Udyawer V and Heupel MR (2017). Spatial and temporal patterns in sea snake populations on the North West Shelf. Report to the National Environmental Science Program, Marine Biodiversity Hub. Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Overview
This progress report provides details on fieldwork and analyses conducted for NESP Project A8 ‘Exploring the status of Western Australia’s sea snakes’ between the period of May 2017 – December 2017. Snorkel, research trawl and baited remote underwater video station (BRUVS) surveys were conducted by Hub researchers and collaborators between May and October 2017 that were combined with existing datasets to update occurrence records and conduct spatial and time-series analyses.
Data from BRUVS were used to assess sea snake assemblages in multiple locations within Australian Marine Parks (AMPs) and in locations where repeated sampling was conducted to construct species distribution models (SDMs) for all sea snake sightings and three priority species (Aipysurus apraefrontalis, A. foliosquama and A. fuscus).