Overview of the Conservation of Australian Marine Invertebrates

Contents

Executive Summary

Introduction

Administration

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The production of this document would not have been possible without the assistance and cooperation of a large number of people, who generously and freely provided information.

The following individuals kindly provided specialist information on particular marine invertebrate groups:

Dr Anne Hoggett	Lizard Island Research Station	Echinodermata (Comasteridae, Ophiotrichidae)
Dr Lyle Vail	Lizard Island Research Station	Echinodermata (Holothuroidea)
Dr Carden Wallace	Museum of Tropical Queensland	Cnidaria (Acropora)
Dr Ian Whittington	South Australian Museum	Platyhelminthes
Dr Wolfgang Zeidler	South Australian Museum	Crustacea (Hyperiidea); and oceanic communities
Ms Karen Gowlett-Holmes	CSIRO Division of Marine Research	Mollusca (Polyplacophora)
Dr Graham Edgar	University of Tasmania	Crustacea (Tanaidacea); and Tasmanian invertebrates in general
Dr Gary Poore	Museum Victoria	Crustacea (Isopoda)
Dr Fred Wells	Western Australian Museum	Mollusca
Dr Hannelore Paxton	Macquarie University	Polychaeta (Onuphidae)
Mrs Sue Talbot	Macquarie University	Crustacea (Mysidacea)
Dr Mike Kingsford	University of Sydney	Cnidaria (Scyphozoa)
Dr Maria Byrne	University of Sydney	Echinodermata
Prof. Barry Richardson	University of Western Sydney Hawkesbury	Chordata (Cephalochordata)
Dr Andy Davis	University of Wollongong	Tunicata (Ascidiacea)
Dr Phil Alderslade	Museum and Art Gallery of the NT	Cnidaria (Octocorallia)
Dr Richard Willan	Museum and Art Gallery of the NT	Mollusca, incl. Introduced species in Tasmania
Dr John Veron	Australian Institute of Marine Sciences	Cnidaria (Scleractinia)
Dr Mark Norman	James Cook University	Mollusca (Octopodidae)
Prof. John Hooper	Queensland Museum, Qld Centre for Biodiversity	Porifera
Prof. Cyril Burdon-Jones	Queensland Museum	Hemichordata (Enteropneusta, Pterobranchia)
Dr Lester Cannon	Queensland Museum	Platyhelminthes (Turbellaria)
Dr Pat Mather	Queensland Museum	Tunicata (Ascidiacea)
Dr Scoresby Shepherd	SA Research and Development Institute	Mollusca (Haliotidae)
Ms Elizabeth Turner	Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery	Mollusca & Echinodermata of Tasmania
A/Prof. Alastair Richardson	University of Tasmania	Crustacea (Talitridae)
Ms Jeanette Watson	Consultant	Cnidaria (Hydrozoa)
Dr Phillip E. Bock	Deakin University	Bryozoa
Ms Sue Boyd	Museum Victoria	Mollusca (Bivalvia) of southern Australia
Mr Robert Burn	Museum Victoria	Mollusca (Opisthobranchia)
Dr Tim O'Hara	Museum Victoria	Echinodermata
Mr Mark O'Loughlin	Museum Victoria	Echinodermata
Dr Amanda Reid	Museum Victoria	Mollusca (Sepiidae)
Dr Gary Poore	Museum Victoria	Crustaceans
Dr Robin Wilson	Museum Victoria	Polychaetes and Introduced species
Dr Pat Cook	Museum Victoria	Bryozoa
Mr Robert Craig	c/- Western Australian Museum	Brachiopoda
Mr Clay Bryce	Western Australian Museum	Mollusca (Opisthobranchia)
Dr Jane Fromont	Western Australian Museum	Porifera
Ms Diana Jones	Western Australian Museum	Crustacea (Thoracica)
Ms Loisette Marsh	Western Australian Museum	Echinodermata (Asteroidea)
Prof. Ernest Schockaert	Limburgs Universitair Centrum, Belgium	Platyhelminthes
Dr Anno Faubel	Institut fur Hydrobiologie und Fischeriwissenschaft	Platyhelminthes (Turbellaria)
Dr Fred Wells	Western Australian Museum	Molluscs
Prof. Pat Bergquist	Auckland University	Porifera (Demospongiae)
Dr John Yaldwyn	Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa	Crustacea (Laomedia)
Dr Chris Glasby	National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research - now of the Museum and Art Gallery of the NT	Polychaeta
Dr Dennis Gordon	National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research	Bryozoa
Dr Ron Sluys	University of Amsterdam	Corallimorpharia
Dr Richard Emlet	Oregon Institute of Marine Biology	Echinodermata (Echinoidea)
Dr Shane Ahyong	Australian Museum	Crustacea (Stomatopoda)
Dr Penny Berents	Australian Museum	Crustacea (Amphipoda)
Dr Jim Lowry	Australian Museum	Crustacea (Amphipoda)
Dr Steven Keable	Australian Museum	Crustacea
Dr Gary Morgan	(Then of) Australian Museum, now Western Australian Museum	Crustacea (Diogenidae, Vaguridae, Xanthoidae)
Dr Paul Cornelius	Natural History Museum, London	Cnidaria (Cubomedusae, Scyphomedusae)
Mr Peter J. F. Davie	Queensland Museum	Crustacea (Decapoda) and numbers of species in Malacostraca
Mr Leigh Winsor	James Cook University	Platyhelminthes
Dr Brian J Smith	Queen Victoria Museum	Mollusca
Dr Kerstin Wasson	University of California	Kamptozoa

The following individuals kindly provided specialist information on particular topics:

Dr Gee Chapman	University of Sydney	Intertidal marine invertebrates
Prof. Tony Underwood	University of Sydney	Experimental ecology, environmental change
Dr Alan Jones	Australian Museum	Estuarine invertebrate ecology
Dr Trevor J Ward	CSIRO Marine Research	Conservation strategies, protected areas management
Dr Anne Brearley	University of Western Australia	Marine invertebrate communities and habitats
Prof. Mike Johnson	University of Western Australia	Molluscan ecology
Dr Lynda Avery	Deakin University	Marine benthos
Dr Tony Koslow	CSIRO Division of Marine Research	Deep-water ecosystems
Dr Paul Dayton	Scripps Institution of Oceanography	Marine / coastal / benthic ecology
Dr Kirsten Benkendorff	University of Wollongong	Intertidal molluscs; marine natural products
Dr Terry Done	Australian Institute of Marine Sciences	Coral reef benthic communities
Dr Greg Skilleter	University of Queensland	Ecology of benthic invertebrates, human impacts
Dr Alan Butler	CSIRO Marine Research	Ecology of sessile organisms
Professor Rod Simpson	University of New England	Invertebrates in ecological and pollution studies
Dr Fredericke Kroon	NSW Fisheries Conservation Research	Effects of acid sulphate soils
Dr Scoresby Shepherd	South Australian Research and Development Institute	Decline of abalone stocks
Dr Tony Koslow	CSIRO Marine Research	Tasmanian seamounts
Dr Bill Rudman	Australian Museum	Aiptasia threat
Prof. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg	(Then of) University of Sydney, now of Queensland University	Coral bleaching
Dr Chad Hewitt	CRIMP- CSIRO Marine Research	Introduced species
Dr John Vranijic	Environment Australia	Reviewing chapters
Prof Craig Johnson	University of Tasmania	Introduced species
Dr Geoff Kelly	Lord Howe Island Marine Park	Lord Howe Island issues
Dr Barry Russell	Museum and Art Gallery of the NT	Introduced species and port surveys
Dr Richard Willan	Museum and Art Gallery of the NT	Introduced species and port surveys
Dr Katharina Fabricius	AIMS	Ecology of soft corals
Dr Annie Brearley	Botany, University of Western Australia	References

The following individuals kindly provided information on the marine invertebrate collection resources of their respective museums:

Australian Museum	Dr Penny Berents, Anna Murray, Ian Loch
Museum Victoria	Sue Boyd, Gary Poore
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery	Elizabeth Turner
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery	Brian J. Smith
South Australian Museum	Thierry Laperousaz
Western Australian Museum	Jane Fromont, Mark S. Harvey, Shirley Slack-Smith
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory	Richard Willan, Phil Alderslade, Gavin Dally, Chris Glasby
Queensland Museum	John Hooper, John Stanisic, Darryl Potter, Peter Davie, John Short, Steve Cook, Mal Bryant, Lester Cannon
Museum of Tropical Queensland	Peter Arnold

Staff from the following departments and agencies kindly provided information and data to assist in preparation of the report:

Australian Fisheries Management Authority, ACT	Viki O’Brien, Andrew Townley, Bruce Wallner, Dave Alden
Government Conservator, Cocos (Keeling) Islands	Wendy Murray
NSW Fisheries	Bill Talbot
Solitary Islands Marine Park, NSW	Vanessa Mansbridge
Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, Townsville	Walt Dunlop
Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, Townsville	David Barnes
Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, Townsville	Carsten Wolff
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority	Mick Bishop, Jon Day, Michelle Devlin, Jan Forbes, David Haynes, Guy Lane, Tony Stokes, David Wachenfeld, Leanne Fernandes
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service	Simon Banks, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Mike Short, Peter Starkey
Queensland Fisheries Management Authority	Sian Breen
Department of Primary Industries and Resources, SA	John Gilliland
Environment Protection Agency, DPI, SA	Doug Fotheringham, Romola Stewart
Australian Antarctic Division	Andrew Constable, Martin Riddle, Henk Brolsma
Australian Geographic Survey Organisation	Howard Stagg
Centre for Research on Introduced Marine Pests (CSIRO)	Ron Thresher, Chad Hewitt
Dept of Primary Industries, Water & Environment, Tas	Peter Brown, Wes Ford
Tasmanian Aquaculture & Fisheries Institute	Neville Barrett
Dept of Natural Resources and Environment, Vic	Lawrance Ferns
Environment Protection Authority, Vic	Joanne Klemke

The following non-government organisations also provided valuable input:

Conservation Council of South Australia	James Brook
Field Naturalists Club of Victoria	Clarrie Handreck
Marine & Coastal Community Network	Tim Allen
Cairns & Far North Environment Centre	Leanne Makey

Many thanks must go to the following individuals who reviewed earlier drafts of the document:

John Vranjic	Environment Australia
Tony Bigwood	Environment Australia
Astrida Mendis	Environment Australia
Penny Berents	Australian Museum	Chapter 2
Jim Lowry	Australian Museum	Chapter 2 (Amphipoda)
Buz Wilson	Australian Museum