A new wobbegong shark, Orectolobus hutchinsi n. sp. (Orectolobiformes: Orectolobidae) from southwestern Australia

Zootaxa ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 1239 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETER R. LAST ◽  
JUSTIN A. CHIDLOW ◽  
LEONARD J.V. COMPAGNO
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Recreational Fisheries ◽  
Rock Lobster ◽  
North West ◽  
Southwestern Australia ◽  
White Spots ◽  
By Catch

Orectolobus hutchinsi n. sp.. is a moderate-sized wobbegong shark found in shallow continental shelf habitats off Western Australia. It occurs from Coral Bay (near North West Cape) south to Groper Bluff (west of Bremer Bay) in depths of 9–106 m where it is caught as by-catch of local gillnet, longline, rock lobster and recreational fisheries. It is sympatric with two other commercial wobbegong species, Orectolobus maculatus and O. ornatus, but differs from these and other IndoPacific species in having the combination of a few unbranched dermal lobes, relatively tall dorsal fins, no warty tubercles on the back of adults, and dark brown corrugated saddles without white spots and blotches. Some details of its biology are also provided.

Sea snake by-catch of fish trawlers on the northern Australian continental shelf

1996 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 625 ◽  
Author(s):  
TM Ward
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Absolute Abundance ◽  
Sea Snake ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Sea Snakes ◽  
Exponential Decline ◽  
Arafura Sea ◽  
By Catch ◽  
Trawl Surveys

During 1986-90, 206 sea snakes were collected from Taiwanese pair-trawlers (North West Shelf, 1986-87), Thai stern-trawlers (Arafura Sea, 1986-87), RV Soela (North West Shelf, 1986) and RV Clipper Bird (Timor and Arafura Seas, 1990). Taiwanese (58 specimens; 294.8 h trawled) and Thai (71 specimens; 1244 h trawled) vessels trawled in 50-75 m and caught 10 and 7 species respectively. The Soela (41 specimens; 72.5 h trawled) and Clipper Bird (36 specimens; 103 h trawled) operated in depths of 19-198 m and each caught 12 species. Hydrophines (10 species plus one specimen from an undescribed taxon) represented 68.4% of the specimens. Aipysurines (6 species) were more common in samples from the North West Shelf (46.2% of taxa, 56.6% of specimens) than from the Timor and Arafura Seas (28.6% of taxa, 11.2% of specimens). Taiwanese boats on the North West Shelf (1980-90) and Thai boats in the Arafura Sea (1985-90) were estimated to have caught 49000 (� 5600) and 10000 (� 1250) sea snakes respectively. Trawl surveys (e.g. Soela and Clipper Bird) may be unsuitable for monitoring sea snakes, because approximately 25 surveys would be needed to detect a 20% exponential decline in absolute abundance.

scholarly journals Foraminiferal signatures of mass transport from the North-West Continental Shelf off Western Australia, IODP Expedition 356

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Briony Mamo ◽  
Willem Renema ◽  
Cecilia McHugh ◽  
Stephen Gallagher ◽  
Craig Fulthorpe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transport ◽  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
North West ◽  
The North

GEOLOGY OF THE OFF-SHORE AREAS OF NORTH-WESTERN AUSTRALIA

1963 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. BOUTAKOFF
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Outer Edge ◽  
The Other ◽  
General Area ◽  
Folding Intermediate ◽  
North West ◽  
Exmouth Gulf ◽  
North Western

CONTOURING of Admiralty Chart No. 475 "North West Coast of Australia with the Off-lying Island and Reefs", 1928-1950, has revealed the existence of a number of offshore ridges along the outer edge of the Australian Continental Shelf. These ridges connect the coastal ranges of Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia with Sahul Banks, opposite Timor. Some of them are very large features and they are separated from the Continental Shelf by pronounced troughs. On the other hand, an even deeper trough separates them from the islands of Timor, Roti and Sawu. Other swells, rising almost to sea level, run parallel with them further out to sea. Geological comparisons are drawn which suggest that a deep stratigraphic section may be present in the general area where these ridges occur. Evidence is also presented to show that these features are tectonically and positively active, whereas the bounding troughs are in process of structural sinking. The size of some of these ridges, which approach the dimensions of the Lesser Sunda Islands, suggest that they are largely submerged and complex folded ranges, of which considerable parts are accessible to exploration. It is shown that these ranges all occur within the boundaries of Teichert's "Westralia Geosyncline". It is suggested that folding, intermediate in in tensity between the Alpine nappes of Timor-Roti and the gently warped sediments of the continental sedimentary basins of Australia, may be present in them.If so, these somewhat sharper folds may prove to be suitable for considerable accumulation of petroleum, as so often happens in the fore-front folds of other Alpine belts.

Setting a course for marine mammal research in Western Australia

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Waples ◽  
Holly Raudino
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Common Dolphin ◽  
Relevant Evidence ◽  
Priority Species ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Fundamental Research ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
By Catch

Given limited funding and increasing pressures on our natural resources it is becoming ever more critical that science be directed at improving our understanding and management of priority issues. This relies on dialogue and alignment between researchers and managers to ensure that appropriate questions are asked and the answers incorporated in robust and transparent decision-making processes which should include relevant evidence-based science. We used a prioritisation framework as a tool to bring managers and scientists together to discuss and agree on current priorities for research on marine mammals in Western Australia, including posing relevant questions. Eight species were identified as high priorities for fundamental research, including three dolphin species (Australian humpback, snubfin and common dolphin), three baleen whale species (Antarctic and pygmy blue and dwarf minke whale), the Australian sea lion and the dugong. The pressures we evaluated resulted in a priority need for research to better understand and mitigate impacts across a range of species, including noise pollution from shipping and vessel activity, climate change and fishing by-catch. Scientists and managers agreed on a set of topics and associated research questions for the high-priority species that would best inform ongoing conservation and management of marine mammals in Western Australia and that would have broad applicability nationally and globally. We provide an example of how these priorities can be used to develop a research program with targeted funding. Overall, this process has demonstrated the value of bringing scientists and managers together with a tool that allows them to jointly determine priorities and research questions.

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