Fisheries and aquaculture scientific capabilities

Fisheries and aquaculture scientists and technicians have access to:

  • contemporary computer equipment and technology
  • fish and crustacean breeding and larval culture systems
  • research information service, including relevant scientific journals.

Fisheries and aquaculture scientists conduct collaborative research with other Australian and international research institutions, universities and private organisations.

Fisheries research

Fisheries research is undertaken to ensure the sustainable use of wild-caught fish stocks in freshwater, estuarine, coastal and offshore marine environments.

Staff are skilled to undertake research in:

  • fisheries and ecosystem ecology and biodiversity
  • fisheries biology
  • behaviour
  • gear technology
  • population dynamics, assessment and modelling
  • fishery statistics analysis.

Our up-to-date fisheries laboratories are equipped with a wide range of equipment, including diamond wafering saws and advanced computer-based image-analysis systems linked to an array of microscopes via video cameras.

We also operate a fleet of research vessels, which range in size from small outboard-powered runabouts and electro-fishing punts for freshwater sampling work up to the 14.5m fisheries research vessel 'Tom Marshall', which has offshore capability.

Aquaculture research

Aquaculture research is focused on leading-edge research and development for the delivery of ecologically sustainable aquaculture technologies, the technical development of production systems for new species of high aquaculture potential, and working with the aquaculture industry to improve the biological and economic efficiency of aquaculture systems.

The Aquaculture and stock enhancement facility at the Northern fisheries centre in Cairns offers environmentally controlled experimental tanks for maintaining broodstock, fish larval rearing, live prey production and quarantined areas. The aquaculture laboratories are supported by state-of-the-art digital and computer controlled scientific equipment.