Report
Swan Canning Estuary condition assessment based on fish communities - 2021
Final report to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
Harry Butler Institute. Murdoch University
2021
Abstract
This report, commissioned by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), describes the monitoring and evaluation of fish communities in the Swan Canning Estuary during 2021 and applies the Fish Community Index (FCI) that was developed as a measure of the ecological condition of the Swan Canning Estuary. This index, separate versions of which were developed for both the shallow, nearshore waters of the estuary and also for its deeper, offshore waters, integrates information on various biological variables (metrics). Each of these metrics quantifies an aspect of the structure and/or function of estuarine fish communities, and together they respond to a range of stressors affecting the ecosystem.
Fish communities were sampled using different nets at six nearshore and six offshore sites in each of four management zones of the estuary (LSCE, Lower Swan Canning Estuary; CE, Canning Estuary; MSE, Middle Swan Estuary; USE, Upper Swan Estuary) during summer and autumn of 2021. As many fish as possible were returned to the water alive after they had been identified and counted. The resulting data on the abundances of each fish species from each sample were used to calculate a Fish Community Index score (0–100). These index scores were then compared to established scoring thresholds to determine ecological condition grades (A–E) for each zone and for the estuary as a whole, based on the composition of the fish community.
Details
- Title
- Swan Canning Estuary condition assessment based on fish communities - 2021
- Authors/Creators
- James R Tweedley - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Aquatic EcosystemsKurt KrispynAlan Cottingham
- Publication Details
- Final report to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
- Publisher
- Harry Butler Institute. Murdoch University
- Number of pages
- 54
- Identifiers
- 991005632070007891
- Copyright
- © Government of Western Australia 2021
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems; School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Report
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