Background
While detailed habitat mapping coverage has been substantially advanced by State governments in many coastal regions, Commonwealth waters of the continental shelf typically lack detailed habitat maps and, at best, have coarse resolution bathymetric layers.
Focusing on the Murray Marine Park, this voyage aimed to fill key information gaps in our knowledge of the extent and distribution of seabed habitats for continental shelf regions of temperate Australia. Results of the voyage will build on an active National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine and Coastal Hub project ‘Mapping temperate continental shelf seabed habitats’.
Voyage
Completed over 50 panoramic drop camera deployments during a four-day expedition in the Murray Australian Marine Park (AMP) to further enhance our understanding of the Murray AMP. This work was undertaken in conjunction with a fishing vessel charter aboard Maverick for an additional survey. This combined effort has provided us with a comprehensive overview of the primary habitats within the Murray AMP.
Outcomes
Preliminary findings are shedding light on the diverse range of habitats present within the Murray AMP, including sediment-dominated areas, pavement reefs, mega-ripples with Bryozoan and sponge communities, and deeper shelf break regions with unique coral and invertebrate assemblages. These findings will contribute significantly to the understanding of the AMP’s natural values and inform the refinement of management strategies by Parks Australia.
The outcomes of this expedition will have far-reaching implications for both scientific research and conservation efforts in the region.
Voyage
Completed over 50 panoramic drop camera deployments during a four-day expedition in the Murray Australian Marine Park (AMP) to further enhance our understanding of the Murray AMP. This work was undertaken in conjunction with a fishing vessel charter aboard Maverick for an additional survey. This combined effort has provided us with a comprehensive overview of the primary habitats within the Murray AMP.
Outcomes
Preliminary findings are shedding light on the diverse range of habitats present within the Murray AMP, including sediment-dominated areas, pavement reefs, mega-ripples with Bryozoan and sponge communities, and deeper shelf break regions with unique coral and invertebrate assemblages. These findings will contribute significantly to the understanding of the AMP’s natural values and inform the refinement of management strategies by Parks Australia.
The outcomes of this expedition will have far-reaching implications for both scientific research and conservation efforts in the region.
