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Research Voyages

Voyage to the Gulf of Carpentaria

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THE VOYAGERS

Towards definitive management

Dr Rodrigo Bustamante says understanding how ecosystems function is fundamental to meeting the joint needs of conservation and resource management.

It's been a roundabout journey to the gulf for Rodrigo Bustamante

Dr Rodrigo Bustamante's research into the patterns and processes that shape marine ecosystems has brushed the shores of Chile, South Africa, Namibia, Angola and the Galapagos Islands.

Now based at the CSIRO marine laboratories in Cleveland, south of Brisbane, he leads a project investigating the effects of trawling on seabed habitats and communities in the Northern Prawn Fishery (NPF).

The RV Southern Surveyor voyage will provide much of the experimental data for the project, and the challenge for Dr Bustamante and his colleagues will be to transform these into practical advice and tools to assist the fishery's environmental management. They will also contribute to bioregionalisation, conservation and regional planning processes under way for Australia's northern waters.

"My work is on experimental marine biology and ecology, with a focus on the interface between ecological research, conservation science, resource planning, management and policy," Dr Bustamante says.

"I've been involved in marine biogeography, ecological monitoring and ecosystem characterisation in several intertidal, benthic and coastal systems, and everywhere the story is the same. Understanding how ecosystems function is fundamental to meeting the joint needs of conservation and resource management."

Dr Bustamante says four decades of CSIRO research has helped the NPF ensure the sustainability of its commercial catch and reduce its incidental capture of large non-target species such as turtles, sharks and rays. Now the fishery is seeking ways to manage its broader impact on seabed ecosystems and communities.

"This next stage of research for the fishery will provide knowledge and tools - such as computer-based models of marine food webs - for evaluating the ecological consequences of management options," Dr Bustamante says.

"It will also provide NPF managers with scientific advice on environmental targets; spatial detail and process information about prawn habitats; and improved risk assessments that will highlight key habitats and species affected by trawling."

While considering the big picture stuff is important for a principal investigator, Dr Bustamante won't be immuned from the “hands on” work on the Southern Surveyor voyage. It seems his colleagues have saved him a choice sampling task: something involving seeking scientific inspiration in the sediments.

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Rodrigo Bustamante's voyage report

Updated: 29/03/07