Trophic webs and modelling of Australias North West Shelf

The high-level objective of Project 2 was to develop a range of interlinked models of the North West Shelf ecosystem which provide: An understanding of the links between the physical, chemical and biological environments, particularly with respect to primary producers, key species and habitat types; Predictions of the ecosystem response to natural forcing, including seasonal and interannual variability; Predictions of the effects of selected human uses on conservation and other values of the ecosystem, suitable for use in management strategy evaluation and risk assessment; and Identification of environmental quality indicators suitable for monitoring and use in adaptive management. Objectives of Task 2.6 (Trophic modelling) was: Evaluate spatial patterns of fishery production for the main commercial and recreational species, as well as their relationships with spatial patterns of physical variables, nutrients, primary and secondary production, and benthic habitat types. Provide coarse level trophic models support major trophic guilds involved with fishery production. Provide prediction of the impacts of management zoning and fishery targeting on fishery production by major guilds. 1. Prototype fisheries production and trophic models implemented for the coastal region from Exmouth to Port Hedland. 2. Fisheries production and trophic models implemented for the coastal region from Exmouth to Port Hedland. 3. Maps of fishery production and spatial distributions of relative abundance of key commercial fisheries, including relationships with physical factors, primary production, and benthic habitat types (used in Tasks 1.2, 1.3, 2.7, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 and by management agencies). 4. Food web diagrams indicating main trophic interactions and dynamical food web models for the region, including time series of biomass for the main trophic guilds (used in Tasks 1.2, 1.3, 2.7, 5.3, 5.4 and by management agencies). 5. Written report on Fishery Production and Links to Habitats and Food Web Dynamics including model documentation. 2 This report represents the food web dynamics component of these deliverables, i.e. the trophodynamics model implemented for the region from Exmouth Gulf to Port Hedland, food web diagrams, a dynamical food web model for the region including a time series of biomass for the main trophic guilds, and a written report on food web dynamics and model documentation.