The goal of the program was developing comprehensive inventories and maps of the distribution and abundance of physical and biological seabed habitats, seagrasses and benthic assemblages to provide baseline environmental mapping and a description of ecological patterns. The benthic habitat mapping was performed by utilising R/Python and Maxent software within the species distribution modelling domain. We correlated the probability of occurrence of individual benthic habitat classes with the environmental predictors developed form the multibeam hydroacoustic dataset. The data is presented as a maximum likelihood map incorporating all five prediction classes: (1- Macroalgae; 2- Filter Feeders; 3- Seagrass; 4- Hard Corals; 5- Bare seafloor). An updated version of this data are available (2022) Revised predictive benthic habitat map for Darwin Harbour. Report prepared for Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Darwin, 127 pp.

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Research Plan 2024 project "Delivery of science to support the implementation of a marine park management effectiveness system". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- Australian Marine Parks (AMPs) form one of the world’s largest marine park systems, protecting natural, cultural, social and economic values across Commonwealth waters. Parks Australia’s Management Effectiveness system supports adaptive management by assessing whether management arrangements are protecting park values and responding to changing pressures. This project supported implementation of the Australian Marine Parks Science Plan and delivered key science needs for the 2028 National AMP management plan review. It built on previous Marine Biodiversity Hub and Marine and Coastal Hub work on natural values, pressures, cumulative impacts, monitoring priorities and management effectiveness. The project delivered four linked outputs: 1) Monitoring protocols for Tier 1 and Tier 2 priority monitoring sites, including site-specific monitoring plans, data and survey method inventories, condition indicators, pressure indicators, and partnership case studies with Traditional Owners. 2) Improved workflows for assessing natural values, activities and pressures, including updates to pressure information, and establishment of data agreements and processes for regular updates. 3) Assessment approaches for emerging industries, using offshore renewable energy adjacent to AMPs as a test case to identify potential impacts such as underwater noise, seabed disturbance, sediment transport, vessel interactions, displacement of existing activities, and other future uses such as decommissioning or carbon storage. 4) Improved system-wide understanding of AMPs through collaboration with Parks Australia, state and territory marine protected area managers and fisheries managers, including opportunities to align data, indicators and management effectiveness approaches. The outputs provided Parks Australia with a more consistent evidence base for adaptive management, management plan review, monitoring design, pressure assessment and cross-jurisdictional collaboration across Australia’s marine park system. Outputs • Updated national-scale spatial datasets of: (1) Natural Values Ecosystems; (2) Key Natural Values; (3) Pressures & Activities; (4) Cumulative impacts; (5) Ecosystem-level risk assessment (absolute risk) [datasets] • Refined list of monitoring priorities for AMPs [written] • Monitoring protocols for monitoring priorities [written] • Final project report [written]

This project updates the 2019 predictive benthic habitat map for this region, extending past the subtidal zone of the harbour to include intertidal habitats. The project worked with collaborators to synthesise existing data sets for inclusion in benthic habitat mapping process. Hydrodynamic model variables were updated and new digital elevation data included to provide a more accurate representation of the bed shear stress, waves and current. LiDAR surveys were conducted to fill in the gap between the IX bathymetric survey and the high tide water mark. The LiDAR survey data extended the existing bathymetry data. A total of 30 towed video transects were conducted in areas predicted to have a high probability of benthic fauna occurrence based on the existing predictive model. The benthic habitat model was updated to include NTG historical data, new towed video data, hydrodynamic and light data.

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Research Plan 2024 project "Environmental concentrations of emerging contaminants in coastal stormwater". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are natural and synthetic chemicals associated with pharmaceuticals, pesticides, industrial products, household items and microplastics that can affect environmental and human health. Australian wastewater and coastal water quality strategies have identified the need to better understand the concentrations, distribution and ecological impacts of these contaminants in marine environments, particularly in relation to wastewater discharges and stormwater inputs. This project extended NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Project 2.4 (https://www.nespmarinecoastal.edu.au/project/2-4) that investigated CECs in Australian coastal waters, by increasing the spatial and temporal resolution of sampling around wastewater outfalls and stormwater systems. Sampling focused on Gamay (NSW) and Glenelg (South Australia), enabling comparison between wastewater treatment plant effluent and coastal stormwater inputs across different seasons and environmental conditions. Field programs collected water and sediment samples to quantify contaminants including pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, PFAS, metals and microplastics. Associated environmental variables were also measured. Ecogenomic approaches were used to assess microbial assemblages and antimicrobial resistance to examine the potential ecological impacts of contaminant exposure. The project also incorporated targeted stormwater sampling associated with major flooding following Tropical Cyclone Alfred in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, providing a rare time-series dataset on contaminant mobilisation during extreme rainfall events. The project maintained and expanded the National Outfall Database (https://nod.org.au) through continued collection, collation and reporting of wastewater treatment plant discharge data, including outfall flows, pollutant loads and associated infrastructure information. Project outputs improve the evidence base needed to inform contaminant guideline development, wastewater and stormwater management. This includes coastal marine park and Ramsar wetland management, and future assessment of ecological risks associated with contaminants of emerging concern. Outputs • Updates to the National Outfall Database for 2022/23, including proposed new attributes for collection [dataset] • Data from Gamay (Botany Bay) NSW including (1) contaminant levels in water and sediments (2) physico-chemical data; (3) microbial community and genetics composition of water and sediments [dataset] • Timeseries (seasonal) CEC data from wastewater effluent at Glenelg beach area (SA) [dataset] • [Possible] High-resolution temporal CEC data from a stormwater event in St Vincents Gulf [dataset] • Final project report [written]

The Seamap Australia National Benthic Habitat Layer (NBHL) is a compilation of benthic habitat datasets obtained from various sectors including research, government, industry and community sources, across Australia. Disparate datasets are integrated into a single national-scale benthic habitat database, and classified uniformly under a national classification scheme implemented as a controlled vocabulary (https://vocabs.ardc.edu.au/viewById/129). For acceptance into the 'formal' (validated_ Seamap Australia NBHL (see https://metadata.imas.utas.edu.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/4739e4b0-4dba-4ec5-b658-02c09f27ab9a), source habitat datasets must meet a set of Acceptance Criteria (documented in https://seamapaustralia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SeamapAustraliaDataAcceptanceGuidelines.pdf). Broadly speaking, for inclusion in the Seamap Australia NBHL, datasets must: (1) be well-described by metadata or associated documentation; (2) employ a single, consistent classification scheme which avoids non-deterministic or ambiguous terms; (3) bequality-controlled by the provider prior to contribution; (4) beacquired using an established and community-endorsed form of data collection (eg satellite, aerial or acoustic remote sensing); and (5) have documented evidence of ground-truthing validation at the time of data collection (e.g. drop camera, towed video, benthic grabs). This record describes habitat datasets that meet Acceptance Criteria 1-4, but *have not* been validated/ground-truthed and are therefore ineligible for inclusion in the formal Seamap Australia NBHL. They have been synthesised and uniformly classified using an identical methodology to the NBHL, but represent an intermediate collection of habitat datasets that would benefit from field ground-truthing in order to validate the habitat classifications. The Seamap Australia synthesis of unvalidated habitat datasets can be viewed, analysed and downloaded from the Seamap Australia data portal (https://seamapaustralia.org/map). This dataset should be considered a “live” asset and will continue to develop as more unvalidated habitat datasets are collected or made available. The most current (2024) version of the data is available from the following endpoints: WMS: https://geoserver.imas.utas.edu.au/geoserver/seamap/wms WFS: https://geoserver.imas.utas.edu.au/geoserver/seamap/wfs Layer name: SeamapAus_NBHL_unvalidated Various download options are supplied in the “Online resources” section of this record.

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Research Plan 2024 project "An Indigenous-led approach to advance the health and wellbeing of Tebrakunna Country and people of the Coastal Plains nation, north-eastern Tasmania". No data outputs are planned for this project. -------------------- Tebrakunna Country in north-eastern Tasmania is a significant place for Tasmanian Aboriginal people and the Country of the Coastal Plains nation. Reconnecting to ancestral land and sea Country, restoring Aboriginal land management practices, and strengthening links between healthy Country and healthy people are central priorities for the Melaythenner Teeackana Warrana (Heart of Country) Aboriginal Corporation (MTWAC). This Indigenous-led and co-designed project, delivered by MTWAC and the University of Tasmania across all four NESP Hubs, will support Healthy Country Planning for Tebrakunna. MTWAC Indigenous researchers, Tebrakunna Country rangers and community members, and western scientists will work together to identify priority values, targets, threats and viability of Tebrakunna land and sea Country. The project will compile environmental, cultural and social information through MTWAC-led workshops and related research activities. It will develop approaches to assess the wellbeing benefits of connection to Country and on-Country activities, including spiritual, emotional, physical, socio-economic and environmental dimensions. It will also identify research, monitoring and capacity-building priorities, including opportunities in Sea Country condition assessment, cultural burning, cultural food sources, myerlee/golden kelp forest monitoring, seasonal cultural calendars, climate impacts and coastal wetland values. Outputs will support MTWAC’s strategic priorities to manage culture and heritage, strengthen the Tebrakunna Ranger Program, build community capacity and employment pathways, and progress aspirations for a future Indigenous Protected Area over Tebrakunna land and sea Country. The project will provide a stronger knowledge base for monitoring and improving the health of Country and people through MTWAC-led governance and planning. Outputs • Report characterising Coastal Country, including threats and opportunities assessment [written] • Co-designed wellbeing framework, methods and tools [written] • Final project report [written]

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Research Plan 2024 project "De-risking nature repair activities in Australian coastal and marine ecosystems". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- Coastal and marine ecosystems provide shoreline protection, water quality improvement, biodiversity habitat, tourism, carbon storage, and cultural values. In Australia, many of these systems have been degraded, while national and international commitments are increasing the need to scale up restoration and nature-based solutions (“nature repair”) in a coordinated and evidence-based way. This project supported coastal and marine nature repair at scales relevant to national biodiversity and climate commitments by updating national stocktakes, compiling an evidence base, and scoping a coordinated framework for future investment and delivery. Existing databases, including the Australian Coastal Restoration Network and Living Shorelines Australia, were updated to improve information on restoration location, habitat type, intervention approach and outcomes. Evidence on effectiveness, risks and success measures was compiled across ecological, engineering, environmental, legal/governance, socio-economic, Indigenous and regional case-study themes. Engagement with DCCEEW, state governments, non-profit agencies, Indigenous communities, researchers and practitioners informed a forward-looking framework covering objectives, site and action selection, risks and liabilities, decision-support tools, technical guidance, monitoring and evaluation, and Indigenous co-design and leadership. The project outputs provide a framework to assist managers, funders and practitioners to understand where restoration has occurred, what approaches have been used, what risks need to be managed, and what evidence is available to guide future investment. This supports more coordinated planning and delivery of coastal and marine nature repair, including activities linked to blue carbon, biodiversity protection, and emerging nature repair markets. Outputs • Updates to Australian Coastal Restoration Network database, and the Living Shorelines Australia database [dataset] • Draft national framework for coordinated nature repair [written] • Final project report [written]