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About CSIRO

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world.

CSIRO's core areas of impact

Contact Enquiries: Phone - 1300 363 400 | Email - Enquiries@csiro.au | Contact Us

Overview - Research

 
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A trawler collecting samples as part of a CSIRO survey of the Northern Prawn Fishery.
A survey trawler collecting samples for research.

Fish for the future: aquatic resources monitoring and modelling

Managing Australia’s valuable aquatic and marine resources so they have a long term future is aided by reliable information based on CSIRO’s research in environmental statistics.

Australians love seafood. According to the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), we eat about 16 kilograms of fish and seafood per person each year.

Fisheries are also multi-billion dollar industries in Australia – worth more than A$2.2 billion to the economy annually. Managing these resources for a long term future requires timely and relevant information.

Statisticians can help fisheries managers by modelling the abundance of key marine species to help make important decisions about catch quotas, season length and more.

Key science issues

Australia needs good science to assess, protect, enhance and develop its extensive aquatic assets and marine resources, and the key industries that rely on them.

How CSIRO addresses these issues

CSIRO’s statisticians and marine scientists work closely to provide resource managers with the information they need to deliver economically sustainable fisheries, while protecting the underlying ecosystems.

Aquatic resources monitoring and modelling

Our team uses specialist skills in statistics and a unique approach to develop methods that integrate survey design and modelling.

CSIRO’s statisticians and marine scientists provide resource managers with information to deliver economically sustainable fisheries, while protecting underlying ecosystems.

Our contributions to fishery sustainability are made through innovative approaches to fish stock assessment and stock monitoring techniques. They are underpinned by statistical technologies that:

  • incorporate measures of uncertainty
  • operate at a wide range of spatial and temporal scales
  • accommodate multiple target species.

We are working on valuable national and international fisheries and provide information to the organisations that manage them.

Fisheries include:

  • Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery
  • Northern Prawn Fishery.

We also develop and apply ways of estimating the abundance and population structure of whales and related species in collaboration with the Australian Antarctic Division for the International Whaling Commission.

Learn more about CSIRO's work in Oceans.

 
 

Fast facts

  • Aquatic resources are multi-billion dollar industries in Australia
  • Managing fisheries sustainably requires good science
  • CSIRO statisticians and marine scientists provide reliable information for important fisheries management decisions about catch quotas, season length and more
  • CSIRO statisticians contribute through innovative approaches to fish stock assessment and stock monitoring techniques
  • We also develop and apply ways of estimating the abundance and population structure of whales and related species of high conservation value

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Dr Mark Gibbs
Deputy Chief - Research
CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research
Phone: 61 7 3826 7373 
Fax: 61 7 3826 7281 

Contact

Dr Simon Barry
Program Leader, Environmental Informatics
Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics
Phone: 61 2 6216 7157 

Location

CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research - Cleveland
233 Middle Street
Cleveland QLD 4163
Australia

PO Box 120
Cleveland QLD 4163
Australia