Scallop Mortality and Seismic Survey Impacts in Bass Strait

Three field-based methods assessed potential impacts of marine seismic surveys on scallops in the Bass Strait, Australia. The study used dredging, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle imagery, and MODIS satellite sea surface temperature data from 2006 to 2016. Researchers from the Australian Ocean Data Network published the findings in 2018.

Use Cases

• Correlate sea surface temperature anomalies from MODIS satellite data with scallop mortality events.
• Analyze dredging and AUV imagery data for scallop (Pecten fumatus, Mimachlamys asperrima) population changes before and after seismic surveys.
• Investigate the temporal coincidence between seismic survey operation dates and pronounced thermal spikes in the eastern Bass Strait.
• Compare sub-lethal effects on scallops across different sampling methods (dredging vs. AUV imagery) post-survey.

Strengths

• Paired field-based components (dredging and AUV imagery) provide methodological redundancy.
• MODIS satellite data provides a decadal time series (2006–2016) of sea surface temperatures.
• Study design includes pre-survey, 2-month post-survey, and 10-month post-survey sampling points.

Limitations

• Sample sizes for dredging and AUV components are not specified, limiting statistical power assessment.
• The study found no evidence of mortality attributable to the 2015 survey, but cannot exclude sub-lethal effects.
• Geographic focus is limited to the Bass Strait region of Australia.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, derived from research published in Marine Pollution Bulletin.

Collection Method

Field-based methods: commercial scallop dredging, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) imagery, and analysis of MODIS satellite remote sensing data.

Time Range

Primary field study around a 2015 seismic survey; MODIS satellite data covers 2006–2016.

Freshness

Data collection concluded for the 2015 survey; satellite data runs through 2016. The record was last updated in 2026.

Geography

Bass Strait, Australia, with focus on scallop beds in the eastern region.