Comprehensive baseline environmental data for Storm Bay in south eastern Tasmania were required to inform the salmonid industry regarding site selection, to provide background environmental data before large-scale farming commences, and to support the development of a scientifically relevant and cost-effective environmental monitoring program. Storm Bay is a large deep bay that receives freshwater inflow from the River Derwent on its north-western boundary and exchanges water with Frederick Henry Bay on its north-eastern boundary. The eastern and western boundaries are defined by the Tasman Peninsula and Bruny Island, respectively, and the southern boundary connects with the Tasman Sea. This area is a mixing zone between the River Derwent outflow and oceanic waters. The oceanography in Storm Bay is complex and is characterized by considerable fluctuations in temperature, salinity and nutrients on variable temporal and spatial scales. This is due to the southerly extension of warm nutrient-depleted sub-tropical waters transported via the East Australian Current (EAC) down the east coast of Tasmania over summer, whilst the south and south-west coasts are influenced by cooler, nutrient-rich sub-Antarctic waters from the south and the Leeuwin Current from the north-west (Buchanan et al. 2014). The current project arose in response to the salmon aquaculture industry recognising the need for increased scientific knowledge to support ecologically sustainable development of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farming operations in south-eastern Tasmania, particularly expansion into Storm Bay. The information provided will assist salmon companies to manage their operations in Storm Bay under varying environmental conditions. Our research has also provided the opportunity to investigate changes in water quality over a quarter of a century, as CSIRO investigated seasonal and inter-annual variability in chemical and biological parameters in Storm Bay during 1985-89. We sampled at the same “master station” in Storm Bay as CSIRO and used similar procedures where possible. Five sites were sampled monthly in Storm Bay for over five years from November 2009 to April 2015, except on rare occasions when weather conditions were unsuitable, and bimonthly at times in 2013 when external funding was not available. Site 1 was located at the mouth of the Derwent estuary and the entrance to Storm Bay, site 2 was in the same location as the ‘master site’ of a CSIRO study in 1985-88, site 3 was furthest offshore and provided the most information on oceanic currents influencing the bay, while sites 5 and 6 were requested by the salmon aquaculture industry as potential sites for expansion of salmon farming. Site 4 was further offshore and monitoring at this site was discontinued after three months because of insufficient time to collect samples from all sites in one day. An additional site, 9, at the entrance to Frederick Henry Bay was included from 18 July 2011 at the request of the Marine Farming Branch, Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE), to provide information on water quality coming from Frederick Henry Bay. Adjacent to, and largely unaffected by the River Derwent, Frederick Henry Bay is a large marine embayment with limited freshwater input from the Coal River at its northern boundary. ---------------------------------------------- See child records linked to this parent record for specific context and methodologies for each of the monitoring variables (phytoplankton, zooplankton, chlorophyll, pigment, nutrients, oceanography).

This record provides an overview of the scope of NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Project E1 - "Guidelines for analysis of cumulative impacts and risks to the Great Barrier Reef". No raw data products are anticipated for this project. -------------------- The project will develop guidance for the analysis of cumulative impacts and risks to the environmental, social and economic values of the GBR. The project will use existing information to develop guidance for use by GBRMPA, DoEE, the Queensland Government and proponents of future development proposals. The project will build on the work undertaken in the GBR Strategic Assessment and support works undertaken under the Reef 2050 plan. The guidance will provide a practical science-based approach to assessment of cumulative risks to the Reef. Research will focus on providing a general and repeatable approach to be applied at the whole-of-reef scale (to meet planning, assessment and reporting requirements of the GBRMPA) and also at the development-site-scale (to meet the environmental assessment requirements of the GBRMPA and future proponents). The guidance will be developed in close collaboration with the GBRMPA and DoEE to ensure it is practical and compatible with relevant legislation and policy applicable to proposed actions within the GBR. The project will include a case study focused on attributing impacts of pressures and their cumulative impacts on shallow-water coral reefs of eastern Australia (including cumulative impacts for the whole-of-GBR). It will also examine how this could be applied to shallow temperate reefs follow recent risk assessments conducted in NSW. Research is primarily designed to meet the specific needs of GBRMPA and future proponents. NSW DPI, QLD Government and Parks Australia, may also benefit from the case study and insights to assessment of cumulative impacts. Planned Outputs • Case Study Report on GBR & Coral Sea reefs pressure analysis. • Final report - guidance for analysis of cumulative impacts and risk

Meta data of all tagged hammerhead sharks detailing tag dates, locations, and shark biological details.

***NOTE THIS RECORD HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED BY NESP PROJECT E2 (details below)*** Cumulative Sound Exposure Levels of shipping traffic in Australian waters was undertaken over a one year period (Sept. 2015 to Oct 2016) within the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone. A proof of concept cumulative ship noise map was developed around Australia using the Perth Canyon source spectra as the source level for different vessel type categories. Sound propagation models were then run cumulatively, integrating the time spent by ships within a grid cell over the one-year period. This record describes the proof of concept map of commercial shipping noise in Australian waters developed under NESP Project C5. Refer to final report (https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/document/quantification-risk-shipping-large-marine-fauna-across-australia-final-report) for full methodology and PDF map. The ship noise modelling demonstrated the potential for using simple and readily accessible transmission models to provide an accurate representation of shipping noise within the marine soundscape. A subsequent high resolution sound exposure map was generated under NESP Project E2. See https://catalogue.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/en/metadata.show?uuid=480847b4-b692-4112-89ff-0dcef75e3b84

Relevant spatial datasets for mapping pressures were identified and collated. Pressures were categorised as resource extraction and use, pollution, habitat modification, climate, and ‘other’. Pressures included Commonwealth trawl fisheries effort, aquaculture infrastructure, location of oil and gas infrastructure, historical shipping and pollution data, location of historical seismic operations, cyclone intensity, spoil dumping, sewage outfalls, location of ports, and tourism operations. Two main pressure maps were derived i) an additive pressure hotspots map, which gives higher weight to areas with multiple pressures of high risk; and, ii) a multiplicative hotspot pressure map, which gives lower weighting to areas with multiple low risk pressures. Areas of high risk were identified, and thus possibly high benefit for management versus low risk or low associated benefit for mitigation. The information generated needs to be considered alongside robust species distribution data and interaction matrices for effective decision-making.