Leschenault Estuary goes under the microscope - 6 January 2009
The Leschenault Estuary has gone under the microscope as part of a study to help decide how best to manage the health of the important ecosystem.
A team from Murdoch University has scheduled regular visits to the water body to determine whether there have been changes to crab and fish populations in the estuary since research was conducted more than 10 years ago.
The South West Development Commission-supported study is being led by Murdoch University Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research’s Peter Coulson who conducted initial site visits to the area last year.
“Sampling of fish in the Leschenault Estuary will allow a comparison to be made between the species composition that now exists following the cessation of commercial fishing in the estuary, and that which was present in the mid-1990s,” he said.
“This, and the catches of crabs, will be used to assess whether the fish fauna and the abundance of crabs have changed in response to changes in the environment and fishing pressure.”
South West Development Commission chairman Stan Liaros said data gathered by the research team will be made available to help guide future management and monitoring of the estuary.
“Monitoring of the environment is something that needs to be ongoing so we can track changes as they occur,” he said.
Data will be compiled into a report following the final sampling trip in April 2010.
The research project is part of a broader Western Australian Marine Science Institute study and complements a similar study occurring in the Peel-Harvey Estuary.
…ENDS
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