Project number: 2012-008
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $694,119.95
Principal Investigator: Jayson M. Semmens
Organisation: University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Project start/end date: 31 Aug 2012 - 5 Jun 2016
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Seismic surveys are commonly undertaken within southeast Australian waters, often overlapping commercial fishing grounds. The fishing industry is now very concerned about the potential of intense low frequency acoustic signals produced during these surveys to disturb, harm or even kill fisheries species. The limited number of studies conducted to date generally report that fish can demonstrate behavioural responses to seismic activities, including startle and flight responses, displacement, dispersal, and disruption of feeding or breeding activity. These behavioural responses could in turn result in changes in commercial catch rates. Conversely, the bulk of the available literature examining the effect of seismic surveys on invertebrates suggests that they may be relatively resilient to seismic sound. However, there have been very few dedicated studies of the effects of marine seismic surveys on invertebrates, and as such the testing protocols have not directly considered invertebrates. In the light of a general lack of well-designed studies examining the effect of marine seismic surveys on invertebrates and in the absence of any detailed specific studies on commercial scallops and southern rock lobster, fishers in both Victoria and Tasmania have lobbied for dedicated research targeting these valuable resources. This study aims to use a field and laboratory experimental approach to determine the impact of marine seismic surveys on these important fisheries species. The results obtained will also be broadly applicable to scallop and spiny lobster fisheries throughout Australia, and mollusc and crustacean fisheries in general.

Objectives

1. Determine the impact of intense low frequency acoustic signals on adult southern rock lobsters, including berried (egg carrying) females
2. Determine the impact of intense low frequency acoustic signals on adult commercial scallops
3. Outline threshold distances for potential impacts of seismic surveying

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-646-95910-8
Authors: Ryan D. Day Robert D. McCauley Quinn P. Fitzgibbon Klaas Hartmann and Jayson M. Semmens
Final Report • 2016-10-19 • 6.52 MB
2012-008-DLD.pdf

Summary

The present study, undertaken by University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in conjunction with Curtin University’s Centre for Marine Science and Technology, was developed to investigate the potential impact of seismic surveys on economically important fishery species. Substantial overlap exists between important fishing grounds and areas of interest for oil and gas exploration within southeast Australian waters. The fishing industry is now very concerned about the potential of intense low frequency acoustic signals produced during these surveys to disturb, harm or even kill fisheries species. Studies conducted to date generally report that fish can demonstrate behavioural responses to seismic activities, including startle and flight responses, displacement, dispersal, and disruption of feeding or breeding activity. These behavioural responses could in turn result in changes in commercial catch rates. There have been very few dedicated studies of the effects of marine seismic surveys on invertebrates, and the limited information on invertebrates suggests that they may be relatively resilient to seismic sound, however, further research is required before the impacts of seismic activity on commercially important invertebrates can be dismissed. In the light of a general lack of well-designed and scientifically rigorous studies examining the effect of marine seismic surveys on invertebrates and in the absence of any detailed specific studies on commercial scallops (Pecten fumatus) and southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii), fishers in Victoria and Tasmania have lobbied for dedicated research targeting these valuable resources. This study aimed to use a field and laboratory experimental approach to determine the impact of marine seismic surveys on these important fisheries species. The results obtained are broadly applicable to scallop and spiny lobster fisheries throughout the world, and bivalve and crustacean fisheries in general.

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