GORGON AUSTRALIA Pre and Post-Development Intertidal Demersal Fish Surveys

A pre-construction baseline survey of fish assemblages that characterised mangrove communities of Barrow Island was conducted by IPE in late 2009 as part of the Commonwealth Government's approval requirements of the Gorgon gas project. Gill and seine nets and visual census methodologies were employed at a number of intertidal locations on the east and south coasts, resulting in the capture of a wide variety of bony and cartilaginous fishes.

A post-construction survey was conducted in December 2011 to again determine the fish assemblages present at these locations. Data was subsequently statistically analysed to determine whether biologically significant changes had occurred. Post-construction monitoring is proposed to occur annually until 2013.