NORTH WEST SHELF JOINT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT STUDY Ecosystem characterisation of Australia’s North West Shelf NWSJEMSTECHNICAL REPORT No. 12 • V. Lyne • M. Fuller • P. Last • A. Butler • M. Martin • R. Scott June 2006 National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data: Ecosystem characterisation of Australia's North West Shelf. Bibliography. Includes index. ISBN 1 921061 68 5 (pbk.). 1. Ecosystem management - Western Australia - North West Shelf. 2. Marine ecology - Western Australia - North West Shelf. 3. Fishes - Habitat - Western Australia - North West Shelf. I. Lyne, Vincent David. II. CSIRO. Marine and Atmospheric Research. North West Shelf Joint Environmental Management Study. III. Western Australia. (Series : Technical report (CSIRO. Marine and Atmospheric Research. North West Shelf Joint Environmental Management Study) ; no. 12). 577.7099413 The National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry for your forthcoming publication is as follows: Ecosystem characterisation of Australia's North West Shelf. Bibliography. Includes index. ISBN 1 921061 69 3 (CD-ROM). 1. Ecosystem management - Western Australia - North West Shelf. 2. Marine ecology - Western Australia - North West Shelf. 3. Fishes - Habitat - Western Australia - North West Shelf. I. Lyne, Vincent David. II. CSIRO. Marine and Atmospheric Research. North West Shelf Joint Environmental Management Study. III. Western Australia. (Series : Technical report (CSIRO. Marine and Atmospheric Research. North West Shelf Joint Environmental Management Study) ; no. 12). 577.7099413 Ecosystem characterisation of Australia's North West Shelf. Bibliography. Includes index. ISBN 1 921061 70 7 (pdf). 1. Ecosystem management - Western Australia - North West Shelf. 2. Marine ecology - Western Australia - North West Shelf. 3. Fishes - Habitat - Western Australia - North West Shelf. I. Lyne, Vincent David. II. CSIRO. Marine and Atmospheric Research. North West Shelf Joint Environmental Management Study. III. Western Australia. (Series : Technical report (CSIRO. Marine and Atmospheric Research. North West Shelf Joint Environmental Management Study) ; no. 12). 577.7099413 CONTENTS ACRONYMS TECHNICAL SUMMARY.............................................................................................................. 1 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 3 1.1 Regional setting ........................................................................................................ 3 1.2 Approach.................................................................................................................... 4 2. DATA COLLATION AND INTEGRATION............................................................................ 6 2.1 Sourcing existing data.............................................................................................. 6 Papers and reports ......................................................................................... 7 Remote imagery.............................................................................................. 7 CSIRO trawl data............................................................................................ 8 Benthic samples.............................................................................................. 8 2.2 Supplementary field sampling ................................................................................. 8 Port Hedland (URS)........................................................................................ 8 Exmouth to Broome (Fisheries WA) ............................................................... 8 2.3 Development of the database and GIS.................................................................... 8 2.4 Georeferencing data ................................................................................................. 9 2.5 Expert information and assessment ....................................................................... 9 3. DEVELOPING A HABITAT CLASSIFICATION FRAMEWORK........................................ 11 3.1 A general hierarchical approach ........................................................................... 11 3.2 Application to the NWS........................................................................................... 12 3.3 Integration of NWS data.......................................................................................... 16 Level 2 – biomes .......................................................................................... 16 Level 3 – biogeomorphic units...................................................................... 16 Higher levels................................................................................................. 17 4. RESULTS............................................................................................................................ 18 4.1 Information exchange............................................................................................. 18 4.1.1 Ground truth data....................................................................................... 18 4.1.2 Supplementary field sampling .................................................................. 20 4.1.3 Mapping of coastal habitats and infrastructure developments............. 20 Aerial photography ....................................................................................... 20 Historical aerial photography........................................................................ 23 4.2 Hierarchical classification...................................................................................... 24 4.2.1 Level 2 – biomes......................................................................................... 24 Level 2A........................................................................................................ 24 Level 2B........................................................................................................ 25 4.2.2 Level 3 – biogeomorphic units.................................................................. 27 Level 3A........................................................................................................ 27 Level 3B........................................................................................................ 31 Level 3C ....................................................................................................... 32 4.2.3 Level 4 units – coastal and nearshore marine habitats.......................... 39 4.3 Data coverage .......................................................................................................... 42 5. SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... 44 6. RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................................... 45 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 46 APPENDIX A: Report on Port Hedland fieldwork with URS, 13 to 17 March 2002.............. 48 A.1 Timetable of activities ............................................................................................. 48 A.2 Interviews ................................................................................................................. 49 A.3 General comments about the area ........................................................................ 50 APPENDIX B: RV Naturaliste cuise report, 21 February to 17 March 2002 ......................... 56 B.1 WA Fisheries............................................................................................................ 56 B.2 CSIRO ....................................................................................................................... 56 B.3 Itinerary..................................................................................................................... 56 B.4 Area of operation..................................................................................................... 56 B.5 Cruise objectives..................................................................................................... 57 B.6 Cruise results........................................................................................................... 57 B.7 Cruise narrative ....................................................................................................... 57 B.8 CSIRO personnel ..................................................................................................... 57 B.9 Acknowledgments................................................................................................... 58 APPENDIX C: Notes on correspondence analysis of catch data ......................................... 64 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. 72 ACRONYMS ACOM Australian Community Ocean Model AFMA Australian Fisheries Management Authority AFZ Australian Fishing Zone AGSO Australian Geological Survey Organisation now Geoscience Australia AHC Australian Heritage Commission AIMS Australian Institute of Marine Science AMSA Australian Maritime Safety Authority ANCA Australian Nature Conservation Agency ANZECC Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council ANZLIC Australian and New Zealand Land Information Council APPEA Australian