Project number: 2020-116
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $111,500.00
Principal Investigator: Stephen Mayfield
Organisation: University of Adelaide
Project start/end date: 31 May 2021 - 29 Nov 2021
Contact:
FRDC

Need

There are areas of the Western Zone Abalone Fishery where Greenlip Abalone are depleting, with biomass levels well below carrying capacity and historical levels. Some areas may not recover quickly without intervention and recovery may be further impeded by climate change. Thus, the Western Zone wild-catch abalone industry is seeking to establish a commercial-scale stock release program to accelerate Greenlip Abalone stock recovery in South Australia using release of hatchery-reared juveniles. The Central Zone wild-catch abalone industry is seeking to establish a commercial-scale stock release program to re-build Greenlip Abalone stocks in depleted areas that will use hatchery-reared juveniles.
There are two key needs for commencing a stock recovery program using hatchery-reared juveniles. The key industry need is to test release of juvenile Greenlip Abalone in the Western and Central Zones to evaluate the long-term economic viability. To support this important industry goal, the key Government need is for data to underpin release policy. This includes knowledge of the geographic distribution of Greenlip Abalone genetic differentiation (after Miller et al. 2014, Sandoval-Castillo et al. 2017), to inform policy review.

References:
Miller et al. 2014 – Molecular genetics to inform spatial management in benthic invertebrate fisheries: a case study using the Australian Greenlip Abalone.
Sandoval-Castillo et al. 2017 – Seascape genomics reveals adaptive divergence in a connected and commercially important mollusc, the greenlip abalone (Haliotis laevigata), along a longitudinal environmental gradient.

Objectives

1. Use single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs
after Sandoval-Castillo et al. 2017) to compare the genetic diversity and population structure of wild Greenlip Abalone and FX abalone
2. Assess the genetic suitability of using FX abalone for release into wild populations at sites across the SA Western Zone Fishery, ensuring that the genetic structure and diversity of wild populations is maintained, including an expert-based, genetics risk assessment workshop
3. Undertake a preliminary cost-benefit analysis to inform 'stop/go’ decision

Project products

Final Report • 2024-02-28 • 2.69 MB
2020-116-DLD.pdf

Summary

This project was undertaken to facilitate abalone stock recovery in South Australia. Three key activities were undertaken. These were (1) a comparison of genetic differences between wild and hatchery-reared Greenlip Abalone; (2) development of a genetic risk-assessment framework as a method for assessing genetic risks associated with release of abalone; and (3) a preliminary cost-benefit analysis of release of juvenile Greenlip Abalone with a user interface to aid use by industry members.

Related research

Industry
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