Oral Presentation Australian Society for Fish Biology Conference 2024

Is fish biology a dying art? There is still lots to discover, we just need to look harder. (111887)

Peter G. Coulson 1
  1. University of Tasmania, Taroona, TASMANIA, Australia

When I started down the path of fish biology research as an Honours student in the early 2000s, the field was abuzz with activity, there were so many opportunities, and it was fantastic to be a part of. The things I learnt such as staging gonads, sectioning and reading otoliths, statistical analyses, scientific writing, working in remote locations, driving boats and communicating with recreational and commercial fishers, were invaluable and a great stepping stone to becoming a professional fisheries scientist. After 22 years of working in this field, I’m still fascinated by what I find and love what I do! Despite the fact that biological parameters are crucial components of stock assessments, it appears that fish biology is a dying art that has lost its appeal. Or is it because we have studied all the important fish species? A recent investigation of the biology of Marblefish (Aplodactylus arctidens) in Tasmanian waters, which is found to live for at least 80 years, demonstrates that the fish biology world still has plenty of exciting discoveries.