Sea Change Australia

07/09/2026

Recent conversations at Seafood Directions 2026 highlighted that Ingidenous fishers from the Torres Strait were noticing increased freshwater inputs in the region, resulting in fish and coral mortalities.

So, this question was put to our expert network: How can we monitor and predict fresh water inputs in the Torres Strait?

Sea Change Australia expert Dr Stephanie Brodie provided an answer 👇:

https://seachangeaustralia.org/question/monitoring-freshwater-inputs-in-the-torres-strait/

If you have a question about climate change and the seafood industry, we want to hear from you! Submit it to our Q&A platform:

https://seachangeaustralia.org/qa-platform/

A Q&A platform for everyone in the seafood sector – fishers, industry, managers, researchers — to ask questions about climate change. No question is too big or too specific.

04/09/2026

Want to stay across climate change and Australia’s seafood sector?

From new research and climate insights to practical examples of how seafood businesses are preparing for a changing ocean, the Sea Change Australia newsletter brings the latest information straight to your inbox.

https://mailchi.mp/39d88a852cf7/sea-change-australia-newsletter-april-12849872

Subscribe to stay informed, discover new resources and hear what’s happening across Australia’s seafood sector.

Subscribe to the Sea Change Australia newsletter:

https://seachangeaustralia.org/

Sea Change Australia brings together fishers, aquaculture producers, industry, managers, and researchers to facilitate knowledge exchange and co-develop climate-resilient options for strong and healthy fisheries and aquaculture sectors in Australia.

03/09/2026

Australia has a seafood paradox. We have some of the world’s most sustainably managed fisheries and a strong aquaculture sector, yet around 65% of the seafood Australians consume is imported.

New research left us wondering: are we outsourcing some of the social and environmental impacts of our seafood consumption, while overlooking opportunities to sustainably strengthen production at home?

For Sea Change Australia, there’s also a climate resilience angle. Supporting sustainable local seafood production can strengthen communities and supply chains, particularly as climate change and extreme events create new disruptions.

The bigger picture is about considering domestic production, import standards and our global seafood footprint together.

👉 Read our take on the research and what it means for a more resilient Australian seafood sector:

https://seachangeaustralia.org/the-australian-seafood-paradox-can-we-strengthen-local-seafood-production-while-reducing-our-global-footprint/

and check out the new article published in Environmental Research Food Systems:

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2976-601X/ae93b7

It’s no secret that Australians love their seafood. From banana prawns in Queensland to rock lobster from Western Australia, Australian seafood is high quality and an important part of the social and cultural fabric of the country.   […]

02/09/2026

What could climate change mean for prawns and scallops in Shark Bay?

A commercial fisher asked Sea Change Australia:

“What do prawn and scallop stocks look like in 10 years with climate change?”

We put the question to Sea Change Australia expert Dr Arani Chandrapavan, who explains how warming waters, marine heatwaves, tropical cyclones, changing El Niño and La Niña conditions, and impacts on seagrass habitat could influence these important fisheries.

What might Shark Bay’s prawn and scallop fisheries look like in the future?

👉 Read the expert answer: https://seachangeaustralia.org/question/prawn-and-scallops-in-shark-bay/

Have a question about climate change and seafood? Ask us and we will find an expert to answer it.

What do prawn and scallop stocks look like in 10 years with climate change (Shark Bay)?

01/09/2026

Ever wondered what climate change is doing to Victoria’s abalone?

Here’s the cool thing about Sea Change Australia: you can ask a question, and we will get an expert to answer it.

A commercial fisher recently asked us:

“Fishers have anecdotally observed less abalone recruitment in Victoria. Have there been any changes to abalone recruitment and breeding in response to climate change in Victoria or south-eastern Australia?”

We put the question to Dr Cameron Dixon, a member of our expert network.

Read Cameron’s answer here:

👉 https://seachangeaustralia.org/question/abalone-breeding-in-victoria/

And this isn’t just about abalone.

Got a question about climate change and the seafood sector? Ask us! You could have an expert in the field answering your question next.

👉 https://seachangeaustralia.org/qa-platform/ask-a-question/

31/08/2026

Have you heard about FishSOOP? - And no, we're not talking about a type of chowder 🍲

🎣 What if fishing vessels could help us better understand our changing oceans – while also giving fishers better information to make decisions at sea?

That’s the idea behind FishSOOP – Fishing Vessels as Ships of Opportunity.

By attaching small temperature-depth sensors to commercial fishing gear, FishSOOP collects observations from beneath the ocean surface as part of normal fishing operations. The data help scientists fill important gaps in ocean monitoring and climate projections, and information collected can be returned to fishers in near real time.

During a marine heatwave in 2024, one participating tuna vessel recorded temperatures above 28°C down to 80 metres. As the vessel moved south, the information helped fishers adjust where and at what depth they deployed their gear.

For climate adaptation, better decisions start with better information.

FishSOOP is a great example of industry and science working together to understand changing ocean conditions and turn that knowledge into practical information on the water.

👉 Read the full story:

https://seachangeaustralia.org/story/fishing-for-better-climate-information-how-fishsoop-is-turning-commercial-fishing-vessels-into-ocean-observing-platforms/

Access resources:

https://seachangeaustralia.org/resource/fishsoop-fishing-vessels-as-ships-of-opportunity/

FishSOOP (Fishing Vessels as Ships of Opportunity Program) uses commercial fishing vessels to collect ocean temperature and depth observations as part of their normal fishing activities. Small sensors attached to […]

30/08/2026

Our ability to adapt to climate change is only as good as our understanding of how our environment is changing.

A national study, lead by Sea Change Australia team member Dr Stephanie Brodie, with contributions from Dr Beth Fulton and member of our expert network Dr Alistair Hobday, has mapped climate change risk across Australia’s entire seafood sector, from the Torres Strait to the Southern Ocean.

The findings show that climate change impacts across Australia, but the impacts won't be the same everywhere.

🌡️ Marine heatwaves are expected to become longer and more frequent.

🐟 The amount of biomass available to fisheries is projected to decline as oceans warm

🎣 For fishers, this could mean changes in where species are found, when they are available, and how predictable fishing seasons are.

But this isn't a prediction that Australian fisheries are doomed.It's about understanding what's changing so we can prepare for it.

At Sea Change Australia, we share research like this because climate adaptation needs to be grounded in good science and, just as importantly, connected to the experience and knowledge of the people working on the water.

Read our summary of the new research and what it could mean for Australia's seafood industry:

What does climate change mean for the future of fishing and aquaculture in Australia? For people working in Australia’s seafood industry, climate change isn’t something that is happening somewhere else […]

25/08/2026

On 22 August, average global ocean temperatures reached a new record high of 21.1°C, surpassing the previous record set in March 2024.

Ocean temperatures typically peak around March–April. This year, the record has come during the Northern Hemisphere summer, following an exceptionally warm season across Europe and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

These conditions aren’t simply random weather events. Human-induced climate change is increasing the baseline temperature of our atmosphere and oceans, making extreme heat more likely.

For Australia’s seafood sector, this matters because a warming ocean is the backdrop against which natural climate variability, including El Niño, is now occurring.

Warmer and more variable conditions can affect where species are found, when they are available, recruitment and survival, disease risk, harmful algal blooms, weather conditions and the timing and reliability of fishing seasons. The impacts will vary between regions and fisheries.

We can’t predict exactly what this summer will bring, but keeping an eye on local water temperatures, seasonal forecasts, species movements and changes in catch patterns can help businesses identify changes early and prepare to adapt.

Sea Change Australia will continue sharing climate information, marine climate briefings and stories from seafood businesses and researchers about how the sector is responding to a changing ocean.

https://seachangeaustralia.org/global-ocean-temperatures-reach-record-high-what-does-it-mean-for-australian-seafood/

25/08/2026

Webinar alert!

Are you an aquaculture operator, researcher, policymaker, consultant, or interested in sustainable seafood and climate resilience?

On Wednesday 2nd September, join the Aquaculture Council of Western Australia for a discussion on Powering your business: alternative energy supplies for the aquaculture sector.

https://preview.mailerlite.io/emails/webview/740952/196663655701415790?signature=347177bbb5af1ac3699b2a5dce49e86968d19939efd5c8d558aefb97a9b41986

24/08/2026

Are you involved in the seafood sector in South Australia?

You might be interested in the answer to a recent quesiton on our Q&A platform!

A fisheries manager asked: "With climate change, what types of fish are most likely to increase in abundance in South Australia?"

Dr Frederic Bailleul, a member of the Sea Change Australia Expert Network, provided an answer.

A warmer ocean doesn’t necessarily mean more fish, or even more warm-water species. Find out why climate change could benefit some species in South Australia while making conditions more challenging for others.

With climate change, what types of fish are most likely to increase in abundance in South Australia?