Most research is undertaken by teams based at the Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories at Hillarys Boat Harbour in Perth’s northern suburbs.
The laboratories combine a state-of-the art research facility with the Naturaliste Marine Discovery Centre. The centre incorporates an interactive exhibition area and viewing areas into research facilities.
One of the key activities undertaken at these laboratories is the annual stock assessments of Western Australia’s most important fisheries, involving surveys, sampling, and analysis of trends in catch and fishing activity.
Our aquatic animal health laboratories are located at the Department of Agriculture in South Perth.
Pemberton Freshwater Research Centre
The centre carries out projects to support recreational fishing, aquaculture and biodiversity, including housing a living gene bank or ‘ark’ of endangered fish and crayfish species and developing techniques to breed these species for restocking.
Aquaculture and Native Fish Breeding Laboratory
The laboratory, located at The University of Western Australia’s (UWA) Shenton Park Field Centre has over 50 large tanks enabling scientists and students to conduct research on a scale that replicates commercial and natural environments.
It also has over 100 aquariums, three artificial lakes, a hatchery and quarantine facilities. Projects are carried out by a team of postgraduate students, UWA staff and our scientists, research partnerships with industry and the community are also undertaken. Recent projects include the aquaculture of a range of freshwater fish and crayfish species, breeding critically-endangered species of fish and crayfish and producing native fish for restocking water bodies.
Abrolhos Islands/Geraldton
At the Abrolhos Islands we have the Saville-Kent Centre, a field station located on Rat Island, the hub of the 122 group of islands. The Abrolhos Islands Research Institute is located at Separation Point in Geraldton.
Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre
The Watermans Bay Marine Centre is currently being refurbished as part of a collaboration between the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the CSIRO, The University of Western Australia’s Ocean Institute and the Department of Fisheries.It will open in in mid-2013 as part of the Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre. The Centre will bring together over 240 researchers carrying out projects across a broad range of marine-related subjects including oceanography, fisheries and marine ecology, technologies, engineering and law.