Marine Futures Project - Broke Inlet - biota

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 Broke Inlet, a relatively remote area 400km south of Perth, between the towns of Augusta and Albany. The nearest major town, Manjimup, is situated 100km north and the small coastal settlement Windy Harbour approximately 30km west of Broke Inlet. The Inlet is entirely surrounded by the D’Entrecasteaux National Park, which is accessible via a sealed road and attracts limited ‘through-traffic’ to the area. The marine environment off Broke is one fairly untouched by major tourism pressures and thus this location was selected due to its relative inaccessibility.

海洋未来项目（Marine Futures Project）旨在基于对海洋生境、生物多样性与人类利用这类资源间关联的深化认知，对西澳大利亚州关键海洋生态系统的现状开展基准评估。研究团队采用搭载Reson 8101多波束测深系统（Reson 8101 Multibeam）的水声勘测（hydroacoustics）技术，完成了约1500平方千米的海底测绘，并通过拖曳视频样带（towed video transects）与诱饵式远程水下视频系统（baited remote underwater video systems）对预测的底栖生境（benthic habitats）开展实地验证。随后将两类数据源整合至空间预测建模框架（spatial predictive modelling framework）中，生成了可展示底质类型（substrate types）、生物群落结构（biotic formations）等信息的高精度生境分布图（fine-scale habitat maps）。本次调查覆盖9个研究区域，其中包括布鲁克湾（Broke Inlet）——一处坐落于珀斯（Perth）以南400千米、介于奥古斯塔（Augusta）与奥尔巴尼（Albany）两市之间的相对偏远区域。距离该区域最近的大型城镇为曼吉马普（Manjimup），其位于布鲁克湾以北100千米处；小型滨海定居点温迪港（Windy Harbour）则距布鲁克湾以西约30千米。布鲁克湾全境被丹特卡斯托国家公园（D’Entrecasteaux National Park）环绕，该公园可通过铺装道路抵达，区域内仅存在有限的过境交通。布鲁克湾周边海域基本未受大规模旅游活动的影响，正因该区域相对难以进入，故而被选为本次研究的选址之一。