News Archive

The UWA Oceans Institute and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) have commemorated the International Year of Biodiversity with a series of three public talks on the state of our oceans.

Winthrop Professor Gary Kendrick kicked off the series on August 17 at UWA Claremont with his talk titled ‘Western Australia - a biodiversity hotspot for seaweeds and seagrasses.' He illustrated the remarkable diversity and endemism (uniqueness) of Australian marine life, including not only seaweeds and seagrasses, but sponges, sea squirts and corals, too.

He summarised the contemporary drivers of this biodiversity, the most influential being the Leeuwin Current, and looked at present day threats such as climate change and eutrophication. The question of whether seaweeds and seagrasses will survive these threats depends on their ability to adapt quickly, as well the way that the threats interact and compound one another.

Winthrop Professor Malcolm McCulloch gave the second talk on August 24, titled ‘Coral Reefs - will they survive climate change?'  After giving evidence and examples of climate change, he delved into the major threats facing our coral reefs.

On a global scale, coral reefs are confronted by sea level rise, ocean acidification, and coral bleaching. Locally, reefs are threatened by agricultural runoff, over-harvesting, and introduced marine pests. As with seaweeds and seagrasses, the question of whether coral reefs will survive depends on the combined effect of global and local stressors, and the ability of corals to adapt and migrate.

Dr Mark Meekan of AIMS concluded the series on August 31 with his talk on whale sharks titled ‘Is the world's largest fish getting smaller?' He provided a snapshot of the interesting biology and ecology of whale sharks, which can grow up to 18m long and have been recorded on one occasion to carry 300 live young at a single time.

The whale shark fishing industry still exists in some parts of south-east Asia. The remarkably soft flesh of these giants lends them the nickname ‘tofu fish', and a single individual can fetch up to $200,000. One of the key messages of Dr Meekan's talk was that small-scale ecotourism in countries like Indonesia will be critical for securing the whale shark's future by ‘developing alternative livelihoods for traditional fisherman.'

Part of Dr Meekan's current research is addressing the puzzling question of why the average size of whale sharks congregating at Ningaloo has been decreasing since the 1990s.

For further information please contact Maryann Evetts on (08) 6488 8116 or email: [email protected]