This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub project "Ecological outcomes of wastewater discharges in contrasting receiving environments". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- Australia’s Waste Policy Action Plan, Threat Abatement Plan for the impacts of marine debris and Australia’s One Health Master Action Plan all refer to the need for emerging pollutants to be incorporated into contaminant guidelines. Wastewater treatment plants currently report on a limited number of contaminants and lack consistent testing requirements. NESP MaC Scoping Study 1.16 has determined there is a clear and consistent need for data on environmental concentrations of emerging contaminants and an assessment of their impact on ecological communities. This project aims to determine the concentration of emerging pollutants in different wastewater outfall settings, and assess where environmental impacts are greatest. It will also continue to collate, analyse and maintain the information from Water Treatment Authorities on outfall flows, pollutant concentrations and loads and presented annually within the National Outfalls Database. Outputs • Measures of CEC (contaminants of emerging concern) in water samples taken from outfall sites [dataset] • Final project report [written]

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub project "Improving knowledge transfer to support Australian Marine Park decision making and management effectiveness evaluation". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- In the last decade Australia’s researchers have made significant progress to provide managers with data and data products to inform the planning and establishment of Australian Marine Parks (AMPs). However, further work is required to adequately meet the data product requirements for assessing AMP management effectiveness. This project addresses this problem by: 1) Identifying priority data and data products to support characterisation of marine systems and reporting on AMP monitoring priorities; 2) Assessing availability and delivery mechanisms of high priority data and data products and whether they are fit for purpose; and 3) Estimating condition of park values (excluding cultural values) and assessing management effectiveness with available data/knowledge. This project advances the Hub’s Protected Place Management Initiative and contributes to the national need for improving access to data and expanding the Australian Ocean Data Network. Outputs • Documented data and data product priorities organised in one or more data product hierarchies including monitoring priorities and their indicators where appropriate [written] • A fit for purpose assessment of priority data products [written] • Methods for estimating current condition status of AMP values [written] • Recommendations for how to progress priority data sets that do not currently meet the established criteria but are required for characterising, protecting, and assessing current condition status of AMP values [written] • Final project report [written] ---specific data outputs to be generated by this project are yet to be confirmed---

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub scoping study - "Identify knowledge gaps and solutions for extent mapping of Australian marine and coastal wetlands". No data outputs were created by this project. -------------------- Marine and coastal wetlands provide extensive ecosystem services to Australia, and a comprehensive inventory is required for effective conservation and protection. This project will identify key knowledge and inventory gaps and determine solutions to progress a consolidated inventory within the context of a wider review of national mapping capacity for wetlands. Gaps and solutions will be identified through targeted surveys and workshops with end-users and researchers following a review of relevant data and literature. A summary of the status of mapping habitat attributes and services such as blue carbon, coastal protection and shorebird habitat will be produced. The outcome will be identified prioritisation for future investment to fill knowledge gaps. Outputs • Report reviewing and synthesising knowledge gaps in inventory mapping of marine and coastal wetlands, identifying effective solutions, and guiding subsequent research projects for enhancing wetland mapping [written] ---No data outputs were created by this project.---

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 are expected to be generated by this project. -------------------- This project aims to advance the establishment and use of national standards and best practices to monitor the condition status of priority values and pressures of Australia’s marine estate. It will build on the national standards and best practice process developed in the previous NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub to produce three new national standards for monitoring (drop cameras, socioeconomic surveys of marine users, marine microplastics). A practical implementation plan will be developed to embed the application of standards, with particular attention to inclusive and diverse approaches (e.g. engagement of community groups and Indigenous partnerships). The plan will set out a future path to develop, maintain and make available national standards; increase their uptake; and assess effectiveness and impact as related to the delivery of 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] ---no data outputs will be generated by this project---

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub small-scale study - "Towards a consolidated and open-science framework for restoration monitoring". No data outputs are planned for this project. -------------------- Coastal habitat restoration is scaling up rapidly in Australia and covers a range of habitats including oyster reefs, seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, kelp forests, and saltmarshes. Every restoration project includes some attempt at monitoring outcomes but currently these are piecemeal, uncoordinated, often poorly funded, and rarely follow Open Science protocols. Previous NESP-funded projects have improved understanding of the ecology and service provision of threatened ecosystems and established targets for repair based on reference conditions (e.g. Marine Biodiversity project B4). They have also established an extensive database of marine and coastal restoration projects (ARCN: project E5), and have supported the development of monitoring, evaluation, reporting and improvement systems (MERI) for various sectors or projects. By combining the knowledge of all Australian researchers undertaking monitoring of restoration projects, across multiple habitats, this project will build upon these previous projects to synthesise the approaches for monitoring of habitat restoration. It will also explore integration of new technologies, such as automation, artificial intelligence, and eDNA, within the monitoring framework to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The primary output will be a co-ordinated and open-science framework for restoration monitoring across projects, scales and habitats, that integrates clearly articulated hypotheses to determine the goals for restoration. This framework will streamline development of future restoration projects and ensure that maximum value from monitoring activities is achieved. Planned Outputs • Literature review [written] • Guidelines document (best-practice toolkit) [written] ---no data outputs are planned for this project---

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub project "Evaluation of recreational fishing behaviour, use, values and motivations that relate to compliance". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- This project aims to inform the use of behavioural change interventions to support regulation compliance of recreational fishers and boaters. It will deliver proof of concept tailoring of behaviour change to inform the practical design of interventions in case studies for further refinement, implementation and evaluation in subsequent research plans. The project will focus on recreational fishers and boaters in 2-3 case study locations, including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and within the Two Rocks and Geographe Australian Marine Parks. Outputs • Data synthesis of recreational boaters demographics [dataset] • Final project report [written]

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub scoping study - "National Areas of Interest for Seabed Mapping, Characterisation and Biodiversity Assessment". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- The project aims to assist the planning and prioritisation of marine surveys (both physical and biological) by scoping a prioritisation framework and web tool. Focused workshops and targeted engagements with seabed mapping organisations will ensure the framework meets the needs of the Marine and Coastal Hub, key end users such as Parks Australia, and the wider seabed mapping and biodiversity management community. Adoption and adaption of the AusSeabed Survey Coordination Tool will facilitate the development of an interim national areas of interest product to inform future survey planning. This product will support the needs of Parks Australia network Science Plans and consideration of information needs for Indigenous Protected Areas within Sea Country. Outputs • National Areas of Interest map • Code for Survey Coordination Tool [Github Repo] • Value Prioritisation Framework [written report]

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. -------------------- This project aims to continue scientific support for developing the Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement (MERI) system for Australian Marine Parks (AMPs). Specifically, it will provide a major input to the development of Science Plans for the AMP networks and Coral Sea Marine Park (CSMP). This project builds on the achievements of pilot research conducted through the SS2 and D7 projects as part of NESP1, which designed and implemented a fit-for-purpose approach to identify monitoring priorities for natural values and pressures for the South-east Marine Parks Network. The project provides the scientific and technical information, and advice, to apply the tools and approaches from SS2 and D7 to the remaining AMP Networks and the CSMP to support development of the remaining Science Plans. The project collates and analyses environmental and human use-data, and produces reports and data and mapping products, for each of the four remaining networks and the CSMP. The key outputs and reports identify the monitoring priorities in each Network and the CSMP and help to identify key knowledge gaps to help inform research priorities. Outputs • Digital map layers per AMP network of: (1) Ecosystems (2) Key natural values (3) Activities (4) Cumulative impacts (5) Monitoring priorities • final technical report with analysed data, including a short summary of recommendations for policy makers of key findings (written report)

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub bridging study - "Characterising values and identifying indicators and metrics of fish and benthic assemblages within the Capes region of the South-west Corner Marine Park". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- Inventory surveys of Australian Marine Parks (AMPs) provide a broad description of the natural assets that exist in Commonwealth waters. These data can be further explored to identify biological indicators and metrics to cost-effectively monitor the AMPs and inform the AMP Monitoring Evaluation Reporting and Improvement (MERI) system. This project will use fish and seafloor imagery obtained from the recent inventory survey in the Capes region of the South-west Corner Marine Park to identify important natural values and indicators of fish and benthic assemblages relevant to park management and the AMP MERI system. Outputs • Habitat annotations to (1) AUV and (2) drop camera imagery following nationally agreed protocols (extended CATAMI classification - the Australian morphospecies catalogue) - to be published through the Understanding Marine Imagery (UMI) IMOS sub-facility • Bathymetry from National Park and Special Protection zones - published on AusSeabed • Geomorphic features map for existing fine scale bathymetry coverage of the National Park and Special Protection zones • Habitat map for existing fine scale bathymetry coverage (validated from from drop camera surveys for National Park and Special Protection zones • Fish and shark annotations of stereo-BRUVs • Science communication article for the Australian Marine Parks Science Atlas [written]