Benthic Surveys & seafloor mapping of Wessel MP and Dhimurru IPA

This project is a partnership project between Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation, AIMS and Deakin University to provide benthic habitat and bathymetry mapping and assessment.This project will conduct seafloor mapping, and surveys of benthic and fish communities to obtain the baseline data required to understand the similarities between the Bremer Island Region and a Shoal in Wessel Marine Park, particulartly the areas which may support a reef system: Truant Bank, Pugh Shoal and Barbette Shoal. This project will collect baseline community data for these shoals as well as oceanographic data and compare to Bremer Island and in particular, Sykes shoal. The baseline data collected within the Wessel Marine Park will not only provide an understanding of the how the species in the Wessel Marine Park compared to other regionally important areas but also develop an understanding about connectivity between these areas and improve current scientific knowledge of the Marine Park.• The project will survey the bathymetry at Truant Bank, Pugh Shoal and Barbette Shoal using the R2Sonic multibeam echo sounder on AIMS’s vessel Solander. At Bremer Island Kongsberg 2040C multibeam echo sounder surveys will be conducted on the Deakin University vessel MV Yolla. The MBES will be used to survey in the marine park. At Bremer Island 2400 kilometres will be surveyed with the MBES on the Yolla linking coverage to the Wessel marine park.• The benthic communities at the sites in the Wessel Marine Park will be surveyed using the towed video system on the Solander. In the marine park 20 towed video lines of 1.5 kilometres will be surveyed. At Bremer Island, ~25 sites will be surveyed with the drop camera system.• Baited remote underwater videos (BRUVs) will be used to survey fish populations at all sites. In the marine park, BRUVs will be deployed at 48 sites from the Solander. At Bremer Island BRUVs will be deployed at ~25-30 sites from the Ranger boat.