News
Keep up to date with the Salmon Interactions Team and our research
Click on the articles below to explore our news stories past and present
Salmon Science Open House
26th July 2022
On 25th June 2022, our scientists were part of a joint FRDC, IMAS and CSIRO Salmon Science Open House held on the Hobart waterfront. This public ‘drop-in’ event was all about showcasing the science we do, and chatting with curious and passionate visitors about the science of monitoring, observing and modelling the effects of salmon […]
read moreNew research exploring opportunities for potential future finfish aquaculture expansion in Tasmanian waters
25th January 2022
Researchers at IMAS and the School of Geography, Planning and Spatial Sciences have recently completed a research project developing a decision-support tool to aid spatial planning for finfish aquaculture in Tasmania. This project was a collaboration with the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (now Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania) under […]
read moreNew monitoring tool to improve our understanding of how finfish aquaculture influences planktonic communities
8th December 2021
New research from Sharon Hook (CSIRO), Camille White and Jeff Ross (Salmon Interactions Team, IMAS) has highlighted the potential of using microbial gene expression as a tool for understanding more about how microscopic plants and animals which float in the water column (planktonic communities) are affected by finfish aquaculture. Finfish aquaculture releases nutrients, including nitrogen, into the surrounding water […]
read moreRocky Reef Assessment in the Derwent Estuary
11th November 2021
Our team at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) has recently published a new report looking at the health of rocky reefs in the Derwent estuary. We used our new Rapid Visual Assessment methodology that has been developed to identify the early signs of organic enrichment on reef ecosystems. This project was initiated in 2019 when the Derwent Estuary Program (DEP) engaged our team to undertake a rocky […]
read moreDeveloping an environmental monitoring program for Storm Bay
29th September 2021
Our team at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) is currently involved in a large FRDC project (‘Storm Bay Observing System’) designed to assess the environmental performance of salmon aquaculture in Storm Bay. Through this project we are monitoring the interactions between salmon farms and the whole ecosystem, including soft sediment, inshore reefs, […]
read moreReef condition in the southern D’Entrecasteaux Channel
23rd April 2021
The intensification of human activity in the lower D’Entrecasteaux Channel has led to increased concern regarding the effects of sustained low-level organic enrichment on the health and function of rocky reef ecosystems in this region. Our team at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) has been developing and trialing a “Rapid Visual Assessment” […]
read moreNew spatial data assessment to assist the future management of Tasmanian Waters
23rd April 2021
Spatial data describes any geo-referenced data that contains information about its specific location, this can include environmental conditions (e.g. seabed type), human activities (e.g. recreational and commercial fishing) and socio-economic values. As such spatial data can be used to create decision-support tools that can assist planning for and assessment of primary industries operating in the […]
read moreSoft-Sediment communities key to assessing impacts of salmon farms
12th June 2020
Studying soft-sediment communities is key to assessing the environmental impacts of salmon farms – and it’s helping salmon producers monitor and manage their operations for a sustainable industry, now and into the future. IMAS researchers are regularly out sampling sediments, which means there’s often a stockpile of post processing to do. It’s a huge undertaking […]
read moreNew book on Conflicts over Marine and Coastal Common Resources
22nd May 2020
Despite the emergence of various marine and coastal governance approaches to address the effects of human activities within the marine environment, conflict continues. In this book, the author outlines the reasons conflicts can, and do, arise in the marine and coastal environment. Drawing on case studies from both the northern and southern hemispheres, the book […]
read moreDeveloping methods for monitoring Tasmania’s rocky reefs for impacts of salmon farming
15th February 2020
As salmon farming expands, IMAS is frequently asked about the potential for interactions between the salmon industry and Tasmania’s iconic rocky reef ecosystems. Along with having high intrinsic conservational value, temperate reef ecosystems in Tasmania support high value commercial fisheries such as rock lobster and abalone and important recreational fisheries. Through a Fisheries Research and […]
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