Background/Aims
Movement of commercially and recreationally exploited species is a fundamental process that underpins the connectivity and demography of populations and ultimately determines the distribution of exploitable biomass. We aim to quantify the movements of key fisheries species along the NSW coast using acoustic telemetry, and link this with coastal oceanography.
Methods
Over a two-year period, 150 fish are being tracked on the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) Animal Tracking Facility (ATF) array. The target species are Blue spotted Flathead (Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus) and Silver Trevally (Pseudocaranx georgianus), as both are significant commercially and recreationally, yet little is known about their behaviour, habitat use, spawning and migration movements.
Results
Tagging efforts have been focused around receiver ‘curtains’ in Coffs Harbour, Sydney, Jervis Bay and Narooma, with 67 Blue spotted Flathead and 26 Silver Trevally tagged across 800 km of the NSW coast (from 30.3°S to 36.2°S).
Conclusion
The movement data collected from tagged fish will establish mechanistic linkages between coastal oceanographic conditions and the productivity of these species, providing data to forecast exploitable biomass, inform management strategies and establish the role of regional oceanography in driving migrations.