A new pilot project our team has been involved with to stimulate dissolved oxygen levels in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour has successfully passed another milestone – and it could improve this last known habitat of the unique and endangered Maugean skate.
The Macquarie Harbour Oxygenation Project (MHOP) is designed to trial technology aimed at increasing oxygen levels in the harbour. Macquarie Harbour is naturally a low dissolved oxygen environment in the mid-bottom waters. However, dissolved oxygen levels in the harbour have also been influenced by salmonid aquaculture, natural and regulated river flows and climate change, and there are concerns around the impacts of previous declines in dissolved oxygen levels on the local marine ecology, including the endangered Maugean skate.
Find out more about the MHOP project in this recent UTAS news article.
More information on this project will soon be featured on the Salmon Interactions Team website - stay tuned!
This project is a joint initiative of the Australian Government's Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and Salmon Tasmania to support conservation efforts for the Maugean skate.
On the 10th of June 2023, scientists from the Salmon Interactions Team hosted a second Salmon Science Open House event at the Hobart waterfront alongside representatives from CSIRO and the FRDC. Following on from a similar event hosted in June 2022 this public “drop-in” event provided an opportunity for other scientists, industry stakeholders and interested members of the public to ask questions and learn about what we do. The team had a great time talking to over 115 interested visitors and received some great positive feedback from visitors who learned something new.
Coinciding with the end of data collection for the 3-year Storm Bay Observing System project this event was a great opportunity for the team to share some of the successes of the project and insights gained over the three years. Visitors were thrilled to see some examples of the 66,835 macrofauna specimens collected, data from the 3042 water samples collected and footage from the 446 hours divers spent underwater throughout the project.
The event was also a great opportunity for staff from IMAS, CSIRO and the FRDC to share what they have been working on with each other and discuss the future of salmon aquaculture-environment interactions research in Tasmania.
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 aquaculture on the marine environment in Tasmania. We look forward to continuing the conversation at future events!
