This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub project "Advancing national standards and best practices to monitor key marine values and pressures". No data outputs were generated by this project.

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Standardised approaches to marine monitoring are critical for ensuring data consistency, transparency, and comparability across time, regions, and sectors. The development and application of national standards and best practices provide the foundation for monitoring the condition of Australia’s marine estate. As pressures on the marine environment increase, so too does the need for robust, inclusive, and nationally consistent monitoring practices.

This project advanced the development and implementation of national best-practice standards to monitor the condition of priority values and pressures across Australia's marine estate. It built on previous work conducted by the NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub through the release of Version 3 of the Field Manuals for Marine Sampling to Monitor Australian Waters. This version introduced three new manuals for: (1) sampling microplastics in marine and coastal environments; (2) conducting knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) surveys with recreational marine users; and (3) use of the Benthic Observation Survey System (BOSS), a novel multi-camera drop platform for benthic imagery. Indigenous partners contributed to the development of the KAP and BOSS manuals, laying the foundation for future Indigenous-led monitoring initiatives.

The project identified key barriers to adoption of the field manuals and developed a set of recommendations, included nominating the manuals for international endorsement, establishing governance mechanisms, securing long-term funding, and identifying priorities for future SOP development, such as offshore renewable energy monitoring. All materials were aligned with the Ocean Best Practices System to facilitate national and international uptake.

A practical implementation plan was developed to guide the future development and maintenance of national standards; promote their broader adoption; and assess their effectiveness and impact in delivering priority monitoring activities.

Outputs

• Workshop and questionnaire report gauging the needs of scientists, Indigenous communities, and marine managers [written]

• Scientific publication on marine best practice development [written]

• New national standards for (1) drop cameras; (2) socioeconomic surveys; and (3) microplastics studies [written]

• Implementation plan (final report) [written]