GBR - Environmental Effects of Prawn Trawling in the Far Northern Section of the Great Barrier Reef 1991-1996

The data were mainly collected in the Far Northern Section Cross-Shelf Closure of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Location approximately: 11-12 Degrees South Latitude, 143-144 Degrees East Longitude. The data consisted of: 1. Biological samples from prawn trawls, fish trawls, benthic dredge tows 2. Sediment samples 3. Seabird regurgitated pellets 4. Seabird counts 5. GPS Position data for trawls The study objectives were as follows: 1. A quantitative description of the physical environment, sediment characteristics, fishing effort, fish communities, epibenthic communities and prawn populations. 2. A comparison of the fish,benthic and prawn communities of areas closed to trawling with areas open to trawling. 3. An assessment of the impact of prawn trawling on benthic communities and fish communities. 4. A quantitative description of the composition of bycatch produced by prawn trawling in the Green Zone and the areas to the immediate north and south of the Zone. 5. A list of the species trawled animals other than prawns returned to the sea and whether they float or sink and quantification of the fate of the dead material. 6.Quantitative estimates of the importance of trawl discards in the diets of seabirds, the degree of dependence on such discards and the effects of discards on seabird populations.

本数据集主要采集于大堡礁海洋公园（Great Barrier Reef Marine Park）远北区跨架封闭海域，大致地理位置为南纬11°-12°、东经143°-144°。数据集包含以下五类素材：1. 对虾拖网、鱼类拖网及底栖拖网采样获取的生物样本；2. 沉积物样本；3. 海鸟反刍食团；4. 海鸟种群数量调查数据；5. 拖网作业的GPS定位数据。本研究的核心目标如下：1. 对该区域的物理环境、沉积物特征、捕捞努力量、鱼类群落、底栖表生群落及对虾种群开展定量描述；2. 对比拖网禁捕区与开放拖网区内的鱼类、底栖生物及对虾群落组成差异；3. 评估对虾拖网作业对底栖群落与鱼类群落的生态影响；4. 定量描述绿色禁捕区（Green Zone）及其南北邻近海域中，对虾拖网所产生的兼捕渔获物组成；5. 梳理除对虾外的拖网捕获动物被放归海洋后的沉浮特性，并量化死亡个体的最终归宿；6. 定量估算拖网弃置物在海鸟日粮中的重要性、海鸟对这类弃置物的依赖程度，以及弃置物对海鸟种群的影响。