1. To assist in developing better management models for temperate Australian fisheries by assessing the role of oceanographic and climatic variability on historical changes in SE Australian fish stocks by: (1) developing indices of deepwater productivity and temperature, based on physical and chemical analyses of the growth rings of bamboo coral.

2. Developing time series of relative growth for long-lived fish species on the shelf and slope in the SEF.

3. Developing time series of temperature for the SE Australia shelf off Tasmania and NSW from the growth rings of mollusc shells.

4. Examining statistical relationships among: the above environmental and fishery indices

available records of climate from the Maria Is. station

terrestrial records of regional rainfall, wind, and temperature

apparent recruitment to orange roughy from ageing data

and long-term records of fish landings in the SEF.