Professor Craig Johnson, Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute

It is the equivalent of taking a bulldozer to a rainforest and clearing everything to bare earth. An exotic and voracious sea predator, with the power to cause as much destruction to a marine reserve as a bulldozer to a rainforest, has arrived in Tasmania. The long-spined sea urchin, a marine herbivore, is spreading down Tasmania's east coast and creating a 'barrens' habitat by overgrazing seaweed and invertebrates that sustain the abalone and rock lobster fisheries.

Professor Craig Johnson, a marine ecology researcher in the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute (TAFI) based at UTAS, reports that their action is the equivalent of taking a bulldozer to a rainforest and clearing everything to bare earth. The reduction in biodiversity and productivity is potentially devastating to important commercial fisheries. If the Tasmanian abalone and rock lobster fisheries industries were cut by 15 per cent, this would see a $25 million drop in value, before processing.

Evidence suggests that this sea urchin species established in the Kent Group in Bass Strait in the 60s and then in the north east of Tasmania in the 70s, but its rapid spread is the direct result of changes to the east Australian current driven by climate change.

Professor Johnson said it was imperative to carefully evaluate the effectiveness of potential management strategies before introducing any methods to try and either minimise the risk of further barrens habitat, or to rehabilitate existing barrens.

Dr Jeremy Lyle, Research Group Leader Scale fish & Recreational Fisheries, Marine Research Laboratories

Recreational fishing is a very popular pastime in Australia, with over 3 million Australians fishing at least once a year. As an island state, the rate of fishing participation in Tasmania is higher than the national average.  Associated with recreational fishing are substantial social and economic benefits.
  
Many of the species taken by recreational fishers have importance to commercial fisheries.  While commercial fisheries are generally well understood in terms of the number of participants, their fishing activity and catch levels, this is not necessarily the case for recreational fishing.  Typically commercial fishers are required to provide mandatory catch and effort information that is used in resource assessment and management.  In order to provide comparable information for the recreational sector, recreational fishing surveys are required.  TAFI has been involved in recreational fishery research for over a decade, having conducted state-wide general fishing surveys along with more targeted surveys of specific fisheries, including recreational rock lobster, abalone and tuna fisheries.  We have developed cost effective and robust survey methods that have yielded important information required to underpin the sustainable management of our fisheries.

Dr Kerry Swadling, Research Fellow, Marine Research Laboratories

Zooplankton constitutes a fascinating, diverse and abundant group of animals living in the upper layers of the seas. They are the principal diet of most of the larger pelagic animals, including commercially important fish, so their study is essential in forming a more complete understanding of functioning marine ecosystems.

While there was a shift away from studying zooplankton in Australian waters in the last few decades, there has been a recent resurgence of interest in these groups. However, Australia is now under-resourced in identification materials for marine and estuarine zooplankton. We are developing a web-based key that will enable ready examination and identification of southeastern zooplankton, and will be informative for a range of stakeholders.

Dr Caleb Gardner, Research Group Leader Crustaceans, TAFI Marine Research Laboratories

Research Areas: Crustacean Fisheries- Giant Crab and Rock Lobster.  Read More.

Assoc Prof Stephen Battaglene and Dr Jennifer Cobcroft, TAFI Marine Research Laboratories

The production of quality juvenile fish from hatcheries is vital to the success of fish farming.  Jaw malformations are an international problem in the culture of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) in hatcheries.  This research involves examining the development of the jaw bones and cartilages in small fish, to determine the age of fish when malformations occur.  With this information and by implementing changes to the culture environment, improvements have been made in the quality of fish produced in Australian hatcheries. Read more.

Researchers in Tasmania have been investigating the potential to farm striped trumpeter (Latris lineata) for close to 20 years. Striped trumpeter is highly prized as one of the best eating fishes in Australia, and its firm white flesh is ideal for sashimi. Despite being docile and easy to maintain in captivity as adults, early attempts to culture the species proved difficult. Improvements to culture conditions in the hatchery have increased survival, growth and fish quality. The research program to commercialise the production of striped trumpeter is backed by industry and juveniles that were produced in the hatchery are now being grown in sea cages. Read more.

Dr Klaus Meiners, Project Leader, Antarctic Marine Ecosystems

The ACE CRC sea-ice biology team used an instrumented Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), developed collaboratively with the Australian Antarctic Division, to make optical measurements under the ice and to film the organisms that live just beneath of the ice and in the cracks between ice floes. The underside of Antarctic sea ice is an important environment for sea ice algae to grow and is also known to be a habitat for krill -- a key food source in the Southern Ocean for most animals higher up the food chain.

What’s happening to oceans with rising carbon dioxide levels?
Impacts on shell-forming sea life (that are fished)

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are higher now than ever before and are increasing. The ocean is a major sink for carbon dioxide, absorbing about half of the human-induced emissions. All this extra co2 has altered the chemistry of the ocean. We are seeing the first-ever field proof of this through microscopic critters, whose shell-making ability is changing. These critters are an important warning signal of massive climate change impacts on the ocean. ACE CRC found and was first to publish this evidence. Read the full report  (PDF 7.85MB).

Mr David Maynard and Dr Elkana Ngwenya
National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability (NCMCRS) , Australian Maritime College

Tropical shrimp fisheries are responsible for one quarter of the staggering 7.3 million tonnes of global bycatch (additional catch to what was targeted). Researchers have been successful in reducing the capture of large animals such as turtles, sharks and rays by selecting by size but the new focus of bycatch reduction is now on reducing the capture of small fish.

This research tested the impact of artificial lighting on fish behaviour during night trawling. When the area immediately foward of the moving trawl net is illuminated, 30% of fish swam away from the path of the trawl. Lights could be a cost effective method of reducing bycatch, as not only is the fish catch reduced by 30% but the target species (prawns) weight increased by 30%. Add to this the overall reduction in drag due to reduced fish volume, means that the use of lights in conjunction with existing devices becomes an attractive otpion for industry and resource managers.

National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability (NCMCRS) , Australian Maritime College

Project Participants
Mr Andrew Duke, Master by Research Candidate
Associate Professor Shekar Bose (Principal Supervisor)
Mr Nick Rawlinson (Co-supervisor)
Dr Howell Williams (External Supervisor, DPIW)

The aim of this research project is to assess the social-economic impacts of recreational fisheries in St Helens, Tasmania. In particular, to identify direct and indirect impacts, to measure them and to develop a general framework to assess those impacts.

Dr Chris Bolch
Senior Lecturer, Dept of Conservation & Ecology
National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability (NCMCRS)

The mosquito fish (gambusia hobrooki) has colonized many waterways in Tasmania.  The population genetics of this exotic fish is of major significance in our research to understand introduced species and their impact. The genetic composition of 9 Tasmanian and 3 mainland populations of gambusia have been compared using microsatellite DNA technology and the results were astounding
The Tasmanian populations could be differentiated but seemed to be the result of a single introduction
we can already identify populations that may be driving the spread within the Tamar estuary
some Tasmanian populations are highly interbred and they could be targeted for eradication
Tasmanian populations don’t match any of the mainland populations we screened – with better sampling we could probably identify the source of new pest introduction.

Dr Andrew Bridle, Professor Chris Carter, Professor of Aquaculture, and Dr Robin Katersky
National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability (NCMCRS)

Andrew is studying the measurement of components of protein synthesis and degradation in both Atlantic salmon and barramundi. In particular, he’s examining the development of both molecular and biochemical techniques to measure and understand the nutritional and environmental control of protein synthesis and degradation at a molecular level. Of special interest is how commercially popular fish such as barramundi adapt to elevated and depressed temperature.

Matt Kuipers
Supervisor Dr Natalie Moltschaniwskyj
National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability (NCMCRS)

Dumpling Squid – mother love
Matt Kuipers is looking at how the southern dumpling squid (euprymna tasmanica) provides for its offspring. This species lives for about four to five months. So the biological demands for each generation will differ. If the parents grew up in summer, their offspring will grow up in winter conditions, so the parents must somehow provide for their offspring who will be experiencing a totally different lifestyle to themselves. By holding these squid in controlled environments and tracking multiple generations through time, he will be able to see how different conditions affect a mothers reproductive output and the fitness of her offspring.

Dr Troy Gaston
National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability (NCMCRS)
Ecosystem recovery following introduced pest removal

Previous research has shown that the introduced pest rice grass, Spartina anglica, is a significant contributor of carbon for secondary production in estuarine systems of northern Tasmania. The Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water (DPIW) will be eradicating or removing rice grass from several estuarine systems in the summer of 2007/8. The aims of this research are to investigate the recovery of estuarine systems following the removal of an introduced pest. Oysters will be used as bio-indicators of available carbon for secondary production. This research has not been conducted elsewhere and represents a significant advance in our understanding of ecosystem functioning for northern Tasmanian estuarine systems.

Dr James Haddy
The Spawning Ecology of Black Bream in Tasmania

The research project has two main aims - to locate black bream eggs and larvae in two Tasmanian estuaries and correlate their presence with zooplankton and water quality;
and secondly to develop techniques for estimating black bream spawning in river estuaries utilising a daily egg production methodology.

Findings from the research show that bream form dense spawning aggregations in upeer river environments, and that an abundance of zooplankton might play an import visual cue for adult bream to start spawning. Our data also indicates that bream are a long and slow growing species.

Dr Marnie Campbell, Marine Biosecurity International Education

Some of the world’s most pristine marine environments and exotic locations are the focus of the work of the National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability (NCMCRS). Dr Marnie Campbell has been developing educational programs with a range of national authorities including the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) and Palau in the Pacific Ocean. These environments are increasingly attractive to eco-tourism vessels, which bring the issue of marine hitchhikers into very sharp focus for local fishing communities.

The Australian Maritime College (AMC) has developed courses applicable to various countries to assist in the fight against marine invaders.

Professor Chad Hewitt, Director, National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability (NCMCRS)

Marine biosecurity is a rapidly growing area. Education for the effective implementation of a comprehensive marine biosecurity policy, does not exist in Australia, nor throughout the world at present.

The Australian Maritime College (AMC) has developed courses applicable to various countries to assist in the fight against marine invaders.