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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 60(5)

Infaunal macroinvertebrate assemblages of the eastern Great Australian Bight: effectiveness of a marine protected area in representing the region’s benthic biodiversity

David R. Currie A B , Shirley J. Sorokin A and Tim M. Ward A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), PO Box 120, Henley Beach, Adelaide, SA 5022, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: currie.david@saugov.sa.gov.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 60(5) 459-474 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF08239
Submitted: 20 August 2008  Accepted: 31 December 2008   Published: 25 May 2009

Abstract

Marine reserves are used widely throughout the world to conserve biodiversity, but in many instances uncertainties exist over how well these areas represent biodiversity at a regional scale (i.e. 100–1000 km). In the present study, infaunal assemblages were examined in the eastern Great Australian Bight (GAB) to evaluate the efficacy of the Benthic Protection Zone of the GAB Marine Park in representing regional biodiversity. Distributional patterns in infauna were further examined in relation to epifaunal species composition and environmental conditions to investigate structural forcing. Grab samples of infauna were collected from the same 65 sites sampled in an earlier survey of epifauna. In total, 240 taxa belonging to 11 phyla were collected. Most taxa were uncommon, with 96% representing less than 2% of the total number of individuals collected and 39% occurring at only one site. Unlike the epifauna, the infauna of the eastern GAB does not appear to be particularly diverse. Sessile filter feeders dominated the infaunal communities of the inner shelf, whereas motile, deposit-feeding organisms dominated the shelf break. As was the case with the epifauna, the highest numbers of taxa and individuals were recorded near the head of the bight and in inner-shelf waters off the western Eyre Peninsula, where productivity is enhanced by upwelling. Cluster analysis identified three community groupings, which were strongly correlated with depth. All three communities and 72% (172) of the 240 taxa collected were represented within the Benthic Protection Zone of the GAB Marine Park, confirming findings from the epifaunal survey that this protected area is well placed to represent the benthic biodiversity of the eastern GAB.

Additional keywords: continental shelf, epifauna, macrobenthos, soft-sediment, temperate.


Acknowledgements

Many people have made significant contributions to this project. In particular, we are grateful to the skipper (Neil Chigwidden) and crew (Dave Kerr, Chris Small and John Thompson) of the RV Ngerin for their invaluable operational support. We are also grateful to Paul Anderson, Alistair Baylis, Alex Ivey, Graham Hooper and Michelle Roberts for their assistance in collecting and archiving samples at sea. Thanks are also due to Sam McClatchie (NOAA) for providing expert acoustic support and ensuring the acquisition of high quality data across the eastern GAB. Sorting and identification of the infaunal samples was undertaken by taxonomists at Central Queensland University, and we are indebted to Kirsty Small for co-ordinating this work. Hydrographic survey data was made available by Geoscience Australia, and its provision is gratefully acknowledged. National Parks and Wildlife South Australia, the Wildlife Conservation Fund and the Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Water Resources provided financial support for this project, and we would like to thank Simon Clark (DEH) for facilitating this funding. SARDI Aquatic Sciences provided significant additional funding and substantial in-kind support.


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