Mollusc assemblages of soft-sediments in subtropical eastern Australia

Despite the dominance of soft-sediment habitats in marine ecosystems, their associated assemblages are often poorly understood in comparison to their counterparts in habitats such as reef. Baseline characterisation of habitats and communities is necessary to inform managers of the ecological resources they are charged with conserving. In New South Wales (NSW), Australia, a habitat classification scheme (HCS) is employed based on habitat types and water depth to inform conservation planning which aims to be comprehensive, adequate, and representative. This thesis evaluates the suitability of the HCS for soft-sediment by comparing mollusc assemblages spatially and temporally within two NSW marine parks.