A new literature review series brings together current scientific research on how marine farming interacts with marine environments – and it will help to inform the sustainable management of the aquaculture industry in Tasmania.
Developed by the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) and launched this week, the Aquaculture Environment Review Series collates the published scientific literature on the environmental effects of aquaculture in Tasmania and globally.
“The aim of the series is to support sustainable planning and regulation of marine farming in Tasmania, while providing a reference source for anyone interested in how aquaculture interacts with the environment,” said Dr Camille White, a researcher with the Aquaculture Environment Interactions program at IMAS.
“The series offers an accessible, evidence-based resource that highlights what we know, where gaps remain, and how management can continue to evolve to support long-term environmental and economic sustainability.”
The first release of the series is presented in four parts:
The Aquaculture Environment Review Series will be regularly updated as new scientific information emerges. It will ultimately cover all forms of existing and proposed marine-based aquaculture in Tasmania.
“Aquaculture plays an important role in Tasmania’s economy, but its continued success relies on sound science and careful management,” said Dr White.
“Understanding how farming practices interact with surrounding ecosystems is vital to ensuring the industry remains sustainable into the future.”
The Aquaculture Environment Review Series was commissioned by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tasmania) and funded through the Sustainable Marine Resource Collaboration Agreement (SMRCA).
Visit our Aquaculture Environment Review Series page to learn more, or our Publications page to read each part of the series in full.
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A new field guide released this week brings together established and emerging scientific techniques for assessing how finfish aquaculture interacts with marine environments, from soft sediments and seagrass beds to inshore rocky reefs and deep reefs.
The Guide to the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment for Finfish Aquaculture was developed by the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), and brings together almost two decades of scientific research in Tasmania’s coastal waters.
“Since the release of the original field guide by Macleod and Forbes in 2004, both the location and scale of marine finfish aquaculture operations in Tasmania have changed significantly,” said IMAS researcher, Professor Jeff Ross.
“Our new guide covers a broader spectrum of environments – and it is designed to be a practical resource for a wide range of users, including aquaculture operators, regulators, environmental consultants and researchers.”
The guide outlines comprehensive methods for designing and implementing monitoring programs tailored to each key marine habitat:
The guide also introduces newer tools such as remote video methods capable of tracking changes over larger spatial scales, and environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding. Each method comes with guidance on how and when to use it, what data it provides, and its limitations.
“It also addresses the challenges of monitoring and evaluating impacts in different environments, emphasising the importance of locally relevant baseline information for assessing performance,” said Professor Ross.
“And while the focus is on finfish aquaculture, the methods and principles it covers apply to any activities that may affect organic loading in marine environments.
“It offers a solid framework for assessing baseline health, tracking change, and supporting recovery across a range of habitat types.”
The Field Guide is available to download here. It was developed under project 2015-024 managing ecosystem interactions across differing environments: building flexibility and risk assurance into environmental management strategies, which is supported by funding from the FRDC on behalf of the Australian Government.
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