estuaries. The components of the invertebrate fauna being sampled are benthic macroinvertebrates, epibenthic invertebrates and meiofauna. These invertebrate studies are being undertaken by three PhD students, Michelle Wildsmith, Natasha Coen and Mathew Hourston, who all undertook their Honours studies working on the same faunas in local nearshore waters. A range of in-situ water quality and sediment parameters have also been recorded at each site on each sampling occasion. Comparable sampling of the fish and invertebrate fauna of the seasonally-open Wilson Inlet and normally-closed Wellstead Estuary on the south coast will commence during The usefulness of the type of approach that we are developing for classifying habitat types and relating the species composition of fish and invertebrates to that habitat type has been recognised by environmental consultants, who are using the product of our nearshore marine research to predict the impact that various local constructions are likely to have on the nearshore fish assemblages at those 22

28 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES locations. The relationships that will be established between the composition of the fish faunas and habitat types in south-western Australian estuaries will be of great value to fisheries and environmental managers. Modelling and Resource Use Ecosystem modelling Until relatively recently, fisheries agencies throughout Australia have collected the types of fisheries and research data that were traditionally used to monitor the state of individual fish stocks targeted by fishers. With growing recognition that the effects of fishing on the ecosystem need to be managed, the various agencies have begun to collect the wider range of data that are now required for an assessment of ecosystem status. However, many of the time series of fisheries catch and effort data are restricted to the species that were the subject of earlier assessments. Because of the growing need for methods that could allow such data to be used in assessing the state of these fisheries within an ecosystem context, a model designed to use such data was developed by Norm Hall for FRDC project 2000/311. Previous work had demonstrated that this ecosystem model could be fitted to such data, however there remained the need to validate the model. Accordingly, synthetic data were generated for an ecosystem using EcoPath/EcoSim. After introducing errors designed to mimic the observation errors likely to be present in the data collected from a fishery, a subset of these data were then used as input to the new model. The results demonstrated that the new model accurately captured the trends in biomass of the different stocks and produced relatively accurate predictions of the data likely to eventuate over the next one to two years. Thus, it was concluded that the new model could be used as a valuable tool to supplement other assessment techniques. Marine resource usage In 2005, Class I Honours was awarded to Sheryn Prior for her project on recreational boating and fishing in the Blackwood River estuary. This study incorporated four seasonal sampling trips and detailed interviews with recreational anglers to ascertain demographics, socio-economics and attitudes pertaining to conservation and fisheries management. Spatial distribution of recreational boating and fishing were mapped using GIS. Funding for a 12 month creel survey in the Blackwood estuary was successfully obtained through the South West Catchment Council and intensive sampling commenced in September Coastal management Raquel Carter completed a Masters project on environmental factors affecting the nesting of green turtles in the Ningaloo Marine Park near North West Cape using data collected by the community monitoring program run by the Department of Conservation and Land Management, World Wildlife Fund and Murdoch University. In collaboration with Halina Kobryn, work continued on habitat mapping in the Abrolhos Islands using satellite imagery. The report on beach usage in the Perth metropolitan region, completed for the WA Department for Planning and Infrastructure, was used to support decision making in the development of the Perth Coastal Strategy and Lynnath Beckley presented a summary of this document to a stakeholder workshop. Several papers were presented at the 3 rd WA State Coastal Conference. 23

29 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Fish Health and Aquaculture The strategic research focus of the Fish Health Unit, led by Alan Lymbery and Rob Doupé, is the health of cultured and wild aquatic species and the environment in which they are found. Most of their research is currently on freshwater ecosystems throughout Western Australia. The conceptual basis of this research lies in understanding the link between environmental stressors (particularly those of human origin), ecosystem structure (biotic diversity and composition) and ecosystem function (stocks, fluxes and stability of energy and materials). The principal anthropogenic stressors for freshwater ecosystems in Australia are salinity, nutrient inflow and invasive species, and we currently have research projects addressing the causes and consequences of all of these: the salinisation of south-west rivers, principally the Blackwood and Collie River systems; the control of nutrient-enriched effluent from inland saline aquaculture in the wheatbelt; and the role of invasive species of fish and crustaceans in disrupting food webs and transmitting diseases in the south-west and Kimberley regions. We are examining the effects of these stressors in both natural ecosystems (streams and riparian zones in the south-west) and managed ecosystems (inland saline aquaculture ponds in the wheatbelt and Lake Kununurra in the Kimberley). In natural ecosystems, the focus is on measuring the stability of diverse ecosystem functions in response to stressors, while in managed ecosystems we are primarily concerned with the measurement of ecosystem productivity. Michelle Tay, supervised by Alan Lymbery and David Morgan, was awarded Class I Honours for her study of the diets of both wild rainbow trout (Churchman Brook Reservoir) and cultured rainbow trout (in a farm dam at Mount Barker). Diets were determined via stomach content analyses from subsamples of rainbow trout. In Churchman Brook Reservoir, rainbow trout are preying heavily on marron. Additionally, naturally occurring invertebrate communities present within ponds are being examined and a comparison of the invertebrate composition in rainbow trout stomachs will be made to determine possible prey preferences. The results obtained will help gain a better knowledge of the diets of wild populations of rainbow trout at various stages of growth in comparison to diets of farmed rainbow trout in semi-intensive productions. In addition, a better understanding will be made of optimising primary productivity within ponds. The results of this project will help to decrease both production costs and adverse environmental impacts through reduced consumption of fishmeal-based trout pellets. 24

30 PUBLICATIONS 3. PUBLICATIONS BOOKS Branch, G.M., Griffiths, C.L., Branch, M.L. and Beckley, L.E Two Oceans A guide to the marine life of southern Africa. David Philip Publishers, Cape Town. 2 nd edition, 360pp. Mair, L. and Beckley, L.E Seychelles the Bradt Travel Guide. Bradt Travel Guides, UK. 2 nd edition, 230pp. BOOK CHAPTERS - in press Dichmont, C.J., Loneragan, N.R., Brewer, D.T. and Poiner, I.R Partnerships towards sustainable use of Australia's Northern Prawn Fishery. In: Successes in Marine Resource Management. McClanahan, T.R. and Castilla, J.C. (eds). Pew Foundation (in press) JOURNALS (refereed) Allen, M., Morgan, D.L. and Gill, H.S Distribution, zoogeography and biology of Craterocephalus cuneiceps Whitley, an atherinid endemic to the Indian Ocean (Pilbara) Drainage Division of Western Australia. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 14: Beatty, S.J., Morgan, D.L. and Gill, H.S. 2005a. Role of life history strategy in the colonisation of Western Australian aquatic systems by the introduced crayfish Cherax destructor Clark, Hydrobiologia 549: Beatty, S.J., Morgan, D.L. and Gill, H.S. 2005b. Life history and reproductive biology of the gilgie Cherax quinquecarinatus, a freshwater crayfish endemic to south-western Australia. Journal of Crustacean Biology 25: Beatty, S.J., Morgan, D.L. and Gill, H.S. 2005c. Biology of a translocated population of the large freshwater crayfish, Cherax cainii (Austin and Ryan, 2002) in a Western Australian river. Crustaceana 77: Bell, J.D., Rothlisberg, P.C., Munro, J.L., Loneragan, N.R., Nash, W.J., Ward, R.D. and Andrew, N.L Restocking and stock enhancement of marine invertebrate fisheries. Advances in Marine Biology 49: Chai, J.-Y., Murrell, D. and Lymbery, A.J Fishborne parasitic zoonoses: status and issues. International Journal for Parasitology 35: Coulson, P., Hesp, S.A., Potter, I.C. and Hall, N.G Comparisons between the biology of two co-occurring species of whiting (Sillaginidae) in a large marine embayment. Environmental Biology of Fishes 73: Doupé, R.G. and Lymbery, A.J Additive genetic and other sources of variation in growth traits of juvenile black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri. Aquaculture Research 36: Doupé, R.G. and Lymbery, A.J Genetic covariation in production traits of sub-adult black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri after growout. Aquaculture Research 36: Doupé, R.G. and Lymbery, A.J Environmental risks associated with beneficial end uses of mine lakes in southwestern Australia. Mine Water and the Environment 24: Doupé, R.G., Morgan, D.L. and Gill, H.S Prospects for restorative fishery enhancement of Lake Kununurra: a high-level tropical impoundment on the Ord River, Western Australia. Pacific Conservation Biology 11: Doupé, R.G., Sarre, G.A., Partridge, G.J., Lymbery, A.J. and Jenkins, G.I What are the prospects for black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri (Munro) aquaculture in salt-affected inland Australia? Aquaculture Research 36: Drumm, D.J. and Loneragan, N.R Reproductive biology of Holothuria leucospilota in the Cook Islands and the implications of traditional fishing of gonads on the population biology. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Science 39: Dunlop, J.N The demography of a new Common Noddy (Anous stolidus) colony during the establishment period. Emu 105: Fox, N.J. and Beckley, L.E Priority areas for conservation of Western Australian coastal fishes: a comparison of hotspot, biogeographical and complementarity approaches. Biological Conservation 125:

31 PUBLICATIONS Gill, H.S., Morgan, D.L., Doupé, R.G. and Rowland, A.J The fishes of Lake Kununurra, a highly regulated section of the Ord River in northern Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 23: 1-6. Hourston, M., Warwick, R.M., Valesini, F.J. and Potter, I.C To what extent are the characteristics of nematode assemblages in nearshore sediments on the west Australian coast related to habitat type, season and zone? Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 64: Jones, A., White, W.T. and Potter, I.C A hermaphroditic Port Jackson shark, Heterodontus portusjacksoni, with complete and separate female and male reproductive tracts. Journal of the Marine Biological Association, U.K. 85: Kyne, P.M., Johnson, J.W., White, W.T. and Bennett, M.B First records of the false catshark, Pseudotriakis microdon Capello, 1868, from the waters of eastern Australia and Indonesia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 51(2): Loneragan, N.R., Ahmad Adnan, N., Connolly, R.C. and Manson, F.J Prawn landings and their relationship with the extent of mangroves and shallow waters in western peninsular Malaysia. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 63: Manson, F.J., Loneragan, N.R., Skilleter, G.A. and Phinn, S.R An evaluation of the evidence for linkages between mangroves and fisheries: A synthesis of the literature and identification of research directions. Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Reviews 43: Manson, F.J., Loneragan, N.R., Harch, B.D., Skilleter, G.A. and Williams, L A broadscale analysis of links between coastal fisheries production and mangrove extent: A case-study for northeastern Australia. Fisheries Research 74: Meager, J.J., Williamson, I., Loneragan, N.R. and Vance, D.J Habitat selection of juvenile banana prawns, Penaeus merguiensis de Man: testing the roles of habitat structure, predators, light phase and prawn size. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 324: Morgan, D.L., Chapman, A., Beatty, S.J. and Gill, H.S Distribution of the spotted minnow (Galaxias maculatus (Jenyns, 1842)) (Teleostei: Galaxiidae) in Western Australia including range extensions and sympatric species. Records of the Western Australian Museum 23: Motomura, H., Last, P.R. and White, W.T First records of a scorpionfish, Maxillocosta raoulensis (Scorpaeniformes, Neosebastidae), from the Tasman Sea, with fresh colour notes for the species. Biogeography 7: Skilleter, G.A., Olds, A., Loneragan, N.R. and Zharikov, Y The value of patches of intertidal seagrass to prawns depends on their proximity to mangroves. Marine Biology 147: Thorburn, D.C. and Morgan, D.L Threatened fishes of the world: Glyphis sp. C (Carcharhinidae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 73: 140. Thorburn, D.C. and Morgan, D.L Threatened fishes of the world: Pristis microdon (Pristidae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 72: Trivett, M.K., Potter, I.C., Power, G., Zhou, H., Macmillan, D.L., Martin, T.J. and Danks, J.A Parathyroid hormone-related protein production in the lamprey Geotria australis: developmental and evolutionary perspectives. Developmental Genes and Evolution 215: White, W.T. and Potter, I.C Reproductive biology, size and age compositions and growth of the batoid Urolophus paucimaculatus, including comparisons with other species of the Urolophidae. Marine and Freshwater Research 56: White, W.T., Last, P.R. and Compagno, L.J.V Description of a new species of weasel shark, Hemigaleus australiensis n. sp. (Carcharhiniformes: Hemigaleidae) from Australian waters. Zootaxa 1077: White, W.T., Last, P.R. and Dharmadi Description of a new species of catshark, Atelomycterus baliensis (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) from eastern Indonesia. Cybium 29:

32 PUBLICATIONS Wildsmith, M.D., Potter, I.C., Valesini, F.J. and Platell, M.E Do the assemblages of macroinvertebrates in nearshore waters of Western Australia vary among habitat types, zones and seasons? Journal of the Marine Biological Association, U.K. 85: Ye, Y., Loneragan, N.R., Die, D.J., Watson, R.A. and Harch, B Bioeconomic modelling and risk assessment of tiger prawn (Penaeus esculentus) stock enhancement in Exmouth Gulf, Australia. Fisheries Research 73: Zharikov, Y., Skilleter, G.A., Loneragan, N.R., Taranto, T. and Cameron, B.E Mapping and characterising subtropical estuarine landscapes using aerial photography and GIS for potential application in wildlife conservation and management. Biological Conservation 125: JOURNALS (refereed) and in press Bell, J.D., Bartley, D.M., Lorenzen, K. and Loneragan, N Restocking and Stock Enhancement of Coastal Fisheries: Potential, Problems and Progress. Fisheries Research Chapman, A,, Morgan, D.L., Beatty, S.J. and Gill, H.S Variation in life history of landlocked lacustrine and riverine populations of Galaxias maculatus (Jenyns, 1842) in Western Australia. Environmental Biology of Fishes Doupé, R.G., Lymbery, A.J. and Pettit, N.D Stream salinisation is associated with reduced taxonomic, but not functional diversity in a riparian plant community. Austral Ecology 32: Guest, M.A., Connolly, R.M., Lee, S.Y., Loneragan, N.R. and Breitfuss, M.J Mechanism for the small scale movement of carbon among estuarine habitats: organic matter transfer not crab movement. Oecologia Hall, N.G., Smith, K.D., de Lestang, S. and Potter, I.C Does the largest chela of the males of three crab species undergo an allometric change that can be used to determine morphometric maturity? ICES Journal of Marine Science 63: Hoeksema, S.D., Chuwen, B.M. and Potter, I.C Massive mortalities of black bream, Acanthopagrus butcheri (Sparidae), following very marked increases in salinity in two normally closed estuaries. Journal of the Marine Biological Association, U.K. Loneragan, N.R., Ye, Y., Kenyon, R.A. and Haywood, M.D.E New directions for research in prawn (=shrimp) enhancement and the use of models in providing directions for research. Fisheries Research Lymbery, A.J., Doupé, R.G., Bennett, T. and Starcevich, M. R Efficacy of a subsurface-flow wetland using the estuarine sedge Juncus kraussii to treat effluent from inland saline aquaculture. Aquacultural Engineering 34: 1-6. Mant, J.C., Moran, M.J., Newman, S.J., Hesp, A.S., Hall, N.G. and Potter, I.C Biology and mortality of Pentapodus vitta, an abundant bycatch species of prawn trawling and recreational fishing in a large subtropical embayment. Fisheries Bulletin Morgan, D.L. and Beatty, S.J Use of a vertical-slot fishway by galaxiids in Western Australia. Ecology of Freshwater Fish Morgan, D.L. and Gill, H.S Osteology of the first dorsal fin in two terapontids, Leiopotherapon unicolor (Günther, 1859) and Amniataba caudavittata (Richardson, 1845), from Western Australia: evidence for hybridisation? Records of the Western Australian Museum 23: Platell, M.E., Orr, P.A. and Potter, I.C Interand intraspecific partitioning of food resources by six large and abundant fish species in a seasonally-open estuary. Journal of Fish Biology 68: 1-20 Smallwood, C.B., Beckley, L.E. and Sumner, N.R Shore-based recreational angling in the Rottnest Island Reserve, Western Australia: Spatial and temperal distribution of catch and fishing effort. Pacific Conservation Biology Travers, M.J., Newman, S.J. and Potter, I.C. Influence of latitude, water depth, day vs night and wet vs dry periods on the species composition of reef fish communities in tropical Western Australia. Journal of Fish Biology 27

33 PUBLICATIONS Other publications in 2005 Beatty, S.J. and Morgan, D.L Monitoring the adequacy of Environmental Water Provisions for fish and crayfish communities of Samson Brook, Harvey River and Harris River. Report to the Water Corporation of Western Australia. Fox, N.J. and Beckley, L.E Kimberley marine biophysical resource assessment. Report for Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management. 16pp + Database CD. Molony, B., Beatty, S., Bird, C. and Nguyen, V Mitigation of the negative impacts on biodiversity and fisheries values of the refurbishment of Waroona Dam, south-western Australia. Report to the Water Corporation of Western Australia. Fisheries Research Contract Report No. 12. Morgan, D.L. and Beatty, S.J. 2005a. Baseline study on the fish and freshwater crayfish fauna in the Blackwood River and its tributaries receiving discharge from the Yarragadee Aquifer. Report to the Department of Environment, Government of Western Australia. Morgan, D. and Beatty, S. 2005b. The Goodga River Fishway two years of monitoring the Western Australian trout minnow (Galaxias truttaceus). Report to the Department of Fisheries Western Australia. Morgan, D. and Beatty, S. 2005c. Control of feral Goldfish (Carassius auratus) in the Vasse River. Report to the Vasse-Wonnerup LCDC. Morgan, D. and Beatty, S. 2005d. Fish and crayfish fauna of Ellen Brook, Cowaramup Brook and Gunyulgup Brook in the Cape to Cape Region of Western Australia. Report to Ribbons of Blue/Waterwatch WA. Morgan, D., Beatty, S. and McAleer, F. 2005a. The Lion s Weir Fishway Hotham River, Western Australia. Report to the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council. Morgan, D., Thorburn, D., Fenton, J., Wallacesmith, H. and Goodson, S Influence of the Camballin Barrage on fish communities in the Fitzroy River, Western Australia. Murdoch University/Kimberley Land Council/Department of Environment report to Land and Water Australia. Other publications in 2006 Farmer, B.M., French, D.J.W., Potter, I.C., Hesp, S.A. and Hall, N.G Determination of the biological parameters for managing the fisheries for Mulloway and Silver Trevally in Western Australia. Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Report. Project No. 2002/180. Pember, M.B., Newman, S.J., Hesp, S.A., Young, G.C., Skepper, C.L., Hall, N.G. and Potter, I.C Biological parameters for managing the fisheries for Blue and King Threadfin Salmons, Gold-spotted rockcod, Estuary Rockcod, Malabar Grouper and Mangrove Jack in northwestern Australia. Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Report. Project No. 2002/003. Newsletters Morgan, D. and Sefton, M Biodiversity and cultural significance of the fishes in the King Edward River, Kimberley. RIPRAP (River and Riparian Lands Management Newsletter) 28: Morgan, D., Thorburn, D., Fenton, J. and Bowyer, L Fish passage in the Fitzroy River in the Kimberley region of WA. RIPRAP (River and Riparian Lands Management Newsletter) 2 : Conference and workshop presentations Beckley, L.E Use of high resolution spatial data to assess recreational fishing effort displaced by marine park zoning. International Marine Protected Areas Congress, Geelong, Australia. Beckley, L.E. and Blackweir, D.G Aerial survey of beach usage along the Perth metropolitan coast. 3 rd WA State Coastal Conference, Busselton, Australia. Beckley, L.E. and Fox, N.J Diversity and conservation of Western Australian coastal fishes. 7 th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, Taipei, Taiwan. Beckley, L.E. and Smallwood, C.B Marine resource usage in the Rottnest Island Reserve, Western Australia and a comparison with recreational fishing in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. 12 th Southern African Marine Science Symposium, Durban, South Africa. 28

34 PUBLICATIONS Beckley, L.E., Fennessy, S.T. and Everett, B.I Harbours as recreational assets: A case study of shore-based angling in a major South African port. Indian Ocean Marine Environmental Conference: Linking science, engineering and management. Perth, Australia. Beckley, L.E., Muhling, B.A. and Waite, A.M Ichthyoplankton assemblages and primary production in meso-scale eddies associated with the Leeuwin Current, Eastern Indian Ocean. American Fisheries Society Larval Fish Symposium, Barcelona, Spain. Beckley, L.E., Muhling, B.A. and Waite, A.M Meso-scale eddies: death traps or life savers in an oligotrophic Indian Ocean? 12 th Southern African Marine Science Symposium, Durban, South Africa. Beckley, L.E., Muhling, B.A. and Waite, A.M Meso-scale Leeuwin Current eddies: oceanographic history and ichthyoplankton assemblages. 7 th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, Taipei, Taiwan. Carter, R Environmental factors influencing green turtle nesting activity at North West Cape, Western Australia. 3 rd WA State Coastal Conference, Busselton, Australia Fairclough, D.V. and Potter, I.C The reproductive biology of four tuskfish species (Choerodon: Labridae) in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Fairclough, D.V., Potter, I.C. and Lek, E Fish communities of the reefs of the Jurien Bay Marine Park. Strategic Research Fund for the Marine Environment Workshop on the Jurien Bay project and ecosystem models. CSIRO, June Fox, N.J. and Beckley, L.E Marine conservation in Western Australia: Efficiency, stakeholders and the problem of the remote north. International Marine Protected Areas Congress, Geelong, Australia. Harvey, M.J. and Beckley, L.E Effectiveness of regulations: A case study from the Western Australia recreational boat fishery. 3 rd WA State Coastal Conference, Busselton, Australia. Harvey, M.J., Kobryn, L.E. and Beckley, L.E Hyperspectral remote sensing: Applications for management of the Rottnest Island Reserve. 3 rd WA State Coastal Conference, Busselton, Australia. Kobryn, H.T., Beckley, L.E., Wise, P. and Dibden, C Comparison of aerial photography and Quickbird satellite imagery for marine habitat classification in the Abrolhos Island, Western Australia. 3 rd WA State Coastal Conference, Busselton, Australia. Kobryn, H.T., Wise, P., Beckley, L.E. and Dibden, C Marine habitat classification in the Abrolhos Islands: Integration of bathymetry and remotely sensed data. Indian Ocean Marine Environmental Conference: Linking science, engineering and management. Perth, Australia. Loneragan, N.R., Haywood, M.D., Kenyon, R.A., Ye, Y Future directions for prawn enhancement. Australian Society of Fish Biology Conference, Darwin July Maddern, M.G., Gill, H.S. and Morgan, D.L More invasive than Gambusia holbrooki? The biology and potential environmental impacts of the introduced freshwater fish Phalloceros caudimaculatus (Poeciliidae) in Western Australia. Australian Society for Fish Biology, Annual Meeting, Darwin, Australia. Morgan, D., Thorburn, D., Bedford, P., Sefton, M., Casson, S., Croft, I., Fenton, J., Wallace-Smith, H., Johnson, M., Vigilante, T. and Mardling, A Fish Projects in the West Kimberley - collaborative studies by Murdoch University s Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research, the Kimberley Land Council s Land + Sea Unit and the Kimberley Language Resource Centre. Kimberley Appropriate Economies Roundtable, October 2005, Fitzroy Crossing. Muhling, B., Beckley, L.E. and Waite, A Meso-scale Leeuwin Current eddies: Ichthyoplankton assemblages and primary production. Indian Ocean Marine Environmental Conference: Linking science, engineering and management. Perth, Australia. 29

35 PUBLICATIONS Muhling, B.A. and Beckley, L.E Finding Nemo and his friends: The influence of ocean currents on larval fishes off south-western Australia. 3 rd WA State Coastal Conference, Busselton, Australia. Muhling, B.A., Beckley, L.E. and Koslow, A.J Ichthyoplankton assemblages off southwestern Australia and the influence of regional and local oceanography. 7 th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, Taipei, Taiwan. Prior, S.P. and Beckley, L.E What do fishermen really think? A case study from the Blackwood Estuary. 3 rd WA State Coastal Conference, Busselton, Australia. Torre, A., Morgan, D.L. and Beatty, S.J Fish passage What s happening in Western Australia? 4th Australian Technical Workshop on Fishways Conference Proceedings, Kununurra, Western Australia, Tull, M Shark fishing in Indonesia: a brief historical overview, paper presented at the Oceans Past conference, Kolding, Denmark, October Tull, M. and Vieira, S Potential impacts of management measures on artisanal fishers in Indonesian shark and ray fisheries: a case study of Cilacap, Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University, Working Paper 127, December White, W.T., Last, P.R., Fahmi, Dharmadi and Stevens, J.D The elasmobranchs of eastern Indonesia: characterisation of the fauna based on surveys of fish landing sites. Oral Presentation at the 7 th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, Taiwan, May White, W.T., Cavanagh, R.D., Fahmi and Dharmadi Whale shark landings in Indonesian artisanal shark and ray fisheries. Poster presented at the International Whale Shark Conference, Perth, May

36 POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS 4. Postgraduate students and their research topics PhD students (Awarded) Dr Stephen Beatty Translocations of freshwater crayfish: contributions from life histories, trophic relations and diseases of three species in Western Australia Supervisors: David Morgan and Howard Gill Dr David Fairclough The biology of four tuskfish species (Choerodon: Labridae) in Western Australia Supervisor: Ian Potter Dr Christine Lamont Sex allocation and reproductive costs in a gull with a long breeding season Supervisors: Stuart Bradley and Ron Wooller Dr Carina Marshall Evolutionary genetics of barramundi (Lates calcarifer) in the Australian region Supervisors: Howard Gill and Alan Lymbery (DHS) Dr Kellie Pendoley Sea turtles and environmental management of industrial activities in north-western Australia Supervisor: Stuart Bradley Dr Chris Powell The breeding biology of the flesh-footed shearwater Puffinus carneipes Supervisors: Ron Wooller and Stuart Bradley Dr Ertug Sezmis The population genetic structure of Portunus pelagicus in Australian waters Supervisors: Jennie Chaplin and Ian Potter PhD students (examined/submitted in 2005) Indre K. Asmussen Nestling provisioning in little shearwater and wedge-tailed shearwaters on the Western Australian coast Supervisors: Ron Wooller and Stuart Bradley Kimberley Smith Distribution, abundance and reproductive biology of the deep sea crabs Hypothalassia acerba and Chaceon bicolor in south-western Australia Supervisors: Ian Potter and Norm Hall Brent Wise Age composition and growth rates of selected fish species in Western Australia Supervisors: Ian Potter and Norm Hall PhD students (enrolled in 2005) Doug Bearham Parasitic protozoa in the genus Haplosporidium occurring within the north west pearling industry Supervisors: Shane Raidal and Phil Nicholls (DHS) Farhan Bokhari The effect of stream salinisation on ecosystem functioning across trophic levels Supervisors: Alan Lymbery and Rob Doupé (DHS) Benjamin Chuwen Biology of the black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri in divergent estuaries on the south coast of Western Australia Supervisor: Ian Potter Natasha Coen The hyperbenthos of four morphologically divergent estuaries in south-western Australia Supervisors: Fiona Valesini and Ian Potter 31

37 POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS Peter Coulson Size and age compositions, growth and reproductive biology of the western blue groper, blue morwong and bar-tailed flathead on the south coast of Western Australia Supervisors: Ian Potter and Norm Hall Bryn Farmer Biology, stock structure and mortality of the mulloway Argyrosomus japonicus Supervisors: Norm Hall and Jennie Chaplin Nicola Fox Marine reserve planning in data poor environments: A case study from north west Australian waters adjacent to the Kimberley coast Supervisor: Lynnath Beckley Matthew Harvey Application of remotely sensed hyperspectral data to marine planning in Western Australia Supervisors: Lynnath Beckley and Halina Kobryn Marina Hassan Parasites of native and introduced freshwater fish in the south west of Western Australia Supervisors: Alan Lymbery, Rob Doupé (DHS) and David Morgan Steeg Hoeksema Studies of the fish communities in degraded temperate Western Australian estuaries Supervisor: Ian Potter Mathew Hourston Meiofauna of Western Australian estuaries Supervisors: Ian Potter and Fiona Valesini Michelle Ingram The effect of salinity on the resilience of riparian ecosystems Supervisors: Alan Lymbery and Rob Doupé (DHS) Gary Jackson Fisheries biology and management of pink snapper, Pagrus auratus, in the inner gulfs of Shark Bay, Western Australia Supervisors: Ian Potter, Norm Hall and Rod Lenanton (DoF) Ashlee Jones Biology of elasmobranchs on the lower west coast of Australia Supervisor: Ian Potter Elaine Lek Biology of three abundant labrids in the Jurien Bay Marine Park Supervisors: Ian Potter and David Fairclough Thea Linke The benthic macroinvertebrate fauna and food webs of two divergent estuaries on the south coast of Western Australia Supervisor: Ian Potter Karen Marshall Enzymatic mechanism(s) involved in the partitioning of fatty acids into either catabolic or anabolic processes Supervisors: Max Cake and Ian Potter Heather McLetchie Molecular diagnosis of crayfish plague (Aphanomyces astaci) Supervisors: Stan Fenwick and Phil Nicholls (DHS) Barbara Muhling Ichthyoplankton assemblage structure in coastal and shelf waters off Western Australia Supervisors: Lynnath Beckley and Tony Koslow (CSIRO) Gavin Partridge The effect of variable ionic compositions on the growth and health of marine fish cultured in saline groundwater Supervisors: Alan Lymbery and Shane Raidal (DHS) Matthew Pember Characterisation of fish communities in coastal waters of north-western Australia, including studies of the biology of the threadfin salmons Eleutheronema tetradactylum and Polydactylus macrochir Supervisor: Ian Potter 32

38 POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS Mahmoud Rashnavadi Parasites of freshwater fish as bioindicators of water quality in the south-west of Western Australia Supervisors: Alan Lymbery (DHS) and David Morgan Andrew Rowland The biology and ecology of samson fish (Seriola hippos), with emphasis on the sportfishery targeting deep water spawning aggregations west of Rottnest Island Supervisors: Howard Gill and Mike Mackie (DoF) Emilia Santos-Yap Genetic structure of natural and cultured populations of black bream, Acanthopagrus butcheri Supervisors: Jennie Chaplin and Ian Potter Zoe Spiers Ciliate protozoa in pearl oysters Supervisors: Shane Raidal and Mandy O Hara (DHS) Dean Thorburn (submitted in 2006) Freshwater elasmobranchs in northern Australia Supervisor: Howard Gill Michael Travers The ecology of fishes on reefs and soft substrates in coastal waters of northwestern Australia Supervisor: Ian Potter Corey Wakefield A biological assessment of snapper (Pagrus auratus, Sparidae) in the Perth region, including comparisons of northern and southern stocks in Western Australia Supervisors: Norm Hall, Ian Potter and Rod Lenanton (DoF) Michelle Wildsmith Benthic macroinvertebrates of Western Australian estuaries, with particular reference to the effects of eutrophication Supervisors: Fiona Valesini, Ian Potter and Russ Babcock (CSIRO) Andrew Winzer The biology and prevalence of sea lice (Isopoda : Cirolanidae) and their effect on the Western Rock Lobster fishery Supervisors: Howard Gill MVSc student (Enrolled in 2005) Neil Griffiths Characterisation of external structures found on the gills of Barramundi and Murray cod Supervisor: Shane Raidal (DHS) MSc student (Completed in 2005) Raquel Carter The influence of environmental variables on the nesting activity of green turtles at North West Cape, Western Australia Supervisors: Lynnath Beckley MSc student (Enrolled in 2005) Chris Jones Growth of sardine (Sardinops sagax) larvae in oligotrophic waters of Western Australia Supervisors: Lynnath Beckley and Alex Hesp Honours students (Completed in 2005) Tim Carter Biology of the sand trevally, Pseudocaranx wrighti. Class I Supervisors: Ian Potter and Alex Hesp Fiona McAleer Larval development and ontogenetic changes in the diet of the trout minnow (Galaxias truttaceus Valenciennes, 1846) in southwestern Western Australia. Class I Supervisors: David Morgan and Howard Gill Steven Moore Biology of the breaksea cod Epinephelides armatus. Class I Supervisors: Ian Potter and Alex Hesp 33

39 POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS Sheryn Prior Recreational fishing and boating in the Blackwood estuary, Western Australia. Class I Supervisor: Lynnath Beckley Michelle Tay The diet of wild and cultured rainbow trout, Onchorhynchus mykiss, in Western Australia. Class I Supervisors: Alan Lymbery (DHS) and David Morgan Honours students (Enrolled in 2005) Claire Bartron Age and growth of gummy sharks Supervisors: Ian Potter and William White Stephen Cossington The biology of the foxfish (Bodianus frenchii) in waters off south-western Australia Supervisors: Ian Potter and Alex Hesp Gavin Kay Constructed wetlands for the treatment of saline, nutrient-enriched aquaculture effluent Supervisors: Alan Lymbery and Rob Doupé (DHS) Nicole Phillips The development of genetic and morphological methods for the study of sawfish populations via the analysis of old rostra Supervisors: Jennie Chaplin and Howard Gill Chea Faang Yann Molecular taxonomy of anisakids in Western Australia Supervisors: Una Ryan and Alan Lymbery (DHS) 34

40 RESEARCH INCOME 5. Summary of research funding Table 1. List of projects and research income for 2005 Name Project Funding Body Duration 2005 prop n $ Total funding ($) Beckley, Lynnath Beckley, Lynnath Beckley, Lynnath and Barbara Muhling Beckley, Lynnath and Sheryn Prior Beckley, Lynnath and Barbara Muhling Beckley, Lynnath and Nicola Fox Zooplankton of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean Quantitative assessment of recreational angling in the Blackwood Estuary Ichthyoplankton assemblages in WA Fishing and boating survey of the Blackwood Estuary Visit by Dr P. Olivar (international larval fish expert) from Spain Kimberley biological resource assessment Parks Australia Oct Dec 2006 Natural Heritage Trust - NRM (SW Catchment Council) Strategic Research Fund for the Marine Environment WA Department of Conservation and Land Management Strategic Research Fund for the Marine Environment WA Department of Conservation and Management Sept Sept 2006 Jan Dec 2005 Jan-Nov ,000 4,000 43,900 87,800 15,950 47,850 2,000 2,000 Sept ,500 3,500 Jan-Mar ,840 2,840 Beckley, Lynnath and Matthew Harvey Development of a spectral library for metropolitan marine parks WA Department of Conservation and Management Oct Dec ,000 2,000 Buller, Nicky, Stan Fenwick and Phil Nicholls (DHS) New diagnostic tests for Aphanomyces astaci Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Jan Dec ,430 70,860 Chaplin, Jennie and Ian Potter Studies of the stock structure of mulloway Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Jul Jun ,000 15,000 de Graaf, Martin, Brett Maloney (DoF) and Steve Beatty Evaluating the recreational marron fishery against environmental change and human interactions. Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Jul 2003-Dec ,629 33,559 Doupé, Rob and Alan Lymbery (DHS) The biology and management of introduced redclaw in lake Kununurra WA Department of Fisheries July July ,000 21,000 35

41 RESEARCH INCOME Name Project Funding Body Duration 2005 prop n $ Total funding ($) Hall, Norm Development of research methodology and quantitative skills for integrated fisheries management in WA Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Jan Dec , ,814 Hall, Norm and Ian Potter Effect of environmental change on commercial fish species in south coast estuaries Western Australian Fishing Industry Council Jul Jun ,697 55,761 Hall, Norm Estimation of natural and fishing mortality using length composition data Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Jan Dec , ,425 Hall, Norm (in conjunction with DoF) Spatial scales of exploitation among populations of demersal scalefish: implications for wetline management Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Jun Jun ,000 30,000 Jenkins, Greg (Challenger TAFE) and Ian Potter Restocking of the Blackwood River Estuary with black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri) - extension and monitoring Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Jul Jun ,800 64,350 Lymbery, Alan (DHS) Identifying parasitic disease threats to native freshwater fish Fisheries Research and Development Corporation ,333 3,333 Lymbery, Alan (DHS) Lymbery, Alan (DHS) Lymbery, Alan (DHS), David Morgan and Rob Doupé (DHS) Environmental management system for mine lake aquaculture Identifying parasitic disease threats to native freshwater fish in southwestern Australia The importance of parasites in the conservation of native freshwater fish Centre for Sustainable Mine Lakes , ,600 Fishcare WA ,045 4,180 Australia and Pacific Science Foundation ,602 34,410 Morgan, David, and Stephen Beatty (DES) Baseline studies of fish and freshwater crayfish in the Yarragadee Aquifer discharge zone Department of Environment March-April ,953 14,953 Morgan, David, and Stephen Beatty (DES) Fish migrations in the Blackwood River South-west Catchment Council Sept Jun ,000 59,814 36

42 RESEARCH INCOME Name Project Funding Body Duration 2005 prop n $ Total funding ($) Morgan, David and the Kimberley Language Resource Centre Biodiversity and cultural significance of fishes in the King Edward River, Kimberley, Western Australia Land and Water Australia Aug Jul ,875 41,750 Morgan, David and Stephen Beatty Destocking of Churchman Brook Reservoir Water Corporation of Western Australia Nov Nov ,515 11,515 Morgan, David, Dean Thorburn and the Kimberley Land Council Fish passage on the Fitzroy River, Kimberley Land and Water Australia Aug Jul ,350 8,700 Morgan, David and Stephen Beatty Monitoring of Boddington Fishway Peel-Harvey Catchment Council Aug Mar ,518 7,556 Morgan, David and Stephen Beatty Goldfish control in the Vasse River Vasse-Wonnerup Land Conservation District Committee Mar May ,200 2,200 Partridge, Gavin (TAFE), Alan Lymbery, Rob Doupé (DHS) Gavin Sarre and Greg Jenkins (TAFE) New Technologies for sustainable commercial finfish culture Fisheries Research and Development Corporation ,500 Potter, Ian Benthic macroinvertebrates in the Swan River Estuary Marine Park Wetland Conservation ,000 15,000 Potter, Ian Determination of biological parameters for managing the fisheries for mulloway and silver trevally in Western Australia Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Jul Sep , ,217 Potter, Ian Impact of environmental changes on the biota of Western Australian southcoast estuaries Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Jul Sep , ,374 Potter, Ian Biological parameters required for managing western blue groper, blue morwong and bar-tailed flathead Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Jul Jun , ,684 37

43 RESEARCH INCOME Name Project Funding Body Duration 2005 prop n $ Total funding ($) Potter, Ian, Steve Newman (DoF) and Glen Young (completed) Biological parameters for managing the fisheries for blue and king threadfin salmons, gold-spotted rockcod, black-spotted rockcod and mangrove jack in north-western Australia Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Jul Jun , ,077 Potter, Ian and David Fairclough Ecological interactions in coastal marine ecosystems, Jurien Bay Marine Park Strategic Research Fund for the Marine Environment/CSIRO Feb Jan , ,051 Potter, Ian and Fiona Valesini Relationships between fish faunas and habitat type in south-western Australian estuaries Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Jul Jun , ,328 Potter, Ian and William White Phase II - Artisanal shark and ray fisheries in East Indonesia: their socioeconomic and fishery characteristics and relationship to Australian resources Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Jan Jun , ,368 Raidal, Shane (DHS) Description of a new intracellular ciliate parasite of pearl oysters Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Nov Nov , ,720 TOTAL PROJECTS: 38 GRAND TOTAL ($) 1,050,665 3,759,034 38

44 RESEARCH INCOME Table 2. Summary of research income from different funding sources in 2005 TOTAL ($) Australia and Pacific Science Foundation Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Centre for Sustainable Mine Lakes Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) Department of Environment Department of Fisheries Western Australia (DoF) Fishcare Western Australia Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) Land and Water Australia Parks Australia Natural Heritage Trust Peel-Harvey Catchment Council South-west Catchment Council Strategic Research Fund for the Marine Environment (SRFME) Vasse-Wonnerup Land Conservation District Committee Water Corporation of Western Australia Western Australian Fishing Industry Council (WAFIC) Wetland Conservation 8,602 96,398 39,650 5,840 14,953 7,000 5, ,377 25,225 2,000 43,900 2,518 20, ,800 2,200 11,515 9,697 15,000 39

45 RESEARCH INCOME Australia and Pacific Science Foundation Kimberley Language Centre for Sustainable Mine Lakes Vasse-Wonnerup Land Conservation District Committee Wetland Conservation 40

46 POSTERS Sign erected at strategic locations on the Fitzroy River (Geikie Gorge, Willare Bridge and Camballin Barrage) 41

47 POSTERS Appendix 1. King Edward River fish and Belaa language poster Maada-kudengei manya Wungkalbarr manya Lesser Salmon Catfish Maada-kudengei manya Western Rainbowfish Seven-spot Archerfish Bony Bream Kûkûridingei manya Silver Cobbler Dorungai ninya Slender Rainbowfish Slender Gudgeon Barred Grunter Hyrtl s tandan Prince R egent Empire Gudgeon Amalarr manya Black Bream (Jenk in s Amalarr manya Gru nter ) Dorungai ninya Black Catfish Dorungai ninya False-spined spined Catfish Dorungai ninya Rendahl s Catfish Yilarra manya Barramundi Mouth Almighty Kimberley Language Resource Centre MacCleay s Glassfish Glassfish Wuluwa ninya/jaburru manya Freshwater Longtom Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research Funded by: Kimberley Mogurnda Giant Gudgeon Wuma minya Flathead Goby Freshwater fishes of the King Edward and Carson Rivers (including the Belaa names) A recent survey of the King Edward and Carson Rivers revealed 26 species of freshwater fish (not including Barramundi). Many had not previously been recorded from the river and some represent considerable range extensions and potentially new species. Long-nose nose Sooty Jelenji manya Spangled Perch Amalarr manya Butler s Grunter Kungkumirri manya Long-nos nose e Grunter Poster by D. Morgan, M.Sefton, D. Cheinmora and A. Charles. Photographs: D. Morgan, S. Visser, M. Allen. 42