REEF FISH BIODIVERSITY on KANGAROO ISLAND Oceans of Blue Coast, Estuarine and Marine Monitoring Program

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

REEF FISH BIODIVERSITY on KANGAROO ISLAND Oceans of Blue Coast, Estuarine and Marine Monitoring Program 2006-2007 Kangaroo Island Natural Resources ManagementDate2007 Board Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board REEF FISH BIODIVERSITYKangaroo Island Natural ON Resources KANGAROO Management ISLAND Board SEAGRASS FAUNAL BIODIVERSITYREPORT TITLE ON KI Reef Fish Biodiversity on Kangaroo Island 1 REEF FISH BIODIVERSITY ON KANGAROO ISLAND Oceans of Blue Coast, Estuarine and Marine Monitoring Program A report prepared for the Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board by Daniel Brock Martine Kinloch December 2007 Reef Fish Biodiversity on Kangaroo Island 2 Oceans of Blue The views expressed and the conclusions reached in this report are those of the author and not necessarily those of persons consulted. The Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board shall not be responsible in any way whatsoever to any person who relies in whole or in part on the contents of this report. Project Officer Contact Details Martine Kinloch Coast and Marine Program Manager Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board PO Box 665 Kingscote SA 5223 Phone: (08) 8553 4312 Fax: (08) 8553 4399 Email: [email protected] Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board Contact Details Jeanette Gellard General Manager PO Box 665 Kingscote SA 5223 Phone: (08) 8553 4340 Fax: (08) 8553 4399 Email: [email protected] © Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board This document may be reproduced in whole or part for the purpose of study or training, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgment of the source and to its not being used for commercial purposes or sale. Reproduction for purposes other than those given above requires the prior written permission of the Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board. For bibliographic purposes this paper should be cited as: Brock D. J. and Kinloch M. A. (2007). Reef Fish Biodiversity on Kangaroo Island. KI NRM Board Coast and Marine Program Report No. CMP07/006. Front cover images: Long Snouted Boarfish (Steve Leske) Western Blue Devil (Steve Leske) Reef Fish Biodiversity on Kangaroo Island 3 Foreword This project is a component of the Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board’s ‘Here to Stay’ Investment Strategy. The following Program Outcomes, Actions, Resource Condition Targets and Management Action Targets from the Strategy are relevant to the project. Program Oceans of Blue: Managing marine, coastal and estuarine biodiversity on Kangaroo Island Program outcome A scientifically rigorous and integrated system of measuring and reporting on the state of marine, coastal and estuarine environments of Kangaroo Island that relates trends in the condition of biodiversity assets to changes in human uses of land and seascapes, provides advice on targeting management action to mitigate anthropogenic impacts where required and empowers the public to respond to threats to natural resource condition and values. Relevant Resource Condition Targets 8.5.D An enhancement in the condition of natural biodiversity in marine, coastal and estuarine systems through protection and management of key biodiversity assets and areas. Relevant Management Action Targets 8.5.1 Establish benchmarks and monitoring program for marine and estuarine water quality, terrestrial and marine coastal biodiversity and condition of fisheries stocks. 8.5.2 Establish representative monitoring program for terrestrial and marine coastal biodiversity focusing on areas subject to water contamination and other threatening processes. Reef Fish Biodiversity on Kangaroo Island 4 Acknowledgements We would like to thank (as usual) Tony Geyer for all his help and his invaluable local boating experience. We would also like to thank Ben Florence who assisted with much of the winter diving undertaken during this study and Steve Leske for generously allowing us to use his wonderful photographs for the report. Once again thank you to our sponsors SA Water and to Scoresby Shepherd for reviewing this report. Reef Fish Biodiversity on Kangaroo Island 5 Contents Foreword........................................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgements........................................................................................................................... 5 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 8 Methods ............................................................................................................................................ 9 Survey Design ............................................................................................................................... 9 Field Sampling............................................................................................................................. 10 Data Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 13 Results ............................................................................................................................................ 14 Species Abundance and Diversity............................................................................................... 14 Community Composition ............................................................................................................. 20 Size Composition ........................................................................................................................ 23 Discussion....................................................................................................................................... 27 Conclusions .................................................................................................................................... 29 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 30 References...................................................................................................................................... 32 Appendices ..................................................................................................................................... 37 Reef Fish Biodiversity on Kangaroo Island 6 Tables and Figures Figure 1: Map of reef fish survey sites. ........................................................................................... 10 Table 1: Description of subtidal reef fish survey sites.................................................................... 12 Table 2: Inventory of fish species recorded in summer and winter at eight subtidal reefs on KI. .. 15 Table 3: ANOVA to test for differences in species diversity........................................................... 17 Figure 2: Seasonal patterns in species diversity............................................................................. 17 Table 4: ANOVA to test for differences in fish abundance............................................................. 18 Figure 3: Seasonal patterns in non-schooling fish abundance. ...................................................... 18 Figure 4: Total species richness per site. ....................................................................................... 19 Figure 5: Total species abundance per site. ................................................................................... 19 Figure 6: NMDS ordination of seasonal fish assemblages. ............................................................ 21 Figure 7: Relative densities of the 10 most abundant non-schooling fish species at eight reef sites on KI................................................................................................................................................ 22 Figure 8: Mean size of Blue-throated Wrasse and Sweep1 at each site. ........................................ 23 Figure 9: Size frequency distributions of Blue-throated Wrasse. .................................................... 24 Figure 10: Size frequency distributions of Sweep........................................................................... 25 Figure 11: Mean size of common non-schooling demersal fish at each site. ................................. 26 Table 5: Recommended indicator species for reef monitoring on KI. ............................................ 30 Plate 1: Examples of potential indicator reef fish species.............................................................. 35 Plate 2: Examples of cryptic (a and b), schooling (c and d) and less common (e and f) demersal reef fish species. ............................................................................................................................. 36 Appendix 1: Densities of reef fish recorded at eight sites on Kangaroo Island............................... 37 Reef Fish Biodiversity on Kangaroo Island 7 Introduction Limestone and granite rocky reefs form a significant portion of the inshore marine habitat of southern Australia. These subtidal reefs provide important ecosystem functions such as primary production, nutrient cycling and habitat for a diverse range of plants and animals, as well as economic and social benefits such as commercial fishing and recreational opportunities. In South Australia, low nutrient levels, the mixing of the Leeuwin and Flinders currents, and climatic factors associated with the longest southern facing coastline in the world, all combine
Recommended publications
  • Mechanisms of Ecosystem Stability for Kelp Beds in Urban Environments
    Mechanisms of ecosystem stability for kelp beds in urban environments By Simon E Reeves November 2017 Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies I DECLARATIONS This declaration certifies that: (i) This thesis contains no material that has been accepted for a degree or diploma by the University or any other institution. (ii) The work contained in this thesis, except where otherwise acknowledged, is the result of my own investigations. (iii) Due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other material used (iv) The thesis is less than 100,000 words in length, exclusive of tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices. Signed: (Simon Reeves) Date: 1/12/2017 Statement of authority of access This thesis may be available for loan and limited copying in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. Signed: (Simon Reeves) Date: 1/12/2017 II 20/7/18 ABSTRACT Ecologists have long been interested in determining the role biotic relationships play in natural systems. Even Darwin envisioned natural systems as "bound together by a web of complex relations”, noting how “complex and unexpected are the checks and relations between organic beings” (On the Origin of Species, 1859, pp 81-83). Any event or phenomenon that alters the implicit balance in the web of interactions, to any degree, can potentially facilitate a re-organisation in structure that can lead to a wholescale change to the stability of a natural system. As a result of the increasing diversity and intensity of anthropogenic stressors on ecosystems, previously well-understood biotic interactions and emergent ecological functions are being altered, requiring a reappraisal of their effects.
    [Show full text]
  • Relationships Between Faunal Assemblages and Habitat Types in Broke Inlet, Western Australia
    Relationships between faunal assemblages and habitat types in Broke Inlet, Western Australia Submitted by James Richard Tweedley This thesis is presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2010 B.Sc (Hons) University of Portsmouth (UK) MRes University of Plymouth (UK) Declaration I declare that the information contained in this thesis is the result of my own research unless otherwise cited, and has as its main content work which has not previously been submitted for a degree at any university. __________________________________________ James Richard Tweedley Shifting Sands: The sand bar at the mouth of Broke Inlet in (top) summer and (bottom) winter 2008. Bottom photo by Bryn Farmer. Abstract The work for this thesis was undertaken in Broke Inlet, a seasonally-open estuary on the south coast of Western Australia and the only estuary in that region which is regarded as “near-pristine” (Commonwealth of Australia, 2002). The only previous seasonal studies of the environmental and biotic characteristics of this estuary involved broad-based descriptions of the trends in salinity, temperature and ichthyofaunal characteristics at a limited number of sites. Furthermore, no attempt has been made to identify statistically the range of habitats present in the nearshore and offshore waters of this system, and the extents to which the characteristics of the fish and benthic invertebrate faunas are related to habitat type. These types of data provide not only reliable inventories of the habitat and faunal characteristics of Broke Inlet, but also a potential basis for predicting the likely impact of anthropogenic and climatic changes in Broke Inlet in the future.
    [Show full text]
  • Marine Biodiversity of the South East NRM Region
    Marine Environment and Ecology Benthic Ecology Subprogram Marine Biodiversity of the South East NRM Region SARDI Publication No. F2009/000681-1 SARDI Research Report series No. 416 Keith Rowling, Shirley Sorokin, Leonardo Mantilla and David Currie SARDI Aquatic Sciences PO BOX 120 Henley Beach SA 5022 December 2009 Prepared for the Department for Environment and Heritage 1 Information Systems and Database Support Program Marine Biodiversity of the South East NRM Region Keith Rowling, Shirley Sorokin, Leonardo Mantilla and David Currie December 2009 SARDI Publication No. F2009/000681-1 SARDI Research Report Series No. 416 Prepared for the Department for Environment and Heritage 2 This Publication may be cited as: Rowling, K.P., Sorokin, S.J., Mantilla, L. & Currie, D.R.. (2009) Marine Biodiversity of the South East NRM Region. South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide. SARDI Publication No. F2009/000681-1. South Australian Research and Development Institute SARDI Aquatic Sciences 2 Hamra Avenue West Beach SA 5024 Telephone: (08) 8207 5400 Facsimile: (08) 8207 5406 http://www.sardi.sa.gov.au DISCLAIMER The authors warrant that they have taken all reasonable care in producing this report. The report has been through the SARDI internal review process, and has been formally approved for release by the Chief of Division. Although all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure quality, SARDI does not warrant that the information in this report is free from errors or omissions. SARDI does not accept any liability for the contents of this report or for any consequences arising from its use or any reliance placed upon it.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Full Article 1.0MB .Pdf File
    Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria 57( I): 143-165 ( 1998) 1 May 1998 https://doi.org/10.24199/j.mmv.1998.57.08 FISHES OF WILSONS PROMONTORY AND CORNER INLET, VICTORIA: COMPOSITION AND BIOGEOGRAPHIC AFFINITIES M. L. TURNER' AND M. D. NORMAN2 'Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, PO Box 1379,Townsville, Qld 4810, Australia ([email protected]) 1Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3052, Australia (corresponding author: [email protected]) Abstract Turner, M.L. and Norman, M.D., 1998. Fishes of Wilsons Promontory and Comer Inlet. Victoria: composition and biogeographic affinities. Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria 57: 143-165. A diving survey of shallow-water marine fishes, primarily benthic reef fishes, was under­ taken around Wilsons Promontory and in Comer Inlet in 1987 and 1988. Shallow subtidal reefs in these regions are dominated by labrids, particularly Bluethroat Wrasse (Notolabrus tet­ ricus) and Saddled Wrasse (Notolabrus fucicola), the odacid Herring Cale (Odax cyanomelas), the serranid Barber Perch (Caesioperca rasor) and two scorpidid species, Sea Sweep (Scorpis aequipinnis) and Silver Sweep (Scorpis lineolata). Distributions and relative abundances (qualitative) are presented for 76 species at 26 sites in the region. The findings of this survey were supplemented with data from other surveys and sources to generate a checklist for fishes in the coastal waters of Wilsons Promontory and Comer Inlet. 23 I fishspecies of 92 families were identified to species level. An additional four species were only identified to higher taxonomic levels. These fishes were recorded from a range of habitat types, from freshwater streams to marine habitats (to 50 m deep).
    [Show full text]
  • The Mechanisms Leading to Ontogenetic Diet Shift in A
    Animal Cells and Systems Vol. 16, No. 4, August 2012, 343Á349 The mechanisms leading to ontogenetic diet shift in a microcanivore, Pterogobius elapoides (Gobiidae) Seung-Ho Choia and Ho Young Sukb* aDepartment of Animal Resources, National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon 404-708, Korea; bDepartment of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan Gyeongsangbuk-do 712-749, Korea (Received 4 December 2011; received in revised form 27 January 2012; accepted 13 February 2012) A variety of fish species undergo an ontogenetic change in prey selectivity, and several potentially interacting factors, including nutrient requirement, microhabitat change, and foraging ability, may account for the occurrence of the shift. Here we examine the foraging ecology and ontogenetic diet shift of a micro-carnivorous goby, Pterogobius elapoides (serpentine goby), dominant component of fish assemblage in shallow rocky areas off the coast in Korea and Japan. Although most other gobies are primarily benthic carnivores, P. elapoides is a semipelagic fish; however, little is known about how those species change their foraging tactics with growth. In our diet analyses, the most common diet was pelagic copepods and benthic amphipods, and diet shift was observed from pelagic to benthic with growth. The ontogenetic diet shift seems to be the result of the preference for energetically more profitable prey in larger-size classes as well as the results of different prey availability due to among-habitat variation in diet. However, differential food preference does not appear to affect individual scope for searching food. Several factors such as predation pressures and interspecific resource partitioning might contribute to the changes in diet observed among size classes, which were included in our ongoing tests.
    [Show full text]
  • (Family Scaridae) of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia with Description of a New Species
    AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS Choat, J. Howard, and J. E. Randall, 1986. A revision of the parrotfishes (family Scaridae) of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia with description of a new species. Records of the Australian Museum 38(4): 175–239, coloured plates 1–11. [Published 1 December 1986, cover marked 1 December 1985]. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.38.1986.181 ISSN 0067-1975 Published by the Australian Museum, Sydney naturenature cultureculture discover discover AustralianAustralian Museum Museum science science is is freely freely accessible accessible online online at at www.australianmuseum.net.au/publications/www.australianmuseum.net.au/publications/ 66 CollegeCollege Street,Street, SydneySydney NSWNSW 2010,2010, AustraliaAustralia Records of the Australian Museum (1986) Vo!. 38: 175-228 175 A Review of the Parrotfishes (Family Scaridae) of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia with Description of a New Species J. HOWARD CHOATa AND JOHN E. RANDALI} aDepartment of Zoology, University of Auckland, PB Auckland, New Zealand* bBishop Museum, Box 19000-A, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817, USA. ABSTRACT. The family Scaridae is represented on the tropical and subtropical coasts of eastern Australia by 25 previously described species. Three species belong in the subfamily Sparisomatinae: Leptosearus vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard); Calotomus earolinus (Valenciennes); Calotomus spinidens (Quoy & Gaimard). The remainder are included in the subfamily Scarinae: Bolbometopon murieatum (Valenciennes); Cetosearus bieolor (Ruppell); Hipposearus longieeps
    [Show full text]
  • New South Wales Records 2021 NSW State Spearfishing Records Flinders Reef S.E.Queensland
    New South Wales Records 2021 NSW State Spearfishing Records Flinders Reef S.E.Queensland ANGELFISH Common Name Scientific Name Division Weight Diver Club Date Location ANGELFISH Pomacanthus semicirculatus Junior Blue Ladies Open NSW 1.020 kg S. Isles BDSC 27/12/1970 Juan & Julia Rocks Australian 3.033 kg R. Jenkinson QLD 1/6/1969 Flinders Reef S.E.Queensland BARRACUDA & PIKE Common Name Scientific Name Division Weight Diver Club Date Location BARRACUDA Syphyraena qenie Junior Blackfin Ladies Open NSW 17.660 kg E. Leeson SSD 13/03/2015 South West Rocks Australian 29.200 kg T. Neilsen UAC 10/5/2006 Cape Moreton Common Name Scientific Name Division Weight Diver Club Date Location BARRACUDA Sphyraena barracuda Junior Giant Ladies 0.865 kg J. Budworth TGCF 4/2/2018 Tweed River Open NSW 21.500 kg E. Bova SSD 18/03/2007 Coffs Harbour Australian 28.850 kg B. Paxman WA 16/4/1993 Dorre Island WA Common Name Scientific Name Division Weight Diver Club Date Location BARRACUDA Sphyraena jello Junior 8.650 kg A. Puckeridge SSD 29/03/2014 North Solitary Island Pickhandle pike Ladies Open NSW 12.927 kg P. Iredale KSC 21/02/1971 Wreck Bay Australian 15.250 kg J. Croton Qld 12/6/2015 Cape Moreton Common Name Scientific Name Division Weight Diver Club Date Location BARRACUDA Sphyraena obtusata Junior 1.700 kg A.Puckeridge SSD 7/1/2013 Coffs Harbour Striped sea pike, Ladies Open NSW 1.700 kg A.Puckeridge SSD 7/1/2013 Nth Solitary Is Australian 1.191 kg K. Wardrop NSW 28/5/1967 Whale beach, NSW Common Name Scientific Name Division Weight Diver Club Date Location BARRACOUTA Thrysites atun Junior Snoek Ladies Open NSW 0.625 kg A.
    [Show full text]
  • Offshore Marine Habitat Mapping and Near-Shore Marine Biodiversity Within the Coorong Bioregion
    Offshore Marine Habitat Mapping and Near-shore Marine Biodiversity within the Coorong Bioregion A report for the SA Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resource Management Board by the Department for Environment and Heritage, 2006. Authors: Jodie Haig (University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA) Bayden Russell (University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA) Sue Murray-Jones (Coastal Protection Branch, Department for Environment and Heritage, SA) Acknowledgements Our thanks to all the following: Field Research Staff (in alphabetical order): Alison Bloomfield, Ben Brayford, James Brook, Alistair Hirst, Timothy Kildea, Hugh Kirkman, Sue Murray-Jones, Bayden Russell, David Wiltshire. Benthic Fauna Identification: SA Museum: Thierry Laperousaz, Shirley Sorokin, Greg Rouse & Karen Gowlett-Holmes Algae Identification: SA Herbarium: Professor Bryan Womersley and staff Texture mapping: Bob Lange (3D Marine Mapping) Seagrass Identification: Hugh Kirkman Echoview data analysis: Myounghee Kang (SonarData) GIS technical support: Alison Wright (Coast and Marine Conservation Branch, Department for Environment and Heritage) Funding: SA Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board This document may be cited as: Haig, J., Russell, B. and Murray-Jones, S. (2006) Offshore marine habitat mapping and near-shore marine biodiversity within the Coorong bioregion. A report for the SA Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resource Management Board. Department for Environment and Heritage, Adelaide. Pp 74. ISBN 1 921018 23 2. © COPYRIGHT: The concepts and information contained in this document are the property
    [Show full text]
  • Diet, Food Preference, and Algal Availability for Fishes and Crabs on Intertidal Reef Communities in Southern California
    Environmental Biology of Fishes 37: 75-95,1993. 0 1993 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. Diet, food preference, and algal availability for fishes and crabs on intertidal reef communities in southern California James P. Barry’ & Michael J. Ehret* A-001 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A. ‘Present address: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 160 Central Ave., Pacific Grove, CA 93950, U.S.A. 2 Present address: Biology Department, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23507, U.S. A. Received 18.9.1991 Accepted 3.9.1992 Key words: Herbivory, Kyphosidae, Girella, Hermosilla, Pachygrapsus, Community structure, Foraging, Chemical ecology Synopsis Herbivory by wide-ranging fishes is common over tropical reefs, but rare in temperate latitudes where the effects of herbivorous fishes are thought to be minimal. Along the west coast of North America, herbivory by fishes on nearshore reefs is largely restricted to a few members of the Kyphosidae, distributed south of Pt. Conception. This paper presents information on natural diets and results from feeding choice experiments for two abundant kyphosids from intertidal habitats in San Diego, California - Girella nigricans and Hermosilla azurea, and similar data for the lined shore crab, Pachygrapsus crassipes, which also forages over intertidal reefs. These results are compared with the availability of algae in intertidal habitats measured during summer and winter, on both disturbed and undisturbed habitats. The diets of juveniles of G. nigricans and H. azurea collected from nearshore habitats were dominated by animal prey (mainly amphipods), but adults of these fishes, and P. crassipes, consumed algae nearly exclusively, with 26,10, and 14 taxa of algae identified from G.
    [Show full text]
  • Conserving Marine Biodiversity in South Australia - Part 1 - Background, Status and Review of Approach to Marine Biodiversity Conservation in South Australia
    Conserving Marine Biodiversity in South Australia - Part 1 - Background, Status and Review of Approach to Marine Biodiversity Conservation in South Australia K S Edyvane May 1999 ISBN 0 7308 5237 7 No 38 The recommendations given in this publication are based on the best available information at the time of writing. The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) makes no warranty of any kind expressed or implied concerning the use of technology mentioned in this publication. © SARDI. This work is copyright. Apart of any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the publisher. SARDI is a group of the Department of Primary Industries and Resources CONTENTS – PART ONE PAGE CONTENTS NUMBER INTRODUCTION 1. Introduction…………………………………..…………………………………………………………1 1.1 The ‘Unique South’ – Southern Australia’s Temperate Marine Biota…………………………….…….1 1.2 1.2 The Status of Marine Protected Areas in Southern Australia………………………………….4 2 South Australia’s Marine Ecosystems and Biodiversity……………………………………………..9 2.1 Oceans, Gulfs and Estuaries – South Australia’s Oceanographic Environments……………………….9 2.1.1 Productivity…………………………………………………………………………………….9 2.1.2 Estuaries………………………………………………………………………………………..9 2.2 Rocky Cliffs and Gulfs, to Mangrove Shores -South Australia’s Coastal Environments………………………………………………………………13 2.2.1 Offshore Islands………………………………………………………………………………14 2.2.2 Gulf Ecosystems………………………………………………………………………………14 2.2.3 Northern Spencer Gulf………………………………………………………………………...14
    [Show full text]
  • Dynamic Distributions of Coastal Zooplanktivorous Fishes
    Dynamic distributions of coastal zooplanktivorous fishes Matthew Michael Holland A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science University of New South Wales, Australia November 2020 4/20/2021 GRIS Welcome to the Research Alumni Portal, Matthew Holland! You will be able to download the finalised version of all thesis submissions that were processed in GRIS here. Please ensure to include the completed declaration (from the Declarations tab), your completed Inclusion of Publications Statement (from the Inclusion of Publications Statement tab) in the final version of your thesis that you submit to the Library. Information on how to submit the final copies of your thesis to the Library is available in the completion email sent to you by the GRS. Thesis submission for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Thesis Title and Abstract Declarations Inclusion of Publications Statement Corrected Thesis and Responses Thesis Title Dynamic distributions of coastal zooplanktivorous fishes Thesis Abstract Zooplanktivorous fishes are an essential trophic link transferring planktonic production to coastal ecosystems. Reef-associated or pelagic, their fast growth and high abundance are also crucial to supporting fisheries. I examined environmental drivers of their distribution across three levels of scale. Analysis of a decade of citizen science data off eastern Australia revealed that the proportion of community biomass for zooplanktivorous fishes peaked around the transition from sub-tropical to temperate latitudes, while the proportion of herbivores declined. This transition was attributed to high sub-tropical benthic productivity and low temperate planktonic productivity in winter.
    [Show full text]
  • Adelaide Desal Project Baited Remote Underwater Video Survey 2018
    Adelaide Desalination Plant Baited Remote Underwater Video Surveys - 2018 Report to AdelaideAqua Pty Ltd James Brook (J Diversity Pty Ltd) Rev 0, December 2018 ADP BRUV Surveys - 2018 Cover photo: Fish at Noarlunga Tyre Reef, including yellowtail scad Trachurus novaezelandiae and trevally Pseudocaranx spp., April 2018. Acknowledgements Dimitri Colella was the technical and field lead on this project. Trent Brockhouse and Andrew Dendunnen of Whyalla Diving Services, and Sasha Whitmarsh assisted in the field. Dr Bryan McDonald provided advice on statistical analysis and review. Disclaimer The findings and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of AdelaideAqua Pty Ltd. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the contents of this report are factually correct, the author does not accept responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the contents. The author does not accept liability for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this report. Preferred citation: Brook, J (2018), Adelaide Desalination Plant Baited Remote Underwater Video Fish Surveys – 2018. Report for AdelaideAqua Pty Ltd, prepared by J Diversity Pty Ltd. Revision history Rev Date Comment Author Reviewed A 11/12/2018 Initial Draft J. Brook D. Colella B 12/12/2018 Minor changes J. Brook B McDonald 0 18/12/2018 Changes in response to review 2 ADP BRUV Surveys - 2018 Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]