Kimberley Marine Research Program - WAMSI · Day 2 – Wednesday, 29th November 2017 Session 1 Best practice indigenous engagement for healthy country management Chair: Stuart Field,

Kimberley Marine Research Program Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th November 2017

State Library of Western Australia, Perth

DRAFT PROCEEDINGS

2017 WAMSI Research Conference

Kimberley Marine Research Program

WAMSI Kimberley Marine Research Program

Initiated with the support of the State Government as part of the Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy, the Kimberley Marine Research Program is co-invested by the WAMSI partners to provide regional understanding and baseline knowledge about the Kimberley marine environment. The program has been created in response to the extraordinary, unspoilt wilderness value of the Kimberley and increasing pressure for development in this region. The purpose is to provide science based information to support decision making in relation to the Kimberley marine park network, other conservation activities and future development proposals.

Ownership of Intellectual property rights

Unless otherwise noted, copyright (and any other intellectual property rights, if any) in this publication is owned by the Western Australian Marine Science Institution, CSIRO, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Edith Cowan University, The University of Western Australia, Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australian Museum, Curtin University, Murdoch University and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

Copyright

© Western Australian Marine Science Institution

All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all material in this publication is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en)

http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/kimberley-strategy

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en



Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1

DRAFT program ................................................................................................................................... 2

Abstracts .............................................................................................................................................. 6

1. Living on the Edge: Understanding the adaption and acclimation of nearshore turbid-zone corals to extreme environmental conditions ................................................................... 6

2. Remote Sensing ........................................................................................................................ 7

3. Reef production and nutrient uptake ....................................................................................... 8

4. Benthic primary productivity: production and herbivory of seagrasses, macroalgae and microalgae ................................................................................................................................. 9

5. The magnituted and importance of herbivory in the Kimberley ............................................11

6. Recruitment and herbivory in the southern Kimberley ..........................................................13

7. Going with the flow: genomic insights into ecological connectivity in the Kimberley ...........14

8. Climate change as registered by Sr/Ca, Li/Mg, δ11B and B/Ca systematics in an ~100-year old Porites coral from the thermally extreme Kimberley region of northwestern Australia ..................................................................................................................................15

9. Heat tolerance of Kimberley corals and impacts of the 2016 marine heatwave on coral reefs in the inshore Kimberley region .....................................................................................16

10. Using social values to inform marine spatial planning ...........................................................17

11. Is the Kimberley coast still a pristine wilderness? ..................................................................18

12. Integrating Indigenous knowledge and survey techniques to develop a baseline for dugong management in the Kimberley ..................................................................................19

13. Key biological indices required to understand and manage nesting sea turtles along the Kimberley coast .......................................................................................................................20

14. Saltwater crocodiles in the Kimberley ....................................................................................21

15. Physical oceanographic dynamics in the Kimberley (2.2.1) ....................................................23

16. Terrestrial-Ocean Linkages: the role of rivers and estuaries in sustaining marine productivity in the Kimberley .................................................................................................24

17. Opposite polarities of ENSO drive distinct patterns of coral bleaching potentials off WA coast ........................................................................................................................................25

18. Knowledge Integration and Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) Modelling ..................26

WAMSI Research Contacts ................................................................................................................ 27




Kimberley Marine Research Program 1

Introduction The Kimberley Marine Research Program has provided us with an unprecedented insight into one of the most pristine and extreme environments in the world.

Five years ago we didn’t know if marine life in the Kimberley was barely surviving or thriving. Our program has shown that many species have adapted over time and developed a high tolerance to the extreme conditions, while others are more vulnerable.

This year’s Kimberley Marine Research conference will deliver final results from the Western Australian Marine Science Institution projects being delivered by its partner organisations.

We have invited government, Traditional Owners and industry stakeholders to discuss their marine research priorities and the importance for management of the marine environment.

Researchers will present the results of their Kimberley science projects highlighting the foundational datasets that have been collected which detail not only ecosystem functioning, but also how current and potential future human use may impact the area. The research has been used to underpin healthy country programs, marine park planning and marine resource management.

We are pleased to welcome the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Water; Fisheries; Forestry; Innovation and ICT; Science Chris Tallentire MLA who will open the 2017 WAMSI KMRP Research Conference.

More information including conference schedule updates, abstracts and audio/PowerPoint presentations will be made available on the WAMSI Conference 2017 webpage.

Thank you for your participation.

Dr Luke Twomey

WAMSI GM

http://www.wamsi.org.au/kimberley-marine-research-program

http://www.wamsi.org.au/wamsi-research-conference-2017


2 Kimberley Marine Research Program


DRAFT program Tuesday 28th – Wednesday 29th November 2017

State Library of Western Australia, Perth

Day 1 – Tuesday, 28 November

Session 1, Chair: Luke Twomey, WAMSI

Opening and keynote presentations

P/P Presentation Speaker

9:00 Introduction and Welcome to Country. Dr Len Collard

9:15 Opening Address

Chris Tallentire MLA Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Water; Fisheries; Forestry; Innovation and ICT; Science

9:35 WAMSI – Delivering research priorities for WA Dr. Luke Twomey,

WAMSI General Manager

9:50 Keynote Presentation – The importance of science for conservation management

Professor Chris Doepl PSM, Deputy Chair Conservation Commission

10:15 Morning Tea

Session 2

The Kimberley Marine Research Program

Chair: Stuart Field, DBCA

11:00 Kimberley Node Overview Stuart Field, WAMSI and DBCA

11:20

Living on the Edge: Understanding the adaption and acclimation of nearshore turbid-zone corals to extreme environmental conditions

Mick O’Leary, Curtin

11:40 Benthic Biodiversity – talk 1 TBA, AIMS



11:55 Benthic Biodiversity – talk 2 TBA

12:10 Remote Sensing Peter Fearns, Curtin

12:30 Lunch

Session 3

Productivity in the Kimberley

Chair: Kelly Waples, DBCA

13:30 Primary Production – overview Ryan Lowe, UWA

13:45 Reef production and nutrient uptake Renee Gruber, UWA

14:00 Project 2.2.4: Benthic primary productivity: production and herbivory of seagrasses, macroalgae and microalgae

Gary Kendrick, UWA

14:20 The magnitude and importance of herbivory in the Kimberley Mat Vanderklift, CSIRO

14:40 Mapping productivity Renae Hovey, UWA

15:00 Afternoon Tea

Session 4

Ecological processes of the Kimberley

Chair: Stuart Field, DBCA

15:30 Recruitment and herbivory in the southern Kimberley Martial Depczynski, AIMS

15:50 Going with the flow: genomic insights into ecological connectivity in the Kimberley Oliver Berry, CSIRO

16:10 Sediment History John Keesing, CSIRO

16.30 Climate change as registered by Sr/Ca, Li/Mg, δ11B and B/Ca systematics in an ~100-year old Porites coral from the thermally extreme Kimberley region of northwestern Australia

Malcolm McCulloch, UWA

16:45 Heat tolerance of Kimberley corals and impacts of the 2016 marine heatwave on coral reefs in the inshore Kimberley region

Verena Schoepf, UWA



Day 2 – Wednesday, 29th November 2017

Session 1 Best practice indigenous engagement for healthy country management Chair: Stuart Field, DBCA

9:00 Invited Speaker– Indigenous management practices and partnerships TBA

9:15 Invited Speaker – Joint Management Stephen VanLeeuwin

9:30 Defining Indigenous Knowledge and establishing a protocol for developing partnerships with Indigenous communities

TBA

9:50 Using social values to inform marine spatial planning Jennifer Munro, DBCA

10:10 Is the Kimberley coast still a pristine wilderness? Lynnath Beckley, Murdoch

10:30 Morning Tea

Session 2 Marine fauna of the Kimberley Chair: Kelly Waples, DBCA

11:00 Integrating Indigenous knowledge and survey techniques to develop a baseline for dugong management in the Kimberley

Peter Bayliss, CSIRO

11:20 Project 1.2.2 - Key biological indices required to understand and manage nesting sea turtles along the Kimberley coast

Scott Whiting, DBCA

11:40 Whales Michel Thums, AIMS

11:55 Dolphins Josh Smith, Murdoch/Simon Allen UWA, Chandra Salgado Kent, Curtin

12:15 Saltwater crocodiles in the Kimberley Andrew Halford, DBCA

12:30 Lunch

Session 3 Physical and biological processes and what we have learned from modelling Chair: Stuart Field, DBCA

13:30 What is modelling and why do we care? Matt Hipsey, UWA and Fabio Boschetti, CSIRO

13:50 Physical oceanographic dynamics in the Kimberley (2.2.1) Greg Ivey, UWA

14:05 Terrestrial-Ocean Linkages: the role of rivers and estuaries in sustaining marine productivity in the Kimberley

Nicole Jones, UWA and Andrew Revill, CSIRO



14:20 Biogeochemistry Matt Hipsey, UWA

14:35 Opposite polarities of ENSO drive distinct patterns of coral bleaching potentials off WA coast

Ming Feng, CSIRO

14:50 Knowledge Integration and Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) Modelling Fabio Boschetti, CSIRO

15:10 Afternoon Tea

Session 4 Science for ongoing management – how will we use what we have learned Chair: Luke Twomey, WAMSI

15:30 Invited speaker: how managers use science Daryl Moncrieff

15:45 Research and Monitoring in the Kimberley –setting priorities for the future Tom Holmes and Shaun Wilson

16:00 Monitoring framework for Indigenous communities Rebecca Dobbs, UWA

16:15 Invited Speaker: Protecting the Kimberley Marine Environment through a network of Marine Protected Areas

Kathleen Lowry, DBCA (TBC)

16:30 Collaborating in science into the future Patrick Seares, OEPA

Closing remarks Luke Twomey, WAMSI



Abstracts 1. Living on the Edge: Understanding the adaption and acclimation of nearshore

turbid-zone corals to extreme environmental conditions

Author: Mick O’Leary

Collaborators: Zoe Richards and Nicola Browne

Institution/s: Curtin University

Email: [email protected] Abstract

There is increasing anecdotal evidence to suggest that corals which occupy nearshore turbid (muddy) habitats might be more resistant to environmental change compared to ‘typical’ reefs which grow in shallow, clear water settings (i.e., Ningaloo Reef).

These turbid-zone reefs appear to support coral communities that are able to endure elevated ocean temperatures, low light availability, smothering by sediments, salinity fluctuations, and prolonged exposure during low tides compared to their clear water cousins.

As a consequence of the extreme environmental conditions that characterise turbid-zone reefs, scientists have traditionally perceived these habitats as being unsuitable, or at best “marginal” for healthy coral growth and as a result been largely ignored by the wider reef science community.

However, recent investigations into turbid-zone reefs along the Queensland coast has shown this not to be the case, in fact a growing number of field studies have shown turbid-zone reefs to exhibit relatively diverse coral assemblages and comparatively high live coral cover. However, the problem with Queensland’s turbid reef systems is that rather than being naturally occurring they are a product of a reduction in coastal water quality driven by catchment modification, and instead represent something closer to a degraded clear water reef rather than a true turbid reef.

To date however, no study has yet been able to explain the how these corals have been able to acclimate and endure these extreme environmental conditions, and it remains to be seen whether this reflects physiological plasticity, genetic reorganization or some other unknown factor. Either way, naturally extreme systems have the potential to act as local reservoirs (or refugia) for highly stress resistant coral populations particularly during large-scale climatic disturbances.

We believe the Kimberley region may host Australia’s largest naturally occurring nearshore turbid reef system and therefore a perfect natural laboratory for investigating turbid reef biodiversity, population genetics, ecology, evolution and conservation value. The Kimberley has the potential to provide knowledge on the mechanisms used by corals to endure and survive extreme environments and the potential to apply this knowledge to enhance the survivability of clear water reef systems under large-scale climatic disturbances.

Here we identify two key research questions • What are the physiological or genetic mechanisms that allow turbid-reef corals to endure

and survive extreme environments? • Could turbid-zone reefs function as a future coral refugia should clear water reef systems

collapse?



2. Remote Sensing

Author: Peter Fearns

Collaborators: Passang Dorji, Mark Broomhall, Helen Chedzey, Jim Greenwood, Nick, Hardman-Mountford, Nagur Cherukuru, Edward King, David Antoine

Institution/s: Curtin University, CSIRO


Remote sensing technologies can provide cost effective methods to gather historical and baseline monitoring data at meter to kilometer resolution, both at synoptic scales for regional management applications and in near-real-time to guide operational decision making. Archives of remotely sensed data extend back more than 25 years providing a valuable record of changing environmental conditions.

The project was tasked with determining if there are cost-effective options for utilizing remote sensing for assisting with long term monitoring, evaluation and reporting (MER) of the Kimberley Marine Parks. Phase 1 of this project compared the specific requirements of the management agencies with the technical and operational constraints of the various remote sensing technologies that are available. The results showed that light, or water turbidity, is the highest priority property to evaluate in Phase 2.

The two most relevant remote sensing products for monitoring turbidity in the Kimberly are total suspended solids concentration (TSS), and the diffuse attenuation of downwelling photosynthetically active radiation (KdPAR). Turbidity affects the transmission of sunlight through the water column to the seabed substrate, with potential impacts on the rates of production for photosynthesizing organisms. The TSS levels have been used here to infer the water spectral attenuation coefficient and coupled with bathymetry data in order to estimate light levels at the seabed substrate. A modeling study has shown that the effect of tidal height and phase on these estimates are significant and should be included when determining averaged daily, or longer term, light levels.

We analyzed a 16-year archive of TSS data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite sensor produced with a regional algorithm, to describe the patterns of spatio-temporal variability. A combination of Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) and anomaly analysis identified 6 regions along the Kimberley coast that may be considered different in terms of variability, impact of extreme TSS, and influence of tidal forcing. The analysis also showed that TSS variability occurs on both tidal and seasonal time-scales, with enhancement on spring tides, suggesting an important role for mixing in determining the vertical distribution of suspended sediments. While variation in terrestrial supply of sediment has little widespread impact on TSS levels, freshwater input during wet years may effectively delay the seasonal peak in TSS as a result of prolonged water-column stratification. The results derived from these remote sensing data are an example of first-round pilot products for consideration as future management tools.



3. Reef production and nutrient uptake

Author: Renee K. Gruber

Collaborators: Ryan J. Lowe, James L. Falter

Institution/s: University of Western Australia, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies


Like ~one third of all reefs worldwide, Kimberley reefs are forced by tides rather than waves. Yet despite the prevalence of tide-dominated reefs, almost no studies have considered their ecosystem processes such as productivity or nutrient uptake. Our study consisted of a series of long-term (3 weeks) seasonal instrument deployments and water sampling at Tallon Island in the west Kimberley. We found that Kimberley reefs experience some of the most extreme variability in environmental conditions recorded for reefs worldwide. Water temperatures can rise by 10°C in just 6 hours, routinely reaching 35°C during midday. Dissolved oxygen concentrations vary widely in the water column, reaching up to 280% saturation during the day, and dropping to harmful low levels at night. Despite these stressful conditions, Kimberley reefs nonetheless maintain a moderate level of productivity similar to many other reefs worldwide. Our work found that productivity and nutrient uptake are controlled at multiple scales by the semi-diurnal tidal cycle. This talk will explain how tidal cycles shape ecosystem processes on Kimberley reefs and will discuss the implications of this on future studies and management of these reefs.



4. Benthic primary productivity: production and herbivory of seagrasses, macroalgae and microalgae

Author: Gary Kendrick

Collaborators: Gary A. Kendrick, Mat Vanderklift, Doug Bearham, James McLaughlin, Jim Greenwood, Christin Säwström, Bonnie Laverock, Lucie Chovrelat, Andrea Zavala-Perez, Lisa De Wever, Melanie Trapon, Monique Grol, Emy Guilbault, Daniel Oades, Phillip McCarthy, Kevin George, Trevor Sampi, Dwayne George, Chris Sampi, Zac Edgar, Kevin Dougal, Azton Howard

Institution/s: School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Floreat, Western Australia Edith Cowan University, Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Joondalup, Western Australia Bardi Jawi Rangers, One Arm Point, Western Australia Western Australian Marine Science Institution, Perth, Western Australia, Australia


The goal of the project was to assess the role of benthic primary producers in macrotidal fringing reef and terraced lagoon environments that characterize the Sunday Island Group, and are common throughout the Kimberley. Thalassia hemprichii and Enhalus acoroides were the most abundant seagrasses recorded in the raised lagoons. Other seagrasses recorded included Thalassodendron ciliatum, Halodule uninervis, Halophila ovalis and Cymodocea serrulata. The abundance (measured as biomass and shoot density) and growth (measured as leaf extension) of T. hemprichii and E. acoroides were variable, and seasonal or temporal patterns were not strong, with the exception of seasonal leaf production for E. acoroides at Jalan (Tallon Island) and seasonal shoot density for T. hemprichii ( Jalan and Laanyi). Leaf extension rates were high for both species relative to typical seagrass growth rates, with some measurements exceeding several centimetres per leaf per day.

Macroalgae were found to occupy the seaward margins of lagoons and isolated rocky surfaces among the seagrass meadows. Measurements focused on the abundant genus Sargassum, for which five species were recorded. The most abundant was Sargassum polycystum. This species also yielded the highest growth rates, which at the peak were in the same order as growth rates for seagrass, and among the highest rates of growth recorded for Sargassum. Sargassum biomass tended to be highest during April surveys, while the fastest growth rates were recorded during the November 2013 survey, when average extension rates exceeded one centimetre per day. These two observations imply that there is a seasonal pattern of growth of Sargassum, with highest growth rates occurring during the wet season.

Benthic microalgae (BMA) were dominated by diatoms. The abundance (measured as chlorophyll a) and productivity of benthic microalgae did not vary according to any obvious seasonal pattern — substantial short-term variations (days) in productivity were observed, suggesting that the benthic microalgae respond to local conditions which in turn are influenced by the tide and day-to-day variations in light. BMA were net producers at two sites for the duration of the study, but were also net respirers at some sites during some surveys. Oxygen and hydrogen sulphide profiles of sediment cores showed patterns that implied high oxygen consumption in some surface sediments, which may be credited to bacterial processes and not BMA.



A productive (fast growing) bacterial community was recorded from benthic and pelagic habitats of the region, indicating a potentially important role by microbial cycling of dissolved nutrients in these systems. Variable but generally high bacterial carbon production was recorded that were within or above the range previously reported from tropical coastal ecosystems. Measurements also revealed high bacterial carbon utilisation rates, particularly of carbohydrates, amino acids and polymers.

Finally, a major outcome of this project was the strong collaborations established between the project team and the Bardi Jawi rangers. These collaborations enabled deeper insights into the ecology of the region, and demonstrated the value of partnerships to exchange and integrate traditional ecological knowledge with scientific knowledge.



5. The magnituted and importance of herbivory in the Kimberley

Author: Mat Vanderklift

Collaborators: Mat Vanderklift1, Richard Pillans1, Lisa De Wever1, Gary Kendrick2, Andrea Zavala-Perez2, Adriana Verges3, Ruby Garthwin3, Grzegorz Skrzypek4, Katherine Cure5, Camilla Piggott2, Daniel Oades6, Phillip McCarthy6, Kevin George6, Trevor Sampi6, Dwayne George6, Chris Sampi6, Zac Edgar6, Kevin Dougal6 Azton Howard6.

Institution/s: 1CSIRO Marine and Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, Western Australia 2School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 3School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 4West Australian Biogeochemistry Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Western Australia 5Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, Western Australia 6Bardi Jawi Rangers, One Arm Point, Western Australia

Email: [email protected]

Abstract

The main aim of this research was to understand the relative importance of direct consumption of seagrass as a proportion of total seagrass production in the Kimberley, to identify the main species of herbivores, and to understand the relative importance of different primary producers to the diet of selected key species of herbivores. Although primary producers occupy a wide variety of habitats, the primary focus of this study was the seagrass meadows of Tallon Island (Jalan) and Sunday Island (Iwany) located in the Bardi Jawi Indigenous Protected Area. The research combined data collected during WAMSI Kimberley Marine Research Program (KMRP) projects 2.2.4 (Benthic primary productivity) and 1.1.2 (Key Ecological Processes).

We measured higher rates of grazing on seagrass than anywhere else in the world — in some places during some surveys the rates of consumption were more than ten times the rates of growth. This was particularly pronounced for the seagrass Thalassia hemprichii (otherwise known as turtlegrass), for which average consumption across the study was higher than growth. Thalassia is one of the most abundant seagrasses in the terraced lagoons that are characteristic of the Kimberley, and the apparent contradiction of high abundance and high consumption is probably reconciled by a combination of fast growth rates and patchy grazing; indeed rates of consumption of Thalassia varied by two orders of magnitude among sites and surveys.

In contrast, consumption of the seagrass Enhalus acoroides was on average lower than growth. An inference from this finding is that much of its production is probably not consumed by herbivores. We did not set out to study the fate of seagrass production, but it is likely that much leaf biomass is ultimately exported from the meadows as detritus.

There were several species of herbivores that were abundant in the seagrass meadows, but the golden-lined rabbitfish Siganus lineatus was ubiquitous and abundant in all Remote Underwater Video (RUV) deployments. Stable isotope and gut-content analyses confirmed that the diet of S. lineatus is primarily comprised of seagrass, especially Thalassia. S. lineatus is a highly valued food source for the Bardi Jawi people, who call them barrbal.



Another potentially significant herbivore is the green turtle Chelonia mydas. Green turtles were seen during RUV deployments, but were not abundant. However, boat-based observations during the rising tide found that they were abundant in some areas. Stable isotope and gut-content analyses showed that C. mydas consumed a variety of plants, but brown algae and the seagrass Thalassia were particularly prominent in their diet. There was some, albeit equivocal, evidence that different individuals might have preference for either brown algae or seagrass. Satellite tags showed that they frequently tended to spend their time in places with abundant seagrass.



6. Recruitment and herbivory in the southern Kimberley

Author: Martial Depczynski, James Gilmour

Collaborators: Kylie Cook, Kathy Cure, Tom Holmes, Phillip McCarthy, Glenn Moore, Daniel Oades, Camilla Piggott, Mike Travers, Shaun Wilson

Institution/s: AIMS, CSIRO, DBCA, WAM, DoF, UWA, Bardi-Jawi Rangers


The health of marine ecosystems is underpinned by the continual replenishment of new plants and animals through a process called recruitment. In the Kimberley, very little was known about the recruitment process and we could only speculate on how a challenging macrotidal environment might complicate this important ecological process. In partnership with the Bardi-Jawi Marine Rangers and the Kimberley Marine Research Station, 21 field trips were conducted over 2 years to answer the fundamental questions of when, where and how coral and fish replenishment takes place in the wider Cygnet Bay region. For most fish species, recruitment was concentrated in the March-April wet season across a diverse range of Kimberley habitats. Coral reef, macroalgae, inter-tidal pools, seagrass and mangrove habitats all supported different species assemblages arguing strongly for targeted and representative protection of all Kimberley habitat types as fish nursery grounds. Surprisingly, with a total of just 125 fish species recorded, we found that fish diversity was below expectations considering our locations close proximity to the equator and global centre of fish diversity prompting questions about the influence of the Kimberley’s unique environment on the supply and survival of juvenile fishes. For juvenile corals, recruitment of Acropora was concentrated in the wet season with the family Pocilliporidae and genus Isopora peaking in summer months and the Poritidae recruiting over many months throughout the year. We also found that the number and composition of coral recruits differed markedly among study sites and that a significant proportion of recruits were from brooding species. However, recruitment rates were far lower than expected, due to mass coral bleaching and mortality during sampling years. We conclude that our results for both groups are likely driven by the complex and challenging oceanographic conditions found in our study area through their effects on both larval supply and juvenile survivorship.



7. Going with the flow: genomic insights into ecological connectivity in the Kimberley

Author: Oliver Berry

Collaborators: Underwood J, McMahon K, Travers M, Richards Z, Moore G, Hernawan U, DiBattista J, Evans R, Gilmour J

Institution/s: CSIRO, AIMS, ECU, DBCA, WAM, DPIRD, Curtin University

Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

How far do marine organisms move in their lifetimes? This question is difficult to answer, but it is central to the design of marine reserves and the management of harvested species.

Scientists from CSIRO, AIMS, Edith Cowan University, The Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development, WA Museum, The Department of Biodiversity Conservation & Attractions, and Curtin University, representing WAMSI, will share their findings on what new genomic analyses have revealed about ecological connectivity among Kimberley reefs and beyond.

This novel work, conducted alongside Indigenous Rangers and Traditional Owners, has revealed how different corals, seagrasses, fish and molluscs respond in complex and unique ways to the Kimberley’s extreme currents and complex topography. Some species exhibit surprisingly strong population structure and cryptic species diversity on fine spatial scales, whilst others exhibit extensive mixing over vast areas. We will discuss the implications of these and other findings for management of marine ecosystems in the Kimberley.



8. Climate change as registered by Sr/Ca, Li/Mg, δ11B and B/Ca systematics in an ~100-year old Porites coral from the thermally extreme Kimberley region of northwestern Australia

Author: Malcolm McCulloch 1,2

Collaborators: Xuefei Chen1,3,4, Gangjian Wei3

Institution/s: 1 Oceans Institute and School of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia 2 ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia

3 State Key Laboratory of Isotope Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China 4 School of Earth Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China


The impact of climate change on corals living in the thermally-extreme natural environments is poorly understood and crucial to the longer-term sustainability of coral reef ecosystems. Here we report a century-long temperature (Sr/Ca and Li/Mg) and calcifying fluid carbonate chemistry (δ11B and B/Ca) multiproxy record from a long-lived (1919 to 2016) Porites spp. coral in the thermally extreme Kimberley region of northwestern Australia. We investigate how increasing temperatures and ocean acidification are manifested in the carbonate chemistry of the coral’s calcifying fluid (CF) and its impacts on calcification rates. Using the Sr/Ca and Li/Mg multi-temperature proxy we show that the annual temperature in the Kimberley region exhibits a gradually increase from the 1920s to the present, with an average of 28.2°C and an increase of 0.65 °C relative to the period from 1961 to 1990. The finding of positive but highly variable seasonal and annual temperature anomalies over the last three decades is indicative of intensified warming of the Kimberley region. However, despite this intensified warming we find ‘normal’ seasonal variability in the coral’s CF carbonate chemistry similar to those in Porites from Great Barrier and Ningaloo Reefs of Australia. Higher (~x2) dissolved inorganic carbon (DICcf) combined with an inversely varying up-regulation of pHcf up to ~8.5, leads to an elevated aragonite saturation state (Ωcf) level of ~16 to ~20. Importantly we find that recent warming has affected coral’s ability to concentrate inorganic carbon, with DICcf showing decreased and subdued seasonal variability consistent with reduced calcification observed during the most recent 2012 to 2016 warming period. Thus, while up-regulation of pHcf is shown to be an essential pre-requisite for calcification, reduced supplies of metabolic DICcf can severely limit rates of calcification during periods of thermal stress and coral bleaching.



9. Heat tolerance of Kimberley corals and impacts of the 2016 marine heatwave on coral reefs in the inshore Kimberley region

Author: Verena Schoepf1,2

Collaborators: Malcolm McCulloch1,2, Michael Stat3, Morane Le Nohaïc1, Maria Jung1

Institution/s: 1 School of Earth Sciences and UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia 2 ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia 3 Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Bentley, WA , Australia


Corals living in naturally extreme thermal environments can provide important insights into the processes driving thermal tolerance and resistance to climate change. We determined the thermal tolerance of corals growing in the Kimberley region, which represents a unique, naturally extreme environment characterised by up to 10 m tides, extreme temperature fluctuations (up to 7°C per day, maxima up to 37°C) and frequent aerial exposure of intertidal corals. A heat stress experiment using two common corals, branching Acropora aspera and massive Favia sp., revealed that intertidal corals of both species have a higher heat tolerance than subtidal corals, despite harbouring the same symbiont type (Symbiodinium clade C). This shows that the thermal environment plays a key role in providing increased resistance to heat stress and that highly fluctuating rather than high mean temperatures determine coral thermal tolerance, although corals adapted to such extreme thermal environments are nevertheless not immune to bleaching. Our findings were confirmed during the first documented natural bleaching event in the inshore Kimberley region in summer 2016, with aerial surveys showing that almost all inshore reefs in the southern Kimberley had 30-60% bleaching. In situ surveys conducted near Cygnet Bay before, during and after peak bleaching confirmed the severity of this bleaching event and highlighted that the different heat tolerance of intertidal and subtidal coral communities resulted in dramatically different bleaching impacts and recovery trajectories. Intertidal Acropora coral communities had fewer severely bleached corals and very little mortality, while the majority of subtidal branching Acropora corals died. Overall, our project has demonstrated that the most extreme environmental conditions in the Kimberley promote coral heat tolerance, making Kimberley corals one of the most stress-tolerant corals in Australia. However, the 2016 bleaching event also highlighted that even naturally heat-tolerant coral are threatened by marine heatwaves and climate change.



10. Using social values to inform marine spatial planning

Author: Jennifer Munro

Collaborators: Halina Kobryn, Greg Brown, Susan Moore

Institution/s: Murdoch University, California Polytechnic State University, Parks & Wildlife Service


Marine spatial planning (MSP) is an approach to manage potentially differing human uses and conservation goals. Most conservation planning to date however, including MSP, suffers from the lack of social data. Failure to consider social data including visitor values and management preferences can lead to negative outcomes including exacerbation of potential conflict between users, poorly informed development that does not meet visitor needs, and ongoing damage to coastal and marine ecosystems. Hence, the research sought to document the social values and management preferences of people associated with marine and coastal areas of the Kimberley, with a focus on existing and proposed marine parks. Semi-structured interviews and public participation GIS (PPGIS) methods were used to map the key values and generate hotspot maps of higher than average value intensity. Results indicate the entire study area was valued for one or more values, with Aboriginal culture, biodiversity and physical landscape values most common, and Roebuck Bay and the Buccaneer Archipelago being hotspots for several values. However, at least a third of existing marine parks possess medium to high conflict potential between consumptive and non-consumptive values. These were all near-shore, with large, remote offshore marine protected areas such as the North Kimberley Marine Park showing very little evidence of conflict potential, suggesting careful consideration of the social impacts of future developments associated with access is essential.

The participatory mapping approach identified a range of intangible, non-market social values. Such data are needed if the concerns of stakeholders are to be recognised and included in spatial planning. PPGIS complemented by extensive field interviews is a powerful method to evaluate existing human values over large marine spaces and provides quantitative inputs into modeling of conflict potential in marine spatial planning. Such information adds considerable value to spatial datasets and allows planners and managers to implement spatial planning that explicitly recognises and accounts for visitor motivations, values and preferences.

mailto:[email protected]



11. Is the Kimberley coast still a pristine wilderness?

Author: Professor Lynnath E. Beckley

Collaborators: Dr Claire Smallwood & Dr Emily Fisher

Institution/s: Murdoch University and DPIRD Division of Fisheries


The Kimberley coast, much of which is under native title, is regularly portrayed as a pristine wilderness. However, while there might only be a small resident population, few towns and limited road access to the long coastline, numerous commercial activities such as ports, shipping, aviation, mining, fishing and aquaculture take place. Tourism is also a particularly important, and growing, feature of the Kimberley economy. The recent WAMSI study on human use of the Kimberley coast has drawn into focus the spatial footprint of various human activities in this area and results are summarised in this presentation. Spatially-explicit aerial surveys ascertained the distribution and numbers of people conducting activities along the coast and boats operating in coastal waters. The results show clear seasonality and some nodes of high use, especially near tourist facilities. An analysis of the itineraries of cruise vessels plying the coastal waters of the Kimberley has ascertained that, although collectively they visit >100 sites, the most popular destinations are associated with specific nature-based or cultural attractions along the central and eastern Kimberley coast. Thus, while most of the Kimberley coast still remains physically unaltered from its natural state, there is growing evidence of widespread human use. The Western Australian government has recently implemented several multi-use marine parks in Kimberley coastal waters (Eighty Mile Beach, Roebuck Bay, Horizontal Falls, Lalang-garram Camden Sound and North Kimberley) and these are jointly managed by the WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and the traditional owners. Whilst these marine parks are expected to contribute significantly to the conservation of this remarkable region of Australia, it is incumbent upon their managers to carefully monitor usage of this largely unspoilt coastline so that deleterious impacts can be avoided or mitigated.



12. Integrating Indigenous knowledge and survey techniques to develop a baseline for dugong management in the Kimberley

Author: Peter Bayliss & Marlee Hutton

Collaborators: North Kimberley ranger groups (Balanggarra, Wunambal Gaambera/Uunguu, Dambimangari & Bardi Jawi )and DBCA-Kimberley marine parks

Institution/s: CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere Business Unit


Dugongs are an iconic species in northern Australia and have high cultural value to Indigenous coastal communities. The Kimberley is home to one of the largest remaining populations in the world, and currently there are limited human-induced threats making the area an important stronghold for the species. However, this could change with increasing development and future climate change pressures. Until recently there has been limited scientific information on dugong distribution and abundance in the Kimberley, representing a significant knowledge gap. The WAMSI dugong project helped close these gaps by integrating scientific knowledge with Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) through strong collaborative research partnerships with North Kimberley ranger groups (Balanggarra, Wunambal Gaambera/Uunguu, Dambimangari and Bardi Jawi). We present results for the: (i) baseline aerial survey of dugong distribution and abundance in the Kimberley; (ii) integration of TEK and scientific data using a Bayesian likelihood model; and (iii) learnings from a trial satellite tracking movement study. The estimated number of dugongs in the Kimberley region is 12,600 + 601 (7.5% SE), an average density of 0.25 + 0.02 km-2 over 67,163 km2 of coastal waters. The density of dugongs in the North Kimberley is three times that for the South Kimberley (0.25 + 0.02 km-2 cf. 0.08 + 0.01 km-2), possibly reflecting the absence of deep bays and shelter from storms along the Eighty Mile Beach coastline. Kriging methods were used in a GIS to identify and map “abundance hotspots”. A strong positive relationship was found between dugong abundance in the North Kimberley and the extent of seagrass habitat mapped using Landsat imagery (R2 = 94%, n=7, P=0.002). The trial movement study (n = 5 tags) showed that dugongs in the Kimberley can move long distances over short periods of time. An adult female accumulated 325 km over 14 days (23.2 km.day-1) and was 75 km from her capture point. A young adult male accumulated 1,160 km over 78 days (14.9 km.day-1) and was 85 km from his capture point. These results overall indicate that dugong management in the Kimberley is both a local and regional-scale issue that crosses all jurisdictional boundaries. The Bayesian likelihood model was used to map and identify important dugong areas and integrates scientific knowledge and TEK. The approach facilitates continuous updates also with new information, a process that underpins adaptive monitoring and management. Current and future risks to dugong populations in the Kimberley need to be continuously monitored and evaluated using assessment frameworks that integrate both scientific knowledge and TEK.




13. Key biological indices required to understand and manage nesting sea turtles along the Kimberley coast

Author: Scott Whiting

Collaborators: Tony Tucker, Nicola Mitchell, Oliver Berry, Blair Bentley, Nancy FitzSimmons, Kellie Pendoley

Institution/s: DBCA, UWA, CSIRO, Griffith University, Pendoley Environmental


The tropical Kimberley coastline provides island and mainland sea turtle nesting habitat stretching across 12000 km of coastline, including 2500 islands. Human interactions with turtles in the Kimberley span millennia for Indigenous Australians, a few hundred years for eastern Indonesian fishers and European explorers, but merely the past few decades for industry and tourism development. The Kimberley still lacks comprehensive western science about fundamental turtle population parameters such as the spatial and temporal distribution of turtle nesting. For each species, rookery locations, nesting seasonality and identified genetic stocks provide the minimum information needed to design long term monitoring, to understand threatening processes, and to assist in identifying key management actions. This project combined western science, Indigenous and local knowledge to plan research across the entire Kimberley coast. Our goals were to map and verify turtle nesting locations, identify genetic stocks of flatback and green turtles and to investigate the impact of various climate change scenarios on primary sex ratios and embryonic survival. We found that 1) green and flatback turtles nest in nationally and internationally significant numbers, 2) flatback turtles have two nesting peaks with summer nesting occurring mostly to the west and winter nesting occurring mostly to the east of the Dampier Peninsula, 3) green turtles have a single summer nesting peak with sporadic nesting occurring throughout the year, 4) hawksbill nesting was recorded but the full extent was not determined, 5) flatback turtles exist in as three genetic stocks in the Kimberley, 6) Kimberley and Pilbara green turtles showed genetic differentiation, 7) green turtle populations showed weak genetic differentiation within the northwest Shelf and Scott/Browse stock, 8) pivotal incubation temperatures and development rates differ between and within species and genetic stocks, and 9) mechanistic models predicated that winter nesting flatback turtles were the most likely to develop female-skewed sex ratios under climate change scenarios for 2070. This project spanned the Kimberley from the NT border to the southern end of Eighty Mile Beach and worked with 11 Traditional Owner groups comprising Miruwung Gajerrong, Balanggarra, Wunambal Gaambera, Dambimangarri, Mayala, Bardi Jawi, Nyul Nyul, Yawuru, KariJarri, Nyangumarta, and Ngarla Traditional Owners. Members of this consortium will continue to ensure that information produced from this project is provided in a format best suited to managers and local stakeholders.



14. Saltwater crocodiles in the Kimberley

Author: Andrew Halford

Collaborators: Daniel Barrow

Institution/s: Dept. Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions


Saltwater crocodile populations have been protected in Australia since 1969 when decades of unregulated hunting had driven down numbers across the Kimberley and the Northern Territory (NT) to < 8000 individuals. Since the advent of protection considerable research has been conducted on crocodile populations however the geographic focus has been in the NT where annual surveys of crocodiles since 1975 have demonstrated a spectacular recovery with population densities now at carrying capacity in many river systems. In contrast, prior to our 2015 surveys there had been no surveys in the West Kimberley since those of Professor Harry Messel and colleagues in 1986, some 30 years ago. At that time the total population of the West Kimberley was estimated at ~2,500 adults.

In late July and early August 2015 we surveyed the Prince Regent and Roe-Hunter River systems, recognised as the two most favourable systems for crocodiles along the West Kimberley coast. We counted a total of 626 non-hatchling crocodiles within the Prince Regent River system along with 82 hatchlings, equating to a 259% increase in the abundance of non-hatchling crocodiles over 29 years. Within the Roe-Hunter river system we counted 545 non-hatchling crocodiles and 131 hatchlings, equating to a 207% increase. As well as more animals the size structure of the populations in 2015 had shifted with a greater abundance of larger crocodiles (>1.8m), which is in accordance with what is known about recovery trends in crocodile populations in the NT.

To put our results in context the abundance and biomass of crocodiles in the West Kimberley rivers was compared to rivers in the NT with similar linear river lengths (as much as was possible) and relatively stable crocodile populations. We also compared genetic structure between the two regions to understand the degree of connectivity. We found a density of 3.04 non-hatchling crocodiles per km of river in the Prince Regent River system compared to 4.18 crocodiles per km in the Adelaide River. The disparity in biomass density was even greater, with 74.3kg per km of river compared with 274.02kg on the Adelaide River. This difference in biomass is due to the number of very large crocodiles (>3m), of which only 5 were seen on the Prince Regent River system compared to 63 counted in the Adelaide River in the same year. In the Roe-Hunter river system we found a density of 5.2 non-hatchling crocodiles per km of river compared to 6.6 crocodiles per km in the Daly River. The disparity in biomass density was even greater, with 134.9kg per km of river compared with 601kg per km on the Daly River. This difference in biomass is also due to the number of very large crocodiles (>3m) with only 24 seen on the Roe-Hunter river system compared to 84 counted in the Daley River in 2016. Genetics analyses also revealed complete separation between west Kimberley and NT crocodile populations.

Because of the clear differences in geomorphology of West Kimberley river systems it remains uncertain whether the dynamics of crocodile recovery will continue to closely mirror the NT systems. Less appropriate nesting habitat at the regional scale is a potential bottleneck of unknown magnitude but, if significant, could be expected to slow recovery dynamics relative to the NT. Nevertheless with over 200 hatchlings sited across both systems in 2015 there is clearly active recruitment into the population. Recruitment success is nevertheless closely tied to summer rainfall patterns and there can be large fluctuations from year to year. Kimberley rivers might eventually hold similar densities



of crocodiles to the NT but it is equally possible that the major geomorphological differences may limit population size and structure to a lower level than is seen in the NT.



15. Physical oceanographic dynamics in the Kimberley (2.2.1)

Author: Gregory Ivey1

Collaborators: Richard Brinkman2, Ryan Lowe1, Nicole Jones1, Graham Symonds3, Alexis Espinosa-Gayosso1

Institution/s: 1University of Western Australia; 2Australian Institute of Marine Science; 3CSIRO


The project quantified the physical oceanographic dynamics in the coastal Kimberley region by undertaking an integrated field observational program, in the system-representative Collier Bay/Camden Sound region, and the development of a field-validated three-dimensional hydrodynamic model, with domain extending from the coast to the shelf waters. The field study involved both mooring and ship-based observations and the modelling was done with the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS).

At local scale, an intensive field study on Tallon Reef has shown a key feature of the over-reef flows is the reef drainage time-scale during ebb tide periods is long and dependent on the reef morphology, tidal range and friction associated with the bottom roughness. Reefs have evolved so this drainage time is long compared to the tidal period, thus ensuring reefs effectively remain submerged (and hence survive) over the full tidal cycle.

Wind-forcing and baroclinic forcing, due to density differences between fresh and ocean water, are both of only secondary importance. The dominant forcing is the M2 tide with a 12.4hr period, and the currents and associated turbulence over the hydraulically rough bottom ensures the water column is vertically near well-mixed over the entire annual cycle, in water depths up to approximately 50 m. Despite the very large instantaneous currents up to 3 m/s, it is the tidal residual currents averaged, over a full tidal period, that drive net flushing of the coastal waters.

The dry season occupies most of the annual cycle and the mechanism of flushing is the entry of open ocean water entering and diluting the coastal waters. The Bay-scale average flushing times is around 60-80 days, but there is a near 7-fold variation in this time at different portions of the Bay. During the wet season some regions are additionally flushed by fresh water input from the catchment, reducing local flushing times by up to 50%.

These physical oceanographic dynamics in the coastal Kimberley, in turn, strongly influence the biological processes.



16. Terrestrial-Ocean Linkages: the role of rivers and estuaries in sustaining marine productivity in the Kimberley

Author: Nicole Jones and Andrew Revill

Collaborators: Matthew R. Hipsey, Louise C. Bruce,

Richard P. Silberstein, Miles Furnas, Michael Donn, Alexis Espinosa, Renee Gruber, Wencai Zhou

Institution/s: CSIRO, UWA, AIMS


The Kimberley Marine Research Program (KMRP) Project 2.2.6 represents the first attempt to characterise the interaction between largely undeveloped catchments and the coastal environment of the Kimberley and the role large coastal inlets and embayments play in transforming material transported from those catchments. This project also attempts to provide the first assessment of how future changes in climate might impact these processes. Walcott Inlet, which flows into Collier Bay, was the focus estuary used for the development of catchment-based modelling tools that estimate freshwater discharge and the delivery of nutrients to inshore coastal environments.

Walcott Inlet appears to be a carbon poor environment where labile carbon from algae is rapidly re-mineralised by bacteria. There is evidence that large amounts of more recalcitrant terrestrial material may be transported into the inlet during high flow events, but there is little evidence that this becomes incorporated into sediments suggesting it is most likely transported directly through the inlet. However, Terrestrially derived nutrients can constitute significant proportions of total nutrient load in Walcott Inlet. Seasonal tropical low and cyclone events lead to episodic high river flows, which bring large loads of sediments and nutrients into the coastal environment. The physical circulation model demonstrates that the complex bathymetry of the estuary-bay system leads to long residence times in some regions and discrete pathways of bay-ocean exchange. However, the physical-biogeochemical model shows that terrestrial nitrogen is rapidly consumed within the estuaries and the maximum extent was achieved during peak flows, i.e., 50% of the terrestrial contribution remained just 30 km from the mouth of Walcott Inlet. We determined that terrestrially derived N is only important to gross primary production (GPP) within the estuaries, where much higher GPP is sustained.

Management of catchments and/or rivers needs to consider the system as a whole and requires a greater understanding of the origins of the material being delivered into the coastal environment.



17. Opposite polarities of ENSO drive distinct patterns of coral bleaching potentials off WA coast

Author: Ming Feng

Collaborators: Ningning Zhang, Harry Hendon, Alistair Hobday, Jens Zinke

Institution/s: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere; Ocean University of China; Bureau of Meteorology; Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin


Episodic anomalously warm sea surface temperature (SST) extremes, or marine heatwaves (MHWs), amplify ocean warming effects and may lead to severe impacts on marine ecosystems. MHW-induced coral bleaching events have been observed frequently in recent decades off the coast of Western Australia, a region traditionally regarded to have resilience to global warming. In this study, we assess the contribution of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) to MHWs across the mostly understudied reefs in the region. We find that in extended summer months, the MHWs at tropical and subtropical reefs (divided at ~20ºS) are driven by opposite ENSO polarities: MHWs are more likely to occur at the tropical reefs during eastern Pacific El Niño, driven by enhanced solar radiation and weaker Australian Monsoon, some likely alleviated by positive Indian Ocean Dipole events, and at the subtropical reefs during central Pacific La Niña, mainly caused by increased horizontal heat transport, and in some cases reinforced by local air-sea interactions. Madden-Julian Oscillations (MJO) also modulate the MHW occurrences. Projected future increases in ENSO and MJO intensity with greenhouse warming will enhance thermal stress across the SEIO. Implementing forecasting systems of MHWs can be used to anticipate future coral bleaching patterns and prepare management responses.




18. Knowledge Integration and Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) Modelling

Author: Fabio Boschetti1, Hector Lozano-Montes1, Brad Stelfox4, Catherine Bulman3, Joanna Strzelecki1, Michael Hughes2

Collaborators:

Institution/s: 1CSIRO, Ocean and Atmosphere Flagship, Floreat, Western Australia, Australia 2Curtin Sustainable Tourism Centre, Curtin University, Western Australia, Australia 3CSIRO, Ocean and Atmosphere Flagship, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

4ALCES Group, Calgary, Alberta, Canada


The Kimberley Marine Research Program (KMRP) Project 2.2.8 represents the first attempt to integrate a large amount of data, knowledge and state-of-the-art understanding of the bio-physical, ecological and social processes affecting the Kimberley marine environment drawing in new information generated by several of the KMRP projects within the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) program. This information was used to parameterise two computer models (ALCES and Ecopath with Ecosim [EwE]) to simulate land, coastal and marine processes.

A careful examination of a large volume of publications from the academic, private and public sectors allowed a number of climate and social economic development scenarios that the Kimberley region may experience in the decades to come to be developed. Computer simulations were used to test the Kimberley system’s responses to these alternative scenarios under a number of management strategies including current and proposed marine parks under different options of zoning and multiple uses. Both the scenarios and management strategies were selected and agreed upon in consultation with a number of stakeholder groups, including the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (formerly Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions), The Kimberley Development Commission, WA State Development Department, WA Fisheries, Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (formerly WA Department of Mines and Petroleum), among others. The analysis of the impacts of these scenarios and management strategies sheds light on a range of future states the Kimberley marine environment may experience during the 2015 to 2050 period.

The outcome of this project is a very large set of simulation outputs representing the dynamical evolution of the land, coastal and marine environments over 35 years. This includes hundreds of regional maps and thousands of time series of environmental, social and economic indicators. All these results are now publically available and can be viewed at http://www.wamsi.org.au/research-site/modelling-future-kimberley-region.

In this talk we summarise the approach taken to data collection and model implementation, the method employed to identify the scenarios and management strategies of interest, how we interpreted the models’ results and the core messages of management significance. Finally, we discuss the important legacy this project leaves to future scientific and management work in the region.

http://www.wamsi.org.au/research-site/modelling-future-kimberley-region

http://www.wamsi.org.au/research-site/modelling-future-kimberley-region



WAMSI Research Contacts Name Organisation Email Azmi, Muhammad Australian Institute of Marine Science [email protected]

Bayliss, Peter CSIRO [email protected]

Beckley, Lynnath Murdoch University [email protected]

Bejdar, Lars Murdoch University [email protected]

Berry, Oliver CSIRO [email protected]

Boschetti, Fabio CSIRO [email protected]

Bufarale, Giada Curtin University [email protected]

Crane, Kevin Department of Water and Environmental Regulation

[email protected]

Duckworth, Alan Australian Institute of Marine Science [email protected]

Fearns, Peter Curtin University [email protected]

Feng, Ming CSIRO [email protected]

Field, Stuart Department Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions

[email protected]

Fisher, Rebecca Australian Institute of Marine Science [email protected]

Gilmour, James Australian Institute of Marine Science [email protected]

Halford, Andrew Department Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions

[email protected]

Harvey, Euan Curtin University [email protected]

Hemawan, Udhi Edith Cowan University [email protected]

Heyward, Andrew Australian Institute of Marine Science [email protected]

Hipsey, Matthew The University of Western Australia [email protected]

Ivey, Greg Australian Institute of Marine Science [email protected]

Jones, Ross Australian Institute of Marine Science [email protected]

Keesing, John CSIRO [email protected]

Kendrick, Gary The University of Western Australia [email protected]

Kobryn, Halina Murdoch University [email protected]



























Kordi, Moataz Curtin University [email protected]

Lavery, Paul Edith Cowan University [email protected]

Lowe, Ryan The University of Western Australia [email protected]

Masini, Ray Department of Water and Environmental Regulation

[email protected]

McMahon, Kathryn Edith Cowan University [email protected]

Mills, Des Marine Environmental Reviews [email protected]

Negri, Andrew Australian Institute of Marine Science [email protected]

Pineda, Mari-Carmenh Australian Institute of Marine Science [email protected]

Revill, Andrew CSIRO [email protected]

Ricardo, Gerard Australian Institute of Marine Science [email protected]

Rogers, Danny Australasian Wader Studies Group [email protected]

Schoepf, Verena The University of Western Australia [email protected]

Statton, John The University of Western Australia [email protected]

Stevens, Alexandra Curtin University [email protected]

Sutton, Alicia Murdoch University [email protected]

Symonds, Graham CSIRO [email protected]

Strickland-Munro, Jennifer

Murdoch University [email protected]

Vanderklift, Mat CSIRO [email protected]

Thums, Michelle Australian Institute of Marine Science [email protected]

Waples, Kelly Department Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions

[email protected]

Webster, Nicole Australian Institute of Marine Science [email protected]

Whinney, James James Cook University, Townsville [email protected]

Whiting, Scott Department Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions

[email protected]
























Documents

Kimberley Marine Research Program - WAMSI · Day 2 – Wednesday, 29th November 2017 Session 1 Best practice indigenous engagement for healthy country management Chair: Stuart Field,