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

35% of tagged gummy sharks and 30% of swell sharks were detected two days after release in a study quantifying seismic survey impacts. The dataset combines field-based acoustic tagging of three species with a desktop analysis of Commonwealth fisheries logbook data from January 2012 to October 2015. Researchers from the Australian Ocean Data Network published findings in Marine Environmental Research in 2018.

Use Cases

• Modeling changes in commercial catch rates for 15 species based on logbook data before and after a seismic event.
• Analyzing behavioral responses like swimming speed and diel movement patterns in acoustically tagged fish.
• Comparing fish detection rates in experimental versus control zones during a seismic survey operation.

Strengths

• Combines field-based behavioral tracking with a multi-year (2012-2015) commercial fisheries data analysis.
• Examines impacts on 15 specific fish species and two gear types (Danish seine, gillnet).
• Study design includes both an experimental and a control zone for comparison.

Limitations

• Behavioral data were limited as many sharks left the acoustic receiver array prior to the seismic survey.
• 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

Primary study in April 2015, with logbook data from January 2012 to October 2015.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 12:59:32.386359; freshness should be verified

Geography

Gippsland Basin, Bass Strait, Australia