SAIAB Seminar Series 2024: Dr. Alistair Becker and Dr. Victoria Cole

Monitoring Fisheries Enhancement Programs in NSW Australia
Presented by: Dr. Alistair Becker
Senior Research Scientist, New South Wales (NSW)
Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development, Australia
In this talk, Dr. Alistair Becker discusses the aquaculture-based enhancement program in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, which addresses recruitment limitations of key recreational fish species. Through pilot-scale and full-scale fish releases in estuarine habitats, the program integrates a multi-disciplinary research approach, including acoustic telemetry, tag-recapture, citizen science, and genetics.
Dr. Becker also highlights the deployment of artificial reefs along the NSW coastline and the monitoring of fish communities through underwater video, hydroacoustics, and telemetry. These studies reveal important trophic relationships between pelagic and reef species, as well as interactions with threatened species around artificial reefs.
Looking Backwards to Forge Forwards - 5 Years of Large-scale Oyster Reef Restoration and Their Future in NSW, Australia
Presented by: Dr. Victoria Cole
Research Scientist, New South Wales (NSW)
Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Australia
In this talk, Dr. Victoria Cole highlights the restoration of natural oyster reefs in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, which were once a vital feature of estuaries providing essential ecosystem services and cultural significance to Aboriginal communities. Within 100 years of European settlement, most oyster reefs were decimated. Since 2018, the NSW Department of Primary Industries’ Oyster Reef Restoration Project has been working with partners to restore these reefs.
The first large-scale project began in Port Stephens in 2020, followed by projects in Wagonga Inlet and Botany Bay. Dr. Cole discusses the monitoring program that tracks the ecological recovery of the reefs, alongside citizen science initiatives and stakeholder engagement. The project is also supported by environmental economic analysis, legislative developments, and cutting-edge research aimed at protecting and revitalizing oyster reefs for future generations.
Seminar Series of 12 September, 2024 15:00 PM