The Recherche Archipelago

Wen Giving is supporting the work of UWA PhD student Tom Tothill at the Marine Futures Lab, who is working with the Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation to document the status of reef fish through the Recherche Archipelago from Esperance to Daw Island, using baited remote underwater video systems.

This work builds on a previous survey that demonstrated declining biodiversity with proximity to the regional population centre of Esperance, Western Australia. The project is also collecting sediment cores as part of an initiative to document blue carbon storage on the continental shelf. Co-designed with the Tjaltjraak Rangers, this project will also contribute to the ongoing marine park planning process to ensure strong, evidence-based protection is put into place.