Abstract
We detail the management uses and implications of fish-based, multimetric indices for assessing the ecological health of nearshore (<1.5 m deep) and offshore (>1.5 m) waters of the Swan-Canning Estuary. Having outlined the development of these indices in an accompanying poster presentation, here we focus specifically on how the health indices can be used to quantify, classify, communicate and report on the health of the estuary. We also present analyses of index responses to recent and historical algal blooms, to demonstrate the sensitivity of the indices and their capacity to quantify and track ecological degradation. In so doing, we discuss the implications of our results in terms of our understanding of spatial and temporal changes in the health of the Swan-Canning Estuary.