Assessing fish species composition in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria, and links with cultural knowledge

Project start date: 01/04/2024
Project end date:  31/12/2026
NESP funding: $351,137 (GST exclusive)

The Gulf of Carpentaria’s southern Queensland regions are earmarked for agricultural development that will include large-scale water extraction from rivers. However, the ecology of rivers, waterholes and wetlands in the area is not well understood. Intensive water development and the soil erosion that is likely to occur, could cause serious damage to ecosystem health and function.

Gulf and Cape York regions have previously been identified as areas of high biodiversity, so it is vitally important that the ecosystems in these regions are well understood before intensive and potentially destructive development is undertaken.

Sleepy Cod, (Oxyeleotris lineolatus) is a Gulf of Carpentaria fish species. Photo: Stephen Faggotter.

This project is examining fish species across a range of habitats throughout the southern Gulf of Carpentaria, to get a list of present species and determine which species are culturally important and used as bush foods for Traditional Owners.

We’re recording the length and weight of all fish species caught and recording the presence of any pest species in waterways. The information collected will be combined with data on water quality and hydrology to map and analyse fish species composition in the context of threatening processes.

Hub researchers are working collaboratively with Wellesley Islands Land Sea Social Economic Development Pty Ltd and Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation rangers.

Key research areas

To better understand the ecological and cultural importance of high-priority fish species in the south Gulf of Carpentaria, this project is:

• characterising freshwater fish species (as assessed using environmental and cultural values) and the presence of pest species to inform catchment development
• analysing data on fish species in the context of water quality data to determine areas vulnerable to environmental stressors
• ensuring that rangers trained in fish identification and sampling can continue a sampling program in the longer term, providing an important longitudinal dataset in a poorly-studied region of Australia.

Pathway to impact

This project will:

• develop a guidebook integrating Traditional Owner cultural knowledge with western science information on  key freshwater fish species, to strengthen recognition of species that are culturally significant and relevant to the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
• assist local communities to improve and maintain knowledge of freshwater fish species in the Gulf region
• link water quality, hydrology and habitat condition to fish species composition and abundance to highlight vulnerable areas and inform future management and conservation decisions.