Sustainable Fisheries Research Program

Tasmania’s marine resources are unique in Australia as they are bathed by a combination of nutrient poor sub-tropical waters that extend down the eastern and western seaboards and nutrient rich waters derived from the sub-Antarctic convergence. This “melting pot” of physical characteristics makes Tasmania an ideal natural laboratory to study the dynamics of temperate marine ecosystems. For example, Tasmania supplies approximately one quarter of the global abalone catch, the variation in the growth rates of lobsters in Tasmania is the largest found throughout the world and Tasmanian waters support one of Australia’s largest pelagic fisheries.

Productivity, profitability and protecting biodiversity are three tenets crucial for ecosystem based fisheries management and are the drivers for a diverse range of research projects in the Sustainable Fisheries Program at TAFI. Included in the research mix are projects that develop new and novel approaches to understand fishery interactions with the ecosystem, that optimise utilisation of marine resources for commercial, recreational and conservation needs, that incorporate the latest developments in technology to refine spatial management and that incorporate innovation in the assessment and modelling of marine resources.

Estuaries and Coasts Research Program

Estuarine and Coastal research at TAFI encompasses a broad range of activities relevant to the multiple use management of these highly productive ecosystems. It involves collaborations from various schools across the University. Although our research centres on Tasmanian marine, coastal and estuarine environments, we also have national and international research projects and collaborations in our areas of expertise. The program focuses on four broad areas of research:

• Estuarine Dynamics,
• Marine Biodiversity and Marine Protected Areas,
• Habitat Mapping and Assessment,
• Multiple Use Management,
• Effect of Aquaculture on the environment

Sustainable Aquaculture Research Program

Tasmania’s cool temperate climate makes it ideal for the development of aquaculture. Major established aquaculture industries include salmonid farming, particularly the sea cage culture of Atlantic salmon, Pacific oysters, abalone and mussels. Research in aquaculture has concentrated on investigating the potential of native marine species, propagation and production, aquatic animal health, growth and nutrition, and environmental management including potential effects of climate change. The current focus of TAFI’s aquaculture research includes work on new species for aquaculture including striped trumpeter and rock lobster; quality assessment in hatchery produced stock (malformations); fish physiology and reproductive management; nutrition, the developmental biology of several key aquaculture species; plankton ecology and physiology; and aquatic animal health. Research focuses on the aquaculture industries in Tasmania plus Australia’s other major aquaculture finfish farming sectors including barramundi, yellowtail kingfish and southern bluefin tuna. Research facilities include state of the art marine finfish and crustacean hatcheries, the latest ozone and water treatment technology, and a wide array of tanks and holding systems for aquatic animals. Aquaculture research at TAFI is conducted in close collaboration and with the support of industry and is focused on three broad areas of research:

• Aquaculture development,
• Sustainable Production,
• Aquatic Animal Health,

For further information please follow the links to the TAFI Marine Research Laboratories, the School of Zoology  or the National Centre of Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability websites.