Fish Behavior and Catch Rates Before and After a 2015 Marine Seismic Survey in Bass Strait

A 2015 study in the Gippsland Basin, Bass Strait, Australia, quantified fish behavior and commercial catch rates in relation to a 2-D seismic survey. The study combined acoustic tagging of three species (gummy shark, swell shark, tiger flathead) with analysis of Commonwealth fisheries logbook data from January 2012 to October 2015. The research was published in Marine Environmental Research in 2018.

Use Cases

• Modeling changes in commercial catch rates for 15 fish species based on logbook data before and after a seismic event.
• Analyzing behavioral responses, such as swimming speed and diel movement patterns, in acoustically tagged fish during seismic operations.
• Comparing experimental and control zone data to isolate the effects of seismic surveys from other environmental factors.

Strengths

• Combines field-based acoustic telemetry data with a multi-year (2012-2015) desktop analysis of commercial logbook data.
• Examines 15 specific fish species and two gear types (Danish seine, gillnet) for catch rate impacts.
• Provides empirical data on three acoustically tagged species (gummy shark, swell shark, tiger flathead) monitored before, during, and after the survey.

Limitations

• Behavioral data were limited as many tagged sharks left the acoustic receiver array prior to the seismic survey commencement.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Field-based acoustic tagging and desktop analysis of Commonwealth fisheries logbook data.

Time Range

Acoustic tagging during April 2015; logbook data from January 2012 to October 2015.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 20:03:38.580380; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Gippsland Basin, Bass Strait, Australia.