scholarly journals A strategy for developing scientific sampling tools for fishery-independent surveys of estuarine fish in New South Wales, Australia

2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (8) ◽  
pp. 1512-1516 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Rotherham ◽  
A. J. Underwood ◽  
M. G. Chapman ◽  
C. A. Gray
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Independent Study ◽  
Estuarine Fish ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Cost Efficient

Abstract Rotherham, D., Underwood, A. J., Chapman, M. G., and Gray, C. A. 2007. A strategy for developing scientific sampling tools for fishery-independent surveys of estuarine fish in New South Wales, Australia. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 1512–1516. The limitations of using fishery-dependent data, i.e. from commercial and recreational fisheries to assess harvested stocks of fish and invertebrates, are well known. Increasingly, fishery-independent surveys are used to validate data from fishery-dependent sources and to provide indices of recruitment and broader ecological information about species not normally retained in fishing operations. Any large-scale, long-term, fishery-independent study must develop sampling gear and designs that are standardized, representative, optimal with respect to the quantity and structure of catch, and replicated over relevant spatial and temporal scales. We present a strategy for achieving appropriate sampling designs. This involves: (i) identifying suitable sampling gears for target species; (ii) testing different configurations of gear and sampling practices to ensure that samples are optimal, representative, and cost efficient; (iii) understanding scales of spatial and temporal variability; and (iv) cost–benefit analyses to optimize replication. Examples of this strategy are illustrated, with brief considerations of the values of pilot research in developing fishery-independent sampling.

Variation in algal assemblages on wave-exposed rocky shores in New South Wales

1998 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 241 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Underwood ◽  
M. G. Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Temporal Patterns ◽  
Explanatory Models ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Algal Assemblages

Data were collected in New South Wales from replicate sites on five wave-exposed shores separated by hundreds of kilometres at three-monthly intervals for four years, to examine large and small spatial and temporal patterns in low-shore algal assemblages. These data were used to test hypotheses from the models that algal assemblages show large-scale, predictable changes in structure or, alternatively, that variation from time to time is small-scale and differs from shore to shore or site to site on a shore. There was considerable variation at all scales examined — among replicate quadrats within sites, between sites on a shore and among shores. Similarly, assemblages differed from one sampling period to the next and changes in the assemblages over time periods of three months were as great as from year to year. These changes were interactive, with no two sites or shores showing similar temporal patterns. Thus, understanding diversity along a coast-line requires detailed understanding of local processes. Without adequate spatial and temporal replication in sampling designs and without explanatory models, the large and complex variability in intertidal assemblages at different scales cannot be documented and understood.

Large-scale patterns in habitat structure on subtidal rocky reefs in New South Wales

2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 255 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. L. Andrew ◽  
A. L. O'Neill
Keyword(s):  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Subtidal Rocky Reefs ◽  
A Site

Aerial photography was used to estimate the representation of shallow subtidal habitats in New South Wales. Sixty sites, each between 4 and 5 hectares, were mapped with Geographical Information Systems software using ortho-rectified images digitized from 1:8000-scale photographs and ‘ground truthed’ in the field by divers. Barrens habitat covered an estimated 50% (s.e. = 3.9) of nearshore reefs between Port Stephens and Disaster Bay. Coverage of barrens habitat was greatest in Disaster Bay (68%, s.e. = 6.7) and least south of Disaster Bay (1%, s.e. = 0.3). There were clear differences among localities in the area of reef within the mapped sites; those at Cape Howe, Nadgee, and Turingal were significantly smaller in area than all others. There was no clear latitudinal trend in these differences but there was evidence of sand inundation at a site at Nadgee, where the reef was small. Differences in the densities and size-structure of the sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersiiat 27 of the mapped sites provide a basis for testing relationships between the demography of this species and the persistence of the barrens habitat. The extensive coverage of the barrens habitat in New South Wales is likely to limit the productivity of the abalone industry. The development of a sea urchin fishery may have large impacts on habitat representation on nearshore reefs.

scholarly journals Automatic Extraction of Mental Health Disorders From Domestic Violence Police Narratives: Text Mining Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Karystianis ◽  
Armita Adily ◽  
Peter Schofield ◽  
Lee Knight ◽  
Clara Galdon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Text Mining ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Free Text ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Health Disorders

BACKGROUND Vast numbers of domestic violence (DV) incidents are attended by the New South Wales Police Force each year in New South Wales and recorded as both structured quantitative data and unstructured free text in the WebCOPS (Web-based interface for the Computerised Operational Policing System) database regarding the details of the incident, the victim, and person of interest (POI). Although the structured data are used for reporting purposes, the free text remains untapped for DV reporting and surveillance purposes. OBJECTIVE In this paper, we explore whether text mining can automatically identify mental health disorders from this unstructured text. METHODS We used a training set of 200 DV recorded events to design a knowledge-driven approach based on lexical patterns in text suggesting mental health disorders for POIs and victims. RESULTS The precision returned from an evaluation set of 100 DV events was 97.5% and 87.1% for mental health disorders related to POIs and victims, respectively. After applying our approach to a large-scale corpus of almost a half million DV events, we identified 77,995 events (15.83%) that mentioned mental health disorders, with 76.96% (60,032/77,995) of those linked to POIs versus 16.47% (12,852/77,995) for the victims and 6.55% (5111/77,995) for both. Depression was the most common mental health disorder mentioned in both victims (22.30%, 3258) and POIs (18.73%, 8918), followed by alcohol abuse for POIs (12.24%, 5829) and various anxiety disorders (eg, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder) for victims (11.43%, 1671). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that text mining can automatically extract targeted information from police-recorded DV events to support further public health research into the nexus between mental health disorders and DV.

scholarly journals Equine influenza in Australia

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
NR Perkins
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
New South ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Equine Influenza ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Health Response ◽  
National Response ◽  
Response Capacity ◽  
Major Disruption

A large-scale outbreak of equine influenza (EI) virus in Australia in 2007 resulted in major disruption to horse activities and related industries across the nation and particularly in the two infected states (Queensland and New South Wales). In a major test of animal health response capacity, the outbreak was successfully contained and the EI virus eradicated as a result of a coordinated national response that relied heavily on the cooperation of government and industry stakeholders. Quarantine measures have been strengthened to minimise the risk of future incursions and ensure that Australia remains free of this important and highly contagious disease.

scholarly journals Developing a beam trawl for sampling estuarine fish and crustaceans: assessment of a codend cover and effects of different sizes of mesh in the body and codend

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 687-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Rotherham ◽  
Matt K. Broadhurst ◽  
Charles A. Gray ◽  
Daniel D. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Approach ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Mesh Size ◽  
The Body ◽  
Estuarine Fish ◽  
Beam Trawl ◽  
South Wales ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Rotherham, D., Broadhurst, M. K., Gray, C. A., and Johnson, D. D. 2008. Developing a beam trawl for sampling estuarine fish and crustaceans: assessment of a codend cover and effects of different sizes of mesh in the body and codend. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 687–696. An experiment was carried out in the Clarence River (New South Wales, Australia) to test the hypotheses that fish and crustacean catches in an experimental beam trawl were affected by a codend cover and the sizes of mesh in the body and codend. The cover had no obvious effects on the catches retained in the codend. Similarly, in comparisons between trawl bodies made from 26- and 41-mm diamond-shaped mesh, there were no differences in the assemblages of fish caught, or in the mean numbers entering the codends. For one species of fish (Acanthopagrus australis), however, there were differences in the proportions caught between the trawl bodies across different size classes. There was also some evidence to suggest that mesh size in the body of the trawl influenced the size selection of school prawns (Metapenaeus macleayi). For most finfish, there were no differences in catches between codends made from 20-mm and from 29-mm mesh hung on the bar (i.e. square-shaped mesh). In contrast, mesh size in the codend was important for the size selectivity of school prawns, with smaller carapace lengths at 50% retention in the 20-mm codend. We conclude that use of a 41-mm mesh in the body and a 20-mm square mesh in the codend of the beam trawl would be appropriate for future sampling with this gear in estuaries of New South Wales. A similar experimental approach to ours is needed in adapting the beam trawl to estuaries in other parts of the world, or in developing other types of research trawl.

Geoarchaeology of Aboriginal Landscapes in Semi-arid Australia

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Holdaway ◽  
Patricia Fanning
Keyword(s):  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
The Past ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Arid Zone Research

This book provides readers with a unique understanding of the ways in which Aboriginal people interacted with their environment in the past at one particular location in western New South Wales. It also provides a statement showing how geoarchaeology should be conducted in a wide range of locations throughout Australia. One of the key difficulties faced by all those interested in the interaction between humans and their environment in the past is the complex array of processes acting over different spatial and temporal scales. The authors take account of this complexity by integrating three key areas of study – geomorphology, geochronology and archaeology – applied at a landscape scale, with the intention of understanding the record of how Australian Aboriginal people interacted with the environment through time and across space. This analysis is based on the results of archaeological research conducted at the University of New South Wales Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station between 1999 and 2002 as part of the Western New South Wales Archaeology Program. The interdisciplinary geoarchaeological program was targeted at expanding the potential offered by archaeological deposits in western New South Wales, Australia. The book contains six chapters: the first two introduce the study area, then three data analysis chapters deal in turn with the geomorphology, geochronology and archaeology of Fowlers Gap Station. A final chapter considers the results in relation to the history of Aboriginal occupation of Fowlers Gap Station, as well as the insights they provide into Aboriginal ways of life more generally. Analyses are well illustrated through the tabulation of results and the use of figures created through Geographic Information System software. Winner of the 2015 Australian Archaeology Association John Mulvaney Book Award

Studies on the yellow-footed rock-wallaby, Petrogale xanthopus Gray (Marsupialia : Macropodidae). 3. Distribution and management in western New South Wales

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. L. Lim ◽  
J. R. Giles
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Aerial Survey ◽  
Isolated Population ◽  
Faecal Pellets ◽  
Low Level ◽  
The Past ◽  
South Wales ◽  
North Western

Contrary to previous literature, P. xanthopus had not been recorded in western New South Wales before its existence was reported by Fox (1966). There is only one geographically isolated population of less than 250 animals in two separate colonies in the Gap and Coturaundee Ranges, where they are confined to two cliff systems and two outcrops. Their distribution is therefore more limited than first reported by Wilson et al. (1976). They were more widespread in the past, being found also in the Barrier and Bynguano Ranges. These conclusions have been reached from data collected from: (1) a large-scale low-level aerial survey and subsequent ground inspections to record this species' presence in specific locations in north-western New South Wales; (2) a systematic detailed survey of the Gap and Coturaundee Ranges to establish its pattern of habitat use from the accumulated density of faecal pellets; (3) low-level aerial surveys over these and other areas, by helicopter, to confirm the results of earlier surveys and check on reported sightings. The results of this study are being used for the management of this rare rock-wallaby in New South Wales. It is recommend that this species be re-established in the Bynguano Range.

Conservation challenges and benefits of multispecies reintroductions to a national park – a case study from New South Wales, Australia

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reece D. Pedler ◽  
Rebecca S. West ◽  
John L. Read ◽  
Katherine E. Moseby ◽  
Michael Letnic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
National Park ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Institutional Processes ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Legislative Policy

Species reintroductions into predator-controlled areas are an increasingly used conservation tool. Typically, ecological outcomes of such projects (e.g. recruitment, predation) are the focus but seldom necessary legislative, policy, social and institutional processes required for establishing large projects. This particularly applies to protected areas, managed by governments for conservation. Reintroductions are recommended for a third of threatened Australian vertebrates, with the New South Wales Government boldly embarking on a 2013 initiative to return locally extinct mammals to three protected areas. We detail the legislative, policy, social and institutional processes required for one of these sites, Wild Deserts, in Sturt National Park. Seven locally extinct species, including the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis), western barred bandicoot (Perameles bougainville), golden bandicoot (Isoodon auratus), greater stick-nest rat (Leporillus conditor), crest-tailed mulgara (Dasycercus cristicauda), western quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii) and burrowing bettong (Bettongia lesueur) will be reintroduced into two exclosures. The scale of the project required identification of an appropriate location, satisfaction of statutory requirements for major infrastructure in a national park, assessments of potential ecological costs and benefits, engagement of the national park agency and other stakeholders (Traditional Owners, other government agencies, neighbours), and staff training to meet government agency requirements. We outline the resourcing, costs and benefits of such a project on government-managed land along with lessons learnt for similar large-scale restoration and reintroduction projects. Future projects would benefit from understanding legislative and policy frameworks and the need for transparency, while maximising efficiencies.

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