Forecasting Southern Bluefin Tuna Habitat in the Great Australian Bight
About the project
This project is a collaboration between CSIRO, the Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association (ASBTIA) and the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), co-funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC Project 2012/239).
Project Aim: To investigate habitat preferences of southern bluefin tuna (SBT) in the Great Australian Bight (GAB) based on historical archival tag, catch and aerial survey data, and to provide forecasts of habitat distribution.
Motivation: The project was initiated in response to observed changes in spatial distribution of SBT in the GAB through recent fishing seasons.
Planned Outcome: Forecasts of seasonal environmental conditions such as sea surface temperature (SST) should improve operational planning of SBT fishers targeting surface schools for value-adding of a quota restricted resource.
Observed environmental conditions
For maps of recently observed conditions in the Great Australian Bight, go to:
Forecasted sea surface temperature
For forecasts of SST in the Great Australian Bight over the next fortnight up to 2 months in future, go to:
Preferred habitat forecasts
For maps of expected areas of preferred habitat for juvenile southern bluefin tuna in the Great Australian Bight, go to: