The importance of quantitative assessment and linkage between freshwater flows and ecological outcomes has been increasingly recognised in recent years. Information is particularly lacking for estuarine fisheries in Australia. The CLLAMM region supports a significant local economy based on irrigation/agriculture/tourism and commercial/recreational fisheries. The region also has a high biodiversity value, recognised by Ramsar wetland and Living Murray Icon Site status. However, the economy and biodiversity values of the region are currently under threat due to the reduction in flows from abstraction upstream. A number of environmental flow and engineering options are currently being considered to help improve the social, economic and environmental values of the system including ecologically sustainable fisheries. However, there is a lack of biophysical system knowledge required to assess and predict the potential environmental benefits of the different management options. Knowledge gaps include flow-related fish ecology-critical for water management to enhance spawning/recruitment of native fish (key objective of the Environmental Management Plan).

In recent years, state/commonwealth policies on fisheries management have been developed to ensure ecological sustainability of fisheries. The Lakes&Coorong Fishery management plan has identified flows as an important issue impacting key commercial/recreational species (mulloway, black bream, flounder, callop and Goolwa cockle). However, there is little research on specific flow/habitat requirements of these fish. This knowledge gap was identified on a recent National Estuarine-Flows-Workshop. Quantitative data is needed to inform sustainable management of fisheries and water resources.

This project is mainly to address flow-related ecology of key fish species of commercial/recreational/conservation or ecological significance (black bream, greenback flounder, yellow-eye mullet, congolli and goby sp.) in the Murray Estuary&Coorong, with a focus on reproductive biology and recruitment processes; whilst complementary work will be undertaken to investigate fish movement/migration by Bronwyn Gillander under CLLAMMecology. PI will work in collaboration with Bronwyn and other CLLAMM researchers.