NESP MBH A1 Euryhaline Elasmobranchs Fishing Database, Australia (2011-2019)

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This database contains sampling effort, catch records, biological data, and water quality data for sampling and catches of elasmobranchs in northern Australian rivers, estuaries and coasts undertaken under the National Environmental Research Program (NERP) Marine Biodiversity Hub Project 2.4 'Supporting Management of Listed and Rare Species'. and the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub Project A1 'Northern Australian Hotspots for the Recovery of Threatened Euryhaline Elasmobranchs'. Surveys using gillnets and rod-and-line were undertaken in the Top End region of the Northern Territory and the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Selected animals were tagged for movement ecology, habitat use and mortality estimates (acoustic telemetry), and tissue samples were collected from all fish for molecular analyses (population genetics and close-kin mark-recapture).

Sampling was undertaken with a variety of fishing gear, mainly gillnet (4–6 inch stretched mesh size) and rod-and-line (medium-heavy shark fishing gear; small-medium hook sizes, 4/0–10/0). Longlines and cast nets were also used on occasion. Sawfish were targeted using gillnets, and river sharks mostly with rod-and-line. Processing catch included taking measurements, determining sex through external examination, photographing each individual, and collecting a small tissue sample from the inner margin of the pectoral fin (for molecular analyses). All individuals were tagged with a PIT tag for individual identification, and a subset was tagged with VEMCO acoustic tags (V9, V13 or V16) for telemetry studies. All fish were released at the site of capture, as was any bycatch.

Data sourced from http://metadata.imas.utas.edu.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/metadata.show?uuid=a0cf8cc5-67cd-49bb-bcaa-dedf21ed3287 on 2022-06-01. This link references associated resources (database, reports and publications).

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