Project 6.1 'Maximising the benefits of mobile predators to Great Barrier Reef ecosystems: the importance of movement, habitat and environment'

Project 6.1 'Maximising the benefits of mobile predators to Great Barrier Reef ecosystems: the importance of movement, habitat and environment'

Large predatory fish are essential to a balanced marine ecosystem and also form the basis of important commercial and recreational fisheries. Sustainable fisheries and sustainable ecosystems require that management is able to achieve a balance between these divergent needs. The large size of many of these predators means that they often are highly mobile. This mobility complicates the management of these species, especially in regions such as the Great Barrier Reef, where there is a complex mosaic of open and closed areas. Understanding the residency and movements of large predators is thus important to ensuring the long-term sustainability of this functional group. Similarly, understanding the conditions that cause them to migrate outside their normal home ranges will enable marine park managers to better design spatio-temporal protection now and under future climate scenarios.

Project objectives at a glance

  • Define space use and extent of movement of mobile predator species in coastal and reef ecosystems.
  • Determine the factors (e.g. habitat, ontogeny, environmental conditions, levels of protection) that lead to changes in the residency and movement of mobile predators.
  • Examine the role that active mobility plays in connecting populations within coral reef systems, and between inshore areas and reef systems.
  • Identify and assess the appropriate tools for managing mobile predators, including determining the efficacy of spatial management for this functional group.

Specific objectives and intended outputs of this Project are detailed in the NERP TE Hub Multi-Year Research Plan.


Project Factsheet


 

Link to the Project 6.1 homepage on e-Atlas


 

Project Duration: 
1 Jul 2011 to 31 Dec 2014

 

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Project Outputs