Biodiversity assessments of invertebrates within seagrass (Amphibolis antarctica and Posidonia australis) transplant plots, compared to adjacent bare sand and healthy meadows at Middle Bluff, Dubaut Point and Useless Loop, Shark Bay.

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub emerging priorities study - "Application of environmental DNA to survey Bathurst Harbour Tasmania for the endangered Maugean skate". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- The Maugean skate (Zearaja maugeana) is listed as Endangered under Tasmania’s Threatened Species Protection Act and the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Its known population is small (~3,000 individuals, Macquarie Harbour, 2016) and highly restricted, having only been recorded in two isolated estuaries: Bathurst Harbour and Macquarie Harbour in south-western/western Tasmania. This constitutes one of the most limited distributions of any known extant elasmobranch. Although the skate was first discovered in Bathurst Harbour, most knowledge of the species stems from the Macquarie Harbour population. Only four individuals have been reported in Bathurst Harbour, with the last reported sighting in 1992. Environmental conditions in Macquarie Harbour have changed markedly since then due to anthropogenic activities in and around the estuary including historical mining, hydro-electric generation and alteration of natural river flows, and marine fish farming. Previous research has shown clear signs of population stress and evidence of detrimental impacts of degraded environmental conditions on the Maugean Skate in Macquarie Harbour. Understanding the potential population status of the Maugean Skate in Bathurst Harbour will assist in determining conservation actions. This study used Environmental (e) DNA to determine the presence/absence of Maugean skate in Bathurst Harbour, strengthening the evidence base for effective conservation plans and specific recovery actions. Outputs • Maugean skate eDNA sampling data and inferred species distribution (presence/absence) [dataset] • Final Project Report, including a short summary of recommendations for policy makers of key findings [written]

This record describes Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) imagery collected from within the Gascoyne Marine Park offshore northwestern Australia. The ROV SuBastian was used to conduct imagery transects on 20 dives across 16 stations, including 12 quantitative transects within the Cape Range Canyon. No quantitative transects were conducted in the Cloates Canyon due to delays caused by poor weather. SuBastian is equipped with a Sulis Subsea Z70 deep sea science camera, with 4K UHD 2160p optics and sensors for temperature, depth, conductivity and oxygen. The quantitative transects were run for 500 m upslope, ideally at a speed of 0.3 knots and an altitude of 2 m above the seafloor or rock walls. Still images were acquired every 5 seconds, with additional frames added manually as required. Still images from most transects were primarily annotated onboard using the RV Falkor’s private instance of SQUIDLE+, with some post-survey annotation conducted using the public instance of Squidle+ (http://squidle.org/).

This metadata record provides a brief overview of the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine and Coastal (MaC) Hub. The record acts as an aggregation point for all NESP Marine and Coastal Hub data collections and projects developed as part of this research program. The National Environmental Science Program (NESP) is a long-term commitment by the Australian Government to environment and climate research. The first phase invested $145 million (2014-15 to 2020-21) into 6 research hubs. The second phase invests $149 million (2020-21 to 2026-27) into 4 new research hubs. The program builds on its predecessors – the National Environmental Research Program (NERP) and the Australian Climate Change Science Programme (ACCSP) – to support decision-makers to understand, manage and conserve Australia’s environment by funding world-class biodiversity and climate science. The Marine and Coastal Hub is a collaborative partnership supported by funding from the Australian Government administered by the Department of Climate Change, the Environment, Energy and Water (DCCEEW) - previously Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE). The current NESP funding program runs from 2021 to 2027. The Marine and Coastal Hub is co-administered by the University of Tasmania (UTAS), and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC). The Marine and Coastal Hub delivers: • applied research to support management of Australia’s marine and coastal environments including estuaries, coast, reefs, shelf and deep-water • targeted biodiversity and taxonomy products to support efficient system monitoring • environmental monitoring systems and decision-support tools. Research products from the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub are available from https://nespmarinecoastal.edu.au and the Australian Ocean Data Network catalogue (http://catalogue.aodn.org.au)

Adult and sub-adult Red handfish (Thymichthys politus) and Spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus) preserved specimens and underwater images were used for analysing morphometrics (comprising of specimens from the CSIRO Australian National Fish Collection and underwater images). Individuals were measured for the morphological traits using electronic callipers (±0.1 mm) for preserved specimens and using Image J software for digital records. Note digital image size calibration occurred using a ruler in images or from size taken in situ. The purpose was to investigate whether external morphometrics could be used to determine sex in handfishes.

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub scoping study - "Research needs for assessment and monitoring of nutrients, chemicals and antimicrobials in the marine environment". No data outputs were generated by this project. -------------------- Coastal water quality is threatened by an increasing volume of chemicals produced and used in our modern lives. These chemicals are commonly incorporated into pharmaceuticals and household items, and subsequently discharged into coastal areas from a broad range of point sources. Recently emerging contaminants include a variety of chemical (e.g. heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, nutrients) and microbiological (e.g. pathogens, antibiotic resistant microbes) sources that are discharged in sewage, stormwater, estuarine flows and industrial wastes. For many of these chemicals, our understanding of their environmental concentrations and biological effects is limited. When new scientific information emerges to suggest that a particular contaminant may be hazardous, this is refered to as a contaminant of emerging concern (CEC). There is limited data about the environmental occurrence and biological effects of CECs, but emerging research suggests they have the capacity to be toxic. With an increasing list of CECs detected in the environment, important questions remain unanswered around which contaminants and scientific knowledge gaps should be prioritised. This desktop study engaged CEC stakeholders from academic research, government, water utilities, and non-government organisations to collaboratively identify priority CEC issues in Australia’s marine ecosystems. The project delivers a risk-based framework for future CEC research directions and water quality management priorities. Outputs • Final Project Report [written]

The principle aim of this project was to map the fine-scale spatial distribution of key abalone habitat impacted by urchins in < 25 m water depth using multibeam acoustic imagery. Detailed substrate type (Pavement Reef, Megaclast Reef, Mixed Consolidated Sediment/Reef and Sand), and kelp coverage maps have been produced for the east coast of Tasmania. Large urchin barrens have been predicted and the minimum quantifiable unit of which small incipient barrens can be detected has been identified using this acoustic water column technique. This data provides a snapshot of the 2021 distribution of seafloor habitats and associated vegetation distribution, and will assist in the facilitation of strategic decision making for urchin control and abalone management. Data for download has been split by fishing block (22-24, 27-30). This record describes *FISHING BLOCK 27*. The following data products are available for download, for each fishing block: • 50cm resolution bathymetry • 50cm resolution substrate type (Seamap Australia classification) • bathymetry derivatives (seabed slope, curvature, rugosity, 1 and 2m contours) • water column data - 1m mean signal • water column data - 9m2 raw block statistic • water column data - vegetation likelihood classification See associated records for access to data from other fishing blocks (22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30).

Genomic sampling locations and meadow indices for ribbon weed (Posidonia australis) and wire weed (Amphibolis antarctica) in Shark Bay (Gathaagudu)

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub bridging study - "Support for Parks Australia’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement System for Australian Marine Parks". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- The system of marine parks that spans Australia’s Commonwealth waters is among the largest in the world. These parks play a major role in conserving marine life, supporting commercial and recreational activities, and protecting cultural values significant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Parks Australia has developed management plans for five regional Australian Marine Park (AMP) networks (North, North-west, South-west, South-east and Temperate East) and the Coral Sea Marine Park (CSMP). Under each management plan, a science plan sets priorities for monitoring and research to evaluate management effectiveness and identify opportunities for improvement. This prioritisation is vital given the limited knowledge across many AMPs, the technical challenges and high costs of science in remote areas, and the finite resources available for park management. Building on foundational work from the NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub (projects SS2 and D7), this project delivered the scientific and technical advice needed to establish monitoring priorities for natural values and pressures across all AMP networks and the CSMP—completing a full national priority list for monitoring. It applied a nationally consistent four-step prioritisation framework that considered ecological importance, vulnerability to pressures, baseline data availability, and logistical feasibility. The project also updated the National Ecosystem model and Pressures & Activities datasets, conducted expert vulnerability assessments, and produced a Relative Cumulative Impact index. The combined research delivers a nationally accepted "common language" to describe natural values and pressures and a science-based method to derive monitoring priorities, aligned with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement (MERI) system—an adaptive management framework that is globally unique and a significant step towards adaptive, integrated, place-based management. Key outputs include a national database of environmental and human-use data for each management region and a refined list of monitoring priorities for each AMP Network and the CSMP. The findings highlight major knowledge gaps—particularly in the distribution of mesophotic and rariphotic reefs, intertidal ecosystems, and recreational fishing impacts—and provide guidance for improving baseline data and pressure assessments. The prioritisation framework and data products developed through this project can be re-generated over time alongside improvements in the evidence base and our understanding of how ecosystems respond to multi-sectoral activities to support continual improvement in iterative, evidence-based park management and environmental outcomes. Outputs • Digital map layers per AMP network of: (1) Ecosystems; (2) Pressures & Activities; and (3) Cumulative Benthic & Pelagic Impacts • Final Technical Report containing maps of Key Natural Values, and of spatial Monitoring Priorities, including a short summary of recommendations for policy makers of key findings [written]