State and trends in indicators of marine ecosystem health

Marine environment (2016, 2011)

State and trends in indicators of marine ecosystem health

This assessment summary has changed since 2011

This assessment summary combines ecological processes, physical & chemical processes and pests, introduced species. diseases and algal blooms

State and trends of ecological processes

State and trends of physical and chemical processes

State and trends of pests, introduced species, diseases and algal blooms

State and trends of the national marine environment

State and trends in indicators of marine ecosystem health

Water turbidity, transparency and colour

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011.

The assessment title was revised to maintain distinction between coastal and marine environments for the purposes of the report.
This component was included in a different summary

The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between reporting cycles.

Inshore water turbidity, transparency and colour

State and trends of physical and chemical processes

Relatively limited areas of naturally high turbidity are found in open-water regions

Year(s):

2016

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Adequate

Comparability (to previous reports):

Somewhat comparable

Water turbidity, transparency and colour

20162011

Marine environment

State and trends

Approach/Process

Satellite-detected ocean colour data can be converted to a range of estimates of water transparency. This conversion followed the method developed by Morel et al., 2007. SD depth is computed from the corresponding merged CHL1 products (weighted method), using the following empirical equation: SD depth = 8.5 − 12.6y + 7.36y 2 − 1.43y 3 with y = log₁₀(CHL1). The detection of trends should be robust to the rapid rate of technological improvements to sensors, improvements in spatial resolution and improvements in validation. The global use of these data and the ongoing technological improvements will make the approach used here better in the future.

The measurement of water transparency using Secchi disk depth has a very long history, is widely used across the planet and is very inexpensive (Tyler, 1968).

The combination of remote sensing and direct observations provides a powerful tool for the assessment environmental condition and status.

Average from about 2008 to 2014 (= state) and simple linear regressions fit to seasonally detrended in situ Secchi disk data from each NRS (= trend). Regional scale (10°S to 45°S and 105°E to 160°E) average for December 2015 (=state) and simple linear regression from 1997 to 2015 for December regional average (= trend).

Further information on the assessment process can be accessed through the Australian Ocean Data Network SoE Metadata catalogue at http://catalogue.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/metadata.show?uuid=67f99849-4bdc-4531-a69b-2022e9d03fb8.

Tyler, 1968

Tyler JE (1968). The Secchi disk. Limnology and Oceanography, 1-6.

Morel et al., 2007

Morel A, Huot Y, Gentili B, Werdell PJ, Hooker SB & Franz BA (2007). Examining the consistency of products derived from various ocean color sensors in open ocean (Case 1) waters in the perspective of a multi-sensor approach. Remote Sensing of Environment, 69-88.

Comments

Nil.

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Substantial changes to inshore water conditions and processes in the south-east

Year(s):

2011

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Limited

Confidence (in trend):

Limited

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Connectivity based on physical processes

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011.

Connectivity within the marine environment is predominantly driven by physical processes which influence spatial/physical disjunctions, biological, migration , flyways, recruitment, settlement, genome structures, genetic adaptation. The assessments were merged and the title revised to reflect the primary driver of connectivity in the marine environment and focus the assessment on an area where the most information is available.

The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between reporting cycles.

Connectivity—biological, migration, flyways

Connectivity—genome structures, genetic adaptation

Connectivity—recruitment, settlement

Connectivity—spatial/physical disjunctions

Connectivity between regions is influenced by physical processes and is highly dynamic. Changes in physical processes associated with climate change are assumed to be impacting connectivity, with varying effects on marine populations.

Year(s):

2016

Unclear

Confidence (in grade):

Low

Confidence (in trend):

Low

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not comparable

Connectivity based on physical processes

20162011

Marine environment

State and trends

Approach/Process

Literature review. Data sources used include CSIRO for dispersal models (Bluelink – BRAN product), IMOS for ocean current data, report cards for connectivity indicators - http://ghhp.org.au/report-cards/2015/environmental.

Coleman et al. 2013

Coleman MA, Feng M, Roughan M, Cetina-Heredia P & Connell SD (2013). Temperate shelf water dispersal by Australian boundary currents: Implications for population connectivity. Limnology and Oceanography: Fluids and Environments, 295-309.

Curley et al. 2013

Curley BG, Jordan AR, Figueira WF & Valanzuela VC (2013). A review of the biology and ecology of key fishes targeted by coastal fisheries in south-east Australia: identifying critical knowledge gaps required to improve spatial management. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 435-458.

Feng et al. 2010

Feng M, McPhaden MJ & Lee T (2010). Decadal variability of the Pacific subtropical cells and their influence on the southeast Indian Ocean. Geophysical Research Letters 37:L09606, doi:10.1029/2010GL042796.

Frusher et al. 2014

Frusher SD, Hobday AJ, Jennings SM, Creighton C, D'Silva D, Haward M, Holbrook NJ, Nursey-Bray M, Pecl GT & van Putten EI (2014). The short history of research in a marine climate change hotspot: from anecdote to adaptation in south-east Australia. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 24:593-611.

Hock et al. 2014

Hock K, Wolff NH, Condie SA, Anthony KRN & Mumby PJ (2014). Connectivity networks reveal the risks of crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef. Journal of Applied Ecology 51:1188–1196.

Johnson et al. 2011

Johnson CR, Banks SC, Barrett NS, Cazzasus F, Dunstan PK, Edgar GJ, Frusher SD, Gardner C, Helidoniotis F, Hill KL, Holbrook NJ, Hosie GW, Last PR, Ling SC, Melbourne-Thomas J, Miller K, Pecl GT, Richardson AJ, Ridgway KR, Rintoul SR, Ritz DA, Ross DJ, Sanderson JC, Shepherd S, Slotwinski A, Swadling KM & Taw N (2011). Climate change cascades: shifts in oceanography, species’ ranges and marine community dynamics in eastern Tasmania. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 400:17–32.

Pearce & Feng 2007

Pearce A & Feng M (2007). Observations of warming on the Western Australian continental shelf. Marine and Freshwater Research, 914-920.

Ridgway 2007

Ridgway KR (2007). Long-term trend and decadal variability of the southward penetration of the East Australian Current.Geophysical Research Letters 34:L13613, doi:10.1029/2007GL030393.

Sun et al. 2012

Sun C, Feng M, Matear RJ, Chamberlain MA, Craig P, Ridgway KR & Schiller A (2012). Marine downscaling of a future climate scenario for Australian boundary currents. Journal of Climate 25:2947–2962.

Sunday et al. 2015

Sunday JM, Pecl GT, Frusher S, Hobday AJ, Hill N, Holbrook NJ, Edgar GJ, Stuart-Smith R, Barrett N, Wernberg T, Watson R, Smale DA, Fulton EA, Slawinski D, Feng M, Radford BT, Thompson PA & Bates AE (2015). Species traits and climate velocity explain geographic range shifts in an ocean warming hotspot. Ecology Letters 18:944–953.

Tracey et al. 2012

Tracey SR, Hartmann K & Hobday AJ (2012). The effect of dispersal and temperature on the early life history of a temperate marine fish. Fisheries Oceanography, 21(5):336-347.

Vergés et al. 2014

Vergés, A., Steinberg, P. D., Hay, M. E., Poore, A. G., Campbell, A. H., Ballesteros, E., Heck, K. L., Booth, D. J., Coleman, M. A. & Feary, D. A.. 2014. The tropicalization of temperate marine ecosystems: climate-mediated changes in herbivory and community phase shifts. Proc. R. Soc. B, The Royal Society20140846.

Wernberg et al. 2013

Wernberg T, Smale DA, Tuya F, Thomsen MS, Langlois TJ, De Bettignies T, Bennett S & Rousseaux CS (2013). An extreme climatic event alters marine ecosystem structure in a global biodiversity hotspot. Nature Climate Change, 3:78-82.

Comments

In relation to the assessment grade of 'Not assessed, currently available data are not extensive enough to generate a definitive rating, although attempts were made to assess this pressure. The pressure could be better described as 'Unclear'—a rating not available to the authors.

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Connectivity—biological, migration, flyways

South-east in poor condition and continues to decline

Year(s):

2011

Deteriorating

Confidence (in grade):

Limited

Confidence (in trend):

Limited

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Connectivity—genome structures, genetic adaptation

Knowledge base very limited and condition hard to assess

Year(s):

2011

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Limited

Confidence (in trend):

Limited

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Connectivity—recruitment, settlement

Variable across the regions, improving in some and declining in others

Year(s):

2011

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Limited

Confidence (in trend):

Limited

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Connectivity—spatial/physical disjunctions

South-east has been significantly affected

Year(s):

2011

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Limited

Confidence (in trend):

Limited

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Trophic structures and relationships

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011.

This component was included in a different summary

The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between reporting cycles.

State and trends of ecological processes

Current state is highly variable. Locations highly impacted by climate or cumulative pressures are poor, whereas other locations are stable and in good condition.

Year(s):

2016

Unclear

Confidence (in grade):

Somewhat adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Low

Comparability (to previous reports):

Somewhat comparable

Trophic structures and relationships

20162011

Marine environment

State and trends

Approach/Process

A random effects model was used to look at trends through time using diet data from south-east and Western Australia as well as information published in peer-reviewed publications and reports.

Bennett et al. 2015c

Bennett S, Wernberg T, Harvey ES, Santana-Garcon J & Saunders BJ (2015c). Tropical herbivores provide resilience to a climate-mediated phase shift on temperate reefs. Ecology Letters, 18(7):714-723.

Briceño et al. 2015

Briceño F, León R, Gardner C, Hobday AJ, André J, Frusher SD & Pecl GT (2015). Spatial variation in mortality by in-pot predation in the Tasmanian rock lobster fishery. Fisheries Oceanography, 25(S1):6-18.

Bruce 2014

Bruce B (2014). Shark futures: a synthesis of available data on Mako and Porbeagle sharks in Australasian waters: current status and future directions, Fisheries Research & Development Corporation.

Bulman 2002

Bulman C (2002). Trophic ecology and food web modelling of mid-slope demersal fishes off southern Tasmania, Australia, University of Tasmania.

Bulman et al. 2002

Bulman CM, Butler AJ, Condie SA, Ridgway KR, Koslow JA, He MX, Williams A, Bravington M, Stevens JD & Young JW (2002). A trophodynamic model for the Tasmanian seamounts marine reserve: links between pelagic and deepwater ecosystems, CSIRO Marine Research, Hobart, Tasmania, Commercial-in-confidence report for Environment Australia.

Bulman et al.

Bulman, C., Chiaradia, A., Kirkwood, R. and Dann, P., Modelling the marine ecosystem within the foraging zone of Phillip Island Little Penguins: report on the 2011/12 PINP Fellowship, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research & Research Department, Phillip Island.

Bulman et al. 2006

Bulman C, Condie S, Furlani D, Cahill M, Klaer N, Goldsworthy S & Knuckey I (2006). Trophic dynamics of the eastern shelf and slope of the South East Fishery: impacts of and on the fishery, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Hobart, Tasmania, FRDC project no. 2002/028.

Bulman et al. 2012

Bulman CM, Condie SA, Neira FJ, Goldsworthy SD & Fulton EA (2012). The trophodynamics of small pelagic fishes in the southern Australian ecosystem and the implications for ecosystem modelling of southern temperate fisheries, final report 2008/023 to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Hobart.

AFMA 2010

AFMA (2010). Norfolk Island Inshore Fishery data summary 2006-2009, Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Canberra.

Fletcher & Santoro 2015

Fletcher WJ & Santoro K (eds) (2015). Status reports of the fisheries and aquatic resources of Western Australia 2014/15: the state of the fisheries, Western Australian Department of Fisheries, Perth.

Flood et al. 2014

Flood M, Stobutzki I, Andrews J, Ashby C, Begg G, Fletcher R, Gardner C, Georgeson L, Hansen S, Hartmann K, Hone P, Horvat P, Maloney L, McDonald B, Moore A, Roelofs A, Sainsbury K, Saunders T, Smith T, Stewardson C, Stewart J & Wise B (eds) (2014). Status of key Australian fish stocks reports 2014, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Canberra.

Ford & Gilmour 2013

Ford J & Gilmour P (2013) The state of recreational fishing in Victoria: a review of ecological sustainability and management options, Report to the Victorian National Parks Association, Melbourne.

Forrest 2008

Forrest R (2008). Simulation models for estimating productivity and trade-offs in the data-limited fisheries of New South Wales, Australia, UBD.

French et al. 2013

French B, Potter IC, Platell ME & Clarke K (2013) Determination of the diets of snapper and silver trevally and construction of a food web for the demersal fish community in south-western Australia, Final report for FRDC project no. 2009/006.

Fulton et al. 2005

Fulton EA, Fuller M, Smith ADM & Punt A (2005). Ecological indicators of the ecosystem effects of fishing: final report, report R99/1546, CSIRO, Hobart, & Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Canberra.

Fulton et al. 2012

Fulton E, Johnson P & Gorton R (2012). 2010/023 Quantitative testing of fisheries management arrangements under climate change using Atlantis: Appendix 3. ) SE fisheries & climate simulations: barriers to adaptation. Australia: CSIRO.

Fulton & Gorton 2014

Fulton E & Gorton R (2014). Adaptive futures for SE Australian fisheries & aquaculture: climate adaptation simulations, Australia, CSIRO.

Georgeson et al. 2014

Georgeson L, Stobutzki I & Curtotti R (2014). Fishery status reports 2013-14, Canberra, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.

Gillanders et al. 2015

Gillanders BM, Goldsworthy S, Prowse TAA, Doubell M, Middleton J, Rogers P, Tanner JE, Clisby NA, James C, Luick J, van Ruth P, Bradshaw CJA & Ward TM (2015). Spencer Gulf research initiative: Development of an ecosystem model for fisheries and aquaculture, Adelaide, University of Adelaide and SARDI Aquatic Sciences.

Giri & Hall 2015

Giri K & Hall K (2015). South Australian recreational fishing survey 2013/14, Fisheries Victoria Internal Report Series, no. 62, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Melbourne.

Goldsworthy et al. 2013

Goldsworthy SD, Page B, Rogers PJ, Bulman C, Wiebkin A, McLeay LJ, Einoder L, Baylis AMM, Braley M, Caines R, Daly K, Huveneers C, Peters K, Lowther AD & Ward TM (2013). Trophodynamics of the eastern Great Australian Bight ecosystem: ecological change associated with the growth of Australiaâs largest fishery. Ecological Modelling, 38-57.

GBRMPA 2014

GBRMPA (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority) (2014a). Great Barrier Reef outlook report 2014, GBRMPA, Townsville.

Hobday et al. 2008

Hobday AJ, Poloczanska ES & Matear RJ (2008). Implications of climate change for Australian fisheries and aquaculture: a preliminary assessment, report to the Department of Climate Change, Canberra.

Hobday et al. 2009

Hobday, A. J., Griffiths, S. and Ward, T. 2009. Pelagic fishes and sharks. A marine climate change impacts and adaptation report card for Australia 2009. NCCARF.

Klaer 2005

Klaer N (2005). Changes in the structure of demersal fish communities of the south east Australian continental shelf from 1915 to 1961. PhD thesis, University of Canberra.

Last et al. 2011

Last PR, White WT, Gledhill DC, Hobday AJ, Brown R, Edgar GJ & Pecl GT (2011a). Long-term shifts in abundance and distribution of a temperate fish fauna: a response to climate change and fishing practices. Global Ecology & Biogeography, 20:58–72.

Loneragan et al. 2010

Loneragan NR, Babcock RC, Lozano-Montes H & Dambacher JM (2010). Evaluating how food webs and the fisheries they support are affected by fishing closures in Jurien Bay, temperate Western Australia, Final report for FRDC project 2006/038.

Lozano-Montes et al. 2011

Lozano-Montes HM, Loneragan NR, Babcock RC & Jackson K (2011). Using trophic flows and ecosystem structure to model the effects of fishing in the Jurien Bay Marine Park, temperate Western Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research, 421-431.

Lyle et al. 2014

Lyle JM, Stark KE & Tracey SR (2014). 2012–13 survey of recreational fishing in Tasmania, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania.

Johnson et al. 2010

Johnson, P., Bulman, C., Fulton, B. and Smith, T. 2010. MSC Low Trophic Level Project: South eastern Australian case study. Marine Stewardship Council Science Series, 111-170.

Moore & Mazur 2015

Moore A & Mazur K (2015). Small Pelagic Fishery. In: Patterson H, Georgeson L, Stobutzki I & Curtotti R (eds), Fishery status reports 2015, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, Canberra, 90–110.

Neira & Lyle 2011

Neira FJ & Lyle JM (2011). DEPM-based spawning biomass of Emmelichthys nitidus (Emmelichthyidae) to underpin a developing mid-water trawl fishery in south-eastern Australia. Fisheries Research, 110:236-243.

Neira et al. 2008

Neira FJ, Lyle JM, Ewing GP, Keane JP & Tracey SR (2008). Evaluation of egg production as a method of estimating spawning biomass of redbait off the east coast of Tasmania, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, Hobart, Final report for FRDC project no. 2004/039.

Patterson et al. 2015

Patterson H, Georgeson L, Stobutzki I & Curtotti R (eds) (2015a). Fishery status reports 2015, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, Canberra.

Ryan et al. 2015

Ryan KL, Hall NG, Lai EK, Smallwood CB, Taylor SM & Wise BS (2015). State-wide survey of boat-based recreational fishing in Western Australia 2013/14, Fisheries Research Report 268, Western Australian Department of Fisheries, Perth.

Ryan et al. 2013

Ryan KL, Wise BS, Hall NG, Pollock KH, Sulin EH & Gaughan DJ (2013). An integrated system to survey boat-based recreational fishing in Western Australia 2011/12, Western Australian Department of Fisheries, Fisheries research report no. 249.

Savina et al. 2008

Savina M, Fulton EA, Condie S, Forrest RE, Scandol JP & Astles K (2008). Ecologically sustainable development of the regional marine and estuarine resources of NSW: modelling of the NSW continental shelf ecosystem, CSIRO, Hobart.

Smith et al. 2011

Smith ADM, Brown CJ, Bulman CM, Fulton EA, Johnson P, Kaplan IC, Lozano-Montes H, Mackinson S, Marzloff M, Shannon LJ, Shin Y-J & Tam J (2011). Impacts of fishing low-trophic level species on marine ecosystems. Science 333:1147–1150.

Smith et al. 2015

Smith ADM, Ward TM, Hurtado F, Klaer N, Fulton E & Punt AE (2015). Review and update of harvest strategy settings for the Commonwealth Small Pelagic Fishery: single species and ecosystem considerations, final report 2013/028 to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, CSIRO, Hobart.

DAF 2016

DAF (2016). 2013/14 Statewide and Regional Recreational Fishing Survey key results [Online]. Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Available: https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/fisheries/monitoring-our-fisheries/statewide-and-regional-recreational-fishing-survey.

Sunday et al. 2015

Thomson et al. 2015

Thomson JA, Burkholder DA, Heithaus MR, Fourqurean JW, Fraser M, Statton J & Kendrick G (2015). Extreme temperatures, foundation species, and abrupt ecosystem change: an example from an iconic seagrass ecosystem. Global Change Biology, 1463-1474.

Virtue et al. 2011

Virtue P, Green C, Pethybridge H, Moltschaniwskyj N, Wotherspoon S & Jackson G (2011). Arrow squid: stock variability, fishing techniques, trophic linkagesâfacing the challenges, Fisheries Research & Development Corporation, FRDC final report 2006/12.

Ward et al. 2015a

Ward TM, Burnell O, Ivey A, Carroll J, Keane J, Lyle J & Sexton S (2015) Summer spawning patterns and preliminary daily egg production survey of jack mackerel and Australian sardine off the east coast, South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide, Final report to FRDC project no. 2013/053.

Ward et al. 2015b

Ward TM, Whitten AR & Ivey AR (2015b). South Australian Sardine (Sardinops sagax) Fishery: Stock Assessment Report 2015, South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide, SARDI research report series 877.

Watson et al. 2013

Watson RA, Nowara GB, Tracey SR, Fulton EA, Bulman CM, Edgar GJ, Barrett NS, Lyle JM, Frusher SD & Buxton C (2013). Ecosystem model of Tasmanian waters explores impacts of climate-change induced changes in primary productivity. Ecosystem model of Tasmanian waters explores impacts of climate-change induced changes in primary productivity, 115-129.

Wernberg et al. 2013

West et al. 2012

West LD, Lyle JM, Matthews SR, Stark KE & Steffe AS (2012). Survey of recreational fishing in the Northern Territory 2009–10, Fishery Report 109, Northern Territory Government, Darwin.

Comments

Nil.

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

South-west and north-west are in poor condition, substantially affected by historical and ongoing fishing

Year(s):

2011

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Limited

Confidence (in trend):

Limited

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Marine microbial communities and processes

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011.

The assessment title was revised to support provision a comprehensive assessment for the marine environment.
This component was included in a different summary

The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between reporting cycles.

Microbial processes

State and trends in indicators of marine ecosystem health

Methods for the assessment of communities have only recently become available and the development of baselines has only just started, so an assessment of status and trends is not possible.

Year(s):

2016

Unclear

Confidence (in grade):

Low

Confidence (in trend):

Low

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not comparable

Marine microbial communities and processes

20162011

Marine environment

State and trends

Approach/Process

An assessment of the information currently available.

Beman & Carolan 2013

Beman JM & Carolan MT (2013). Deoxygenation alters bacterial diversity and community composition in the ocean's largest oxygen minimum zone. Nature Communications, 2705.

Brown et al. 2009

Brown MV, Philip GK, Bunge JA, Smith MC, Bissett A, Lauro FM, Fuhrman JA & Donachie SP (2009). Microbial community structure in the North Pacific Ocean. The ISME Journal, 1374-1386.

Brown et al. 2012

Brown MV, Lauro FM, DeMaere MZ, Muir L, Wilkins D, Thomas T, Riddle MJ, Fuhrman JE, Andrews-Pfannkoch C, Hoffman JM, McQuaid JB, Allen A, Rintoul SR & Cavicchiolia R (2012). Global biogeography of SAR11 marine bacteria. Molecular Systems Biology, 595.

Brown et al. 2014

Brown MV, Ostrowski M, Grzymski JJ & Lauro FM (2014). A trait based perspective on the biogeography of common and abundant marine bacterioplankton clades. Marine Genomics, 17-28.

Canfield et al. 2010

Canfield DE, Stewart FJ, Thamdrup B, De Brabandere L, Dalsgaard T, Delong EF, Revsbech NP & Ulloa O (2010). A cryptic sulfur cycle in oxygen-minimum-zone waters off the Chilean coast. Science, 330(6009):1375-1378.

Carlson et al. 2009

Carlson CA, Morris R, Parsons R, Treusch AH, Giovannoni SJ & Vergin K (2009). Seasonal dynamics of SAR11 populations in the euphotic and mesopelagic zones of the northwestern Sargasso Sea. ISMEJ, 283-295.

D’Souza et al. 2016

D'Souza NA, Subramaniam A, Juhl AR, Hafez M, Chekalyuk A, Phan S, Yan B, MacDonald IR, Weber SC & Montoya JP (2016). Elevated surface chlorophyll associated with natural oil seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. Nature Geosciences, 215-218.

Fuhrman et al. 2006

Fuhrman JA, Hewson I, Schwalbach MS, Steele JA, Brown MV & Naeem S (2006). Annually reoccurring bacterial communities are predictable from ocean conditions. PNAS, 13104-13109.

Giovanonni et al. 2006

Giovanonni SJ, Bibbs J, Cho MD & Stapels R (2006). Genome streamlining in a cosmopolitan marine bacterium. Science, 1242-1245.

Johnson et al. 2006

Johnson, Z. I., Zinser, E. R., Coe, A., McNulty, N. P., Woodward, E. M. and Chisholm, S. W. 2006. Niche partitioning among Prochlorococcus ecotypes along ocean-scale environmental gradients. Science, 1737-1740.

Kalvelage et al. 2015

Kalvelage T, Lavik G, Jensen MM, Revsbech NP, Löscher C, Schunck H, Desai DK, Hauss H, Kiko R, Holtappels M, LaRoche J, Schmitz RA, Graco MI & Kuypers MMM (2015). Aerobic microbial respiration in oceanic oxygen minimum zones. PLos ONE.

Kostka et al. 2011

Kostka JE, Prakash O, Overholt WA, Green SJ, Freyer G, Canion A, Delgardio J, Norton N, Hazen T & Huettel M (20110. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and the bacterial community response in the Gulf of Mexico beach sands impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 7962-7974.

Mazard et al. 2012

Mazard S, Ostrowski M, Partensky F & Scanlan DJ (2012). Multi-locus sequence analysis, taxonomic resolution and biogeography of marine Synechococcus. Environmental Microbiology, 372-386.

Seymour et al. 2012

Seymour JR, Doblin MA, Jeffries TC, Brown MV, Newton K, Ralph P, Baird M & Mitchell JG (2012). Contrasting microbial assemblages in adjacent water masses associated with the East Australian Current. Environmental Microbiology Reports, 548-555.

Ulloa et al. 2012

Ulloa O, Canfield DE, DeLong EF, Letelier RM & Stewart FJ (2012). Microbial oceanography of anoxic oxygen minimum zones. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 15996-16003.

Hobday et al. 2009

Hobday, A. J., Griffiths, S. and Ward, T. 2009. Pelagic fishes and sharks. A marine climate change impacts and adaptation report card for Australia 2009. NCCARF.

Comments

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Knowledge base very limited and condition hard to assess

Year(s):

2011

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Limited

Confidence (in trend):

Limited

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Primary productivity

Trends are regionally variable and depend on the magnitude and timing of nutrient supply

Year(s):

2016

Improving

Confidence (in grade):

Adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Adequate

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Primary productivity

2016

Marine environment

State and trends

Approach/Process

Linear regression fit to each pixel over the period from 1997 to 2015.

Data used in this assessment are computed from the level 3 (L3) daily global products using one merging method. PP was computed from merged monthly L3 products using the algorithms developed by Antoine and Morel, 1996. Details can be found at http://www.globcolour.info/products_description.html.

Behrenfeld & Falkowski 1997

Behrenfeld MJ & Falkowski PG (1997). Photosynthetic rates derived from satellite-based chlorophyll concentration. Limnology and Oceanography, 42(1):1-20.

Cai 2006

Cai W (2006). Antarctic ozone depletion causes an intensification of the Southern Ocean supergyre circulation. Geophysical Research Letters, L03712.

Carranza & Gille 2015

Carranza MM & Gille ST (2015). Southern Ocean wind-driven entrainment enhances satellite chlorophyll-a through the summer. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 120(1):304-323.

Chavez et al. 2011

Chavez FP, Messié M & Pennington JT (2011). Marine primary production in relation to climate variability and change. Annual Review in Marine Science 3:227–260.

Condie & Dunn 2006

Condie SA & Dunn JR (2006). Seasonal characteristics of the surface mixed layer in the Australasian region: implications for primary production regimes and biogeography. Marine and Freshwater Research 57(6):569–590.

Durack & Wijffels 2010

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Comments

Nil.

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Secondary Productivity

Grade and trends based on inshore and offshore areas in all marine regions

Year(s):

2016

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Limited

Confidence (in trend):

Limited

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Secondary Productivity

2016

Marine environment

State and trends

Approach/Process

Time series of means and standard errors and trends of zooplankton biomass from National Reference Stations and the Australian Continuous Plankton Recorder survey.

Richardson et al., 2015

Richardson AJ, Eriksen RS & Rochester W (2015). Plankton 2015: state of Australia’s oceans, CSIRO, Hobart.

Comments

Nil.

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Benthic Productivity

This component was included in a different summary

State and trends of ecological processes

Unable to be assessed at a regional or national scale because of a lack of data

Year(s):

2016

Unclear

Confidence (in grade):

Low

Confidence (in trend):

Low

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not comparable

Benthic Productivity

20162011

Marine environment

State and trends

Data/Information sources

Comments

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Good to very good in all regions

Year(s):

2011

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Limited

Confidence (in trend):

Limited

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Herbivory processes

This component was included in a different summary

State and trends of ecological processes

Unable to be assessed at a regional or national scale because of a lack of data

Year(s):

2016

Unclear

Confidence (in grade):

Low

Confidence (in trend):

Low

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not comparable

Herbivory processes

20162011

Marine environment

State and trends

Data/Information sources

Comments

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Declines observed in the east

Year(s):

2011

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Limited

Confidence (in trend):

Limited

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Viral diseases, parasitic infestations, mass die-offs

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011.

The assessment title has been re-worded to support provision a comprehensive assessment for the marine environment.
This component is now included in a different summary

The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between reporting cycles.

Virus diseases, parasitic infestations, fish kills

State and trends of pests, introduced species, diseases and algal blooms

No major disease outbreaks outside of coastal areas have occurred. National conditions remain stable.

Year(s):

2016

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Adequate

Comparability (to previous reports):