We've identified five Australian 'super canyons' in the first study to relate the physical variability of submarine canyons to their likely habitats and marine communities.
A conceptual surrogacy framework to evaluate the habitat potential of submarine canyons
Abstract:
The seascape of the vast Australian continental margin is characterised by numerous submarine canyons that represent an equally broad range of geomorphic and oceanographic heterogeneity. Theoretically, this heterogeneity translates into habitats that may vary widely in their ecological characteristics. Here we describe the methodology to develop a framework to broadly derive estimates of habitat potential for pelagic and epibenthic species (including demersal fishes), and benthic infauna in all of Australia’s known submarine canyons. Our analysis shows that the high geomorphic and oceanographic diversity of Australian submarine canyons creates a multitude of potential habitat types. In general, it appears that canyons may be particularly important habitats for benthic species. Canyons that incise the shelf tend to score higher in habitat potential than those confined to the slope. Canyons with particularly high habitat potential are located mainly offshore of the Great Barrier Reef and the NSW coast, on the eastern margin of Tasmania and Bass Strait, and on the southern Australian margin. Many of these canyons have complex bottom topography, are likely to have high primary and secondary production, and have less intense disturbance to sediment. The framework presented here can be applied – once refined and comprehensively validated with ecological data – to help managers make informed conservation decisions, especially for high value canyons.
We will use ship-based sampling to “develop a better understanding of the marine biodiversity and major drivers for maintaining biodiversity” (Marine Division) by filling major knowledge gaps for specific data poor KEFs and CMRs in Northern Australia and/or the Coral Sea. This will also address the interests of Natural and Indigenous Heritage in biodiversity mapping in the Coral Sea and Cape York.
The project will design, implement and test ways to integrate new and existing survey and monitoring methods at three locations: the shelf of the Flinders CMR in the Southeast IMCRA transition bioregion, the coral/kelp KEF to the east of the Houtman-Abrolhos islands and the east-coast shelf KEF adjacent to the Solitary Islands marine reserve. The project will access existing CMR (and other MPA) monitoring datasets from the partners for the Southeast Marine Bioregion (i.e.
