Marine Futures Project - Geographe Bay - reef habitat

The Marine Futures Project was designed to benchmark the current status of key Western Australian marine ecosystems, based on an improved understanding of the relationship between marine habitats, biodiversity and our use of these values. Approximately 1,500 km2 of seafloor were mapped using hydroacoustics (Reson 8101 Multibeam), and expected benthic habitats "ground-truthed" using towed video transects and baited remote underwater video systems. Both sources of information were then combined in a spatial predictive modelling framework to produce fine-scale habitat maps showing the extent of substrate types, biotic formations, etc.

Surveys took place across 9 study areas, including Geographe Bay in the southwest Capes region. The marine environment at this location varies from extensive seagrass meadows in protected waters, to kelp-dominated granite and limestone reefs in areas of high wave energy. A small number of corals are also found throughout the region, reflecting the influence of the southward flow of the Leeuwin Current. The fish fauna is also diverse, with a high proportion of endemic species.

海洋未来项目旨在基于对海洋生境、生物多样性与人类利用这些价值之间关系的深入理解，基准评估西澳大利亚州关键海洋生态系统的现状。约1500平方公里的海底通过水声技术（Reson 8101多波束测深仪）进行了测绘，预期的底栖生境通过拖曳式视频断面和诱饵遥控水下视频系统进行了实地验证。随后将这两类信息整合到空间预测建模框架中，生成了精细尺度的生境图，展示了基质类型、生物群落结构等的分布范围。

调查覆盖了9个研究区域，包括西南角地区的乔治王湾。该区域的海洋环境多样，从受保护水域的广阔海草草甸，到高波浪能区域以海藻为主的花岗岩和石灰岩礁。区域内还分布着少量珊瑚，反映了李温洋流南下流动的影响。鱼类区系同样具有多样性，且特有物种占比很高。