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Macquarie Harbour Proposal
Information
EPA - Salmon Waste Management
Container Configuration Diagram
NBT Patent Information
Oxygen for aquaculture – evaluating nanobubble technology - FRDC Published: 29 May 2023 Updated: 1 July 2025
Map of Lease Locations
Response of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar to temperature and dissolved oxygen extremes established using animal-borne environmental sensors. 2017
Marine Finfish Farming The Nature Conservancy January 2024
Tasmanian Salmon Farming Data - Salmon Portal - Macquarie Harbour
Macquarie Harbour Dissolved Oxygen - EPA Tasmania. June 2025
Oxygenation trial in Macquarie Harbour hits new milestone - University of Tasmania. Sept 2024
Macquarie Harbour Status update for dissolved oxygen - EPA. Sept 2024
Macquarie Harbour Fact Sheet - Salmon Tasmania
Not just fish poo – why Macquarie Harbour has an oxygen problem - CSIRO. June 2018
Tasmanian Government Submission - Addendum DNR. Oct 2024
Macquarie Harbour Oxygen Process model (FRDC 2016-067): CSIRO Final Report. 2016
Macquarie Harbour Oxygenation Project (MHOP): enhancing oxygen levels at depth - Acquaculture Environment Team. Aug 2024
Tasmanian Government’s response to the draft Conservation Advice and Listing Assessment for the Maugean Skate. Sept 2024
The oxygen threshold for maximal feed intake of Atlantic salmon post-smolts is highly temperature-dependent - Science Direct. 2016 On-growing Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, L.) adapt behaviourally and physiologically to constant long-term low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels but show reduced feed intake, growth and lipid retention. June 2025 Longitudinal dissolved oxygen patterns in Atlantic salmon aquaculture sites in British Columbia, Canada - Frontiers. Jan 2024 Effect of cage size on oxygen levels in Atlantic salmon sea cages: A model study - Science Direct. Jan 2023 Managing the Dissolved Oxygen Balance of Open Atlantic Salmon Sea Cages: A Narrative Review - Reviews in Aquaculture. Dec 2024 Growing the Tasmanian Atlantic salmon farming industry - CSIRO Drivers of deep water renewal in Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania - Science Direct Injector diagrams Images Reference material
The oxygen threshold for maximal feed intake of Atlantic salmon post-smolts is highly temperature-dependent - Science Direct. 2016 On-growing Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, L.) adapt behaviourally and physiologically to constant long-term low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels but show reduced feed intake, growth and lipid retention. June 2025 Longitudinal dissolved oxygen patterns in Atlantic salmon aquaculture sites in British Columbia, Canada - Frontiers. Jan 2024 Effect of cage size on oxygen levels in Atlantic salmon sea cages: A model study - Science Direct. Jan 2023 Managing the Dissolved Oxygen Balance of Open Atlantic Salmon Sea Cages: A Narrative Review - Reviews in Aquaculture. Dec 2024 Growing the Tasmanian Atlantic salmon farming industry - CSIRO Drivers of deep water renewal in Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania - Science Direct Injector diagrams Images Reference material
Macquarie Harbour Facts
It is approximately 315 square kilometres (122 sq mi), and has an average depth of 15 metres (49 ft), with deeper places up to 50 metres (160 ft).
Macquarie Harbour is Australia's second largest natural harbour, after Port Phillip Bay in Victoria.
This vast waterway is six times the size of Sydney Harbour and measures 35 kilometres in length and nine kilometres across.
Maugean Skates primarily live in the brackish waters of Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania, at depths of about 5 to 15 metres, preferring shallow, low-salinity areas. While they typically stay within this depth range, they are capable of crossing deeper waters, sometimes over 20 metres, to reach different shallow areas. At night, they move into shallower water to feed on bottom-dwelling crabs.
Habitat and Depth
Preferred Depth:
Maugean Skates are most commonly found in depths of 5 to 15 metres in the brackish environment of Macquarie Harbour. Benthic Habitat:
They inhabit the bottom of these shallow channels, camouflaging against the silty substrate. Water Conditions:
They prefer low-salinity, low-oxygen, and tannin-rich water conditions found in their estuarine habitat.
Behavior and Movement
Diurnal Movement: Studies show they have a nychthemeral pattern, meaning they spend daytime in deeper water and move to shallower areas at night when they are more active.
Foraging: At night, they become more active in shallower waters to feed on bottom-dwelling prey, such as native crabs.
Deeper Water Use: While their primary habitat is shallow, individuals have been observed to cross depths of over 20 metres to access different shallow feeding grounds.
Key Factors
Low Oxygen:
The skate's habitat, especially Macquarie Harbour, is known for its low dissolved oxygen levels, to which the Maugean Skate has evolved some tolerance.
Habitat Specificity:
The species is endemic to two estuaries in western Tasmania, and the population in Macquarie Harbour is its only confirmed habitat.
Macquarie Harbour is Australia's second largest natural harbour, after Port Phillip Bay in Victoria.
This vast waterway is six times the size of Sydney Harbour and measures 35 kilometres in length and nine kilometres across.
Maugean Skates primarily live in the brackish waters of Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania, at depths of about 5 to 15 metres, preferring shallow, low-salinity areas. While they typically stay within this depth range, they are capable of crossing deeper waters, sometimes over 20 metres, to reach different shallow areas. At night, they move into shallower water to feed on bottom-dwelling crabs.
Habitat and Depth
Preferred Depth:
Maugean Skates are most commonly found in depths of 5 to 15 metres in the brackish environment of Macquarie Harbour. Benthic Habitat:
They inhabit the bottom of these shallow channels, camouflaging against the silty substrate. Water Conditions:
They prefer low-salinity, low-oxygen, and tannin-rich water conditions found in their estuarine habitat.
Behavior and Movement
Diurnal Movement: Studies show they have a nychthemeral pattern, meaning they spend daytime in deeper water and move to shallower areas at night when they are more active.
Foraging: At night, they become more active in shallower waters to feed on bottom-dwelling prey, such as native crabs.
Deeper Water Use: While their primary habitat is shallow, individuals have been observed to cross depths of over 20 metres to access different shallow feeding grounds.
Key Factors
Low Oxygen:
The skate's habitat, especially Macquarie Harbour, is known for its low dissolved oxygen levels, to which the Maugean Skate has evolved some tolerance.
Habitat Specificity:
The species is endemic to two estuaries in western Tasmania, and the population in Macquarie Harbour is its only confirmed habitat.