Wetjens Dimmlich

Research Interests

Population biology and stock assessment of marine finfish; age and growth studies of teleost and cephalopods.

Background and Qualifications

In his current position Wetjens is involved in the stock assessment of the rajid (skate and ray) fisheries around the Falkland Islands. He is also developing an electronic reporting system for the Loligo squid fishing fleet which will facilitate near real-time monitoring and management of that fishery.

He obtained his BSc at James Cook University of North Queensland with an additional major in remote sensing and geographic information systems. He worked in fisheries research for 8 years before accepting a PhD scholarship in Fisheries Bioscience at Adelaide University.

Early in his career he worked on the ecology and conservation of marine turtles in tropical Australia as well as environmental impact assessments. He has been involved with numerous research projects, particularly concerned with pelagic fish species. He studied the prey species of the little penguin (Eudyptula minor) in Victoria for three years before moving to South Australia to develop fisheries monitoring protocols for the nascent sardine (Sardinops sagax) fishing industry in that state. He interrupted his involvement with small pelagic species for several years to take the post of State project leader on a Federally funded national investigation on the biology and recruitment dynamics of Australian salmon (Arripis truttacea). Following this he resumed his involvement with pelagic fisheries to further develop the stock assessment and management of sardines and other small pelagic fishes as Program Leader (Acting) of what had become the highest value fishery in Australia. He has also been involved in other high value fisheries such as southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) and southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii). However, his main focus in recent years has been an investigation of the biology, life history and stock assessment of anchovy (Engraulis australis) in South Australian waters.

Publications

Rogers, P, Dimmlich , WF and Ward, TM (2007). Pelagic Fish of Gulf St Vincent In: S. Bryars, S.A. Shephard, I. Kirkegaard and P. Harbison (Eds) Natural History of Gulf St Vincent. Royal Society of South Australia, Adelaide.

Dimmlich, WF and Ward, TM (2006). Ontogenetic shifts in the distribution and reproductive patterns of Australian anchovy (Engraulis australis) determined by otolith microstructure analysis. Mar. Freshw. Res. 57: 373-381.
 
Dimmlich, WF, Breed, WG, Geddes, M and Ward, TM (2004). Relative importance of gulf and shelf waters for spawning and recruitment of Australian anchovy, Engraulis australis, in South Australia. Fisheries Oceanography. 13(5): 310-323.

Dimmlich, WF and Jones, GK (1997) Aspects of the biology and stock assessment of the arripids, Arripis truttacea and Arripis georgiana, in South Australia. South Australian Fisheries Assessment Series 97/08. South Australian Research and Development Institute. 34 pp.

Dimmlich, WF and Hoedt, FE (1996) Age and growth of the myopsid squid Loliolus noctiluca in Western Port, Victoria determined from statolith microstructure analysis. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK. 78: 577-586.

Linnane, A, Dimmlich, W and Ward, T (2005) Movement patterns of the southern rock lobster Jasus edwardsii off South Australia. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 39: 335-346.

Fairclough, DV, Dimmlich, WF and Potter, IC (2000). Reproductive biology of the Australian herring Arripis georgianus. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 51(6): 619-630.

Fairclough, DV, Dimmlich, WF and Potter, IC (2000). Length and age compositions and growth rates of the Australian herring Arripis georgianus in different regions. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 51(6): 631-640

Hoedt, FE and Dimmlich, WF (1994) Diet of subadult Australian salmon, Arripis truttaceous, in Western Port, Victoria. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 45: 617-623.

Hoedt, FE and Dimmlich, WF (1995) Egg and larval abundance and spawning localities of the anchovy (Engraulis australis) and pilchard (Sardinops neopilchardus) near Phillip Island, Victoria. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 46: 735-743.

Hoedt, FE, Dimmlich, WF, Dann, P (1995) Seasonal variation in the species and size composition of the clupeoid assemblages in Western Port, Victoria. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 46: 1085-1091.

Ward, TM, Mcleay, LJ, Dimmlich, WF, Rogers, PJ, McClatchie, S, Mattews, R, Kampf, J and Van Ruth, PD (2006) Pelagic ecology of a northern current system: effects of upwelling on the production and distribution of sardine (Sardinops sagax), anchovy (Engraulis australis) and southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) in the Great Australian Bight. Fisheries Oceanography 15(3): 191-207.

Ward, TM, Hoedt, F, Mcleay, L, Dimmlich, WF, Kinloch, M, Jackson, G, McGarvey, R, Rogers, P and Jones, K (2001). Effects of the 1995 and 1998 mass mortality events on the spawning biomass of sardine, Sardinops sagax, in South Australian waters, in ICES J. Mar. Sci. 58(4): 830-841.

Ward, TM, Hoedt, F, McLeay, LJ, Dimmlich, WF, Jackson, WF, Rogers, PJ and Jones, K (2001). Have the recent mass mortalities of Sardinops sagax in Australia facilitated an expansion of the distribution of Engraulis australis. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 220: 241-251.