Western Rock Lobster Puerulus Settlement and Environmental Drivers, 2006-2014

Seven consecutive years (2006/2007–2012/2013) of below-average puerulus settlement in the Western Australian rock lobster fishery are examined. The dataset, provided by Parks Australia, relates low settlement to earlier spawning timing, higher October water temperatures, and reduced autumn/spring storm activity. Statistical analysis indicates 71% of settlement variation is explained by spawning timing, storm activity, and offshore February water temperatures.

Use Cases

• Modeling puerulus settlement levels based on the timing of spawning onset.
• Analyzing the relationship between offshore water temperatures in February and larval recruitment.
• Investigating the influence of autumn and spring storm activity on larval return to the coast.

Strengths

• Analysis covers a specific seven-year period of low settlement (2006/2007–2012/2013).
• Statistical model explains 71% of the variation in puerulus settlement using three key variables.
• Includes a prediction for the 2013/2014 settlement season, allowing for validation.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The description notes further verification with additional years is required to confirm the relationships.

Provenance

Source

Parks Australia, referencing a source publication.

Collection Method

Likely contains fishery-independent data and environmental monitoring data analyzed statistically.

Time Range

Mid-2000s to at least 2013/2014, with focus on 2006/2007–2012/2013.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-16 23:24:19.132958; freshness should be verified

Geography

Western rock lobster fishery of Western Australia.