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. -------------------- This project advances 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 builds on 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 was 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 sets 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]

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] • Ad-hoc data products generated through this project's data fitness-for-purpose exercise - see linked 'child' records

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 generated by this project. -------------------- Marine and coastal wetlands provide extensive ecosystem services. In Australia, coastal wetlands protect shorelines, improve water quality, support healthy fisheries, promote tourism, store carbon, and hold special cultural values, supporting people and the economy. Like many wetlands around the world, Australian wetlands continue to be threatened, degraded, and lost due to climate change, development, and other human activities. A national wetland inventory is being developed by the Australian Government as a step towards improving wetlands management and protection, and fulfilling national and international reporting requirements. This project identified key knowledge and inventory gaps and determined solutions to progress a consolidated inventory within the context of a wider review of national mapping capacity for wetlands. Gaps and solutions were 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 was produced and is available within the Final Technical Report generated by this project. This enables 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]

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 were generated by 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 Hub project B4). They have also established an extensive database of marine and coastal restoration projects (Australian Coastal Restoration Network: 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 builds upon these previous projects to synthesise the approaches for monitoring of habitat restoration. It explores integration of new technologies, such as automation, artificial intelligence, and eDNA, within the monitoring framework to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The primary output of this project is 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 streamlines the development of future restoration projects and ensures that maximum value from monitoring activities is achieved. Outputs • Best-practice toolkit / final project report [written]

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 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. -------------------- Parks Australia has developed an adaptive management approach to the Australian Marine Parks (AMPs). This Management Effectiveness (ME) system is designed to allow Parks Australia to test the effectiveness of the AMP system and ensure that AMPs are effectively and appropriately managed. Parks Australia have identified priorities for research to assist in the implementation of the ME system, to identify scientific outputs needed for network management and adapt to new issues in the marine environment through the Australian Marine Parks Science Plan. This project will deliver several of the key science needs identified in the plan and will draw on the combined expertise of the partners and scientists within the Marine and Coastal Hub to generate the outcomes which build onto extensive work previously delivered. The project will deliver the following four outputs required for the 2028 National AMP management plan review: 1) Develop monitoring protocols for Tier 1 & 2 priority monitoring sites to assess the effectiveness of management arrangements; 2) Improve workflows for assessing natural values, activities and pressures; 3) Identify and define impacts and management options for emerging industries; and 4) Improve overall understand the entire AMP system through increased collaboration. 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 record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub project "Improving socio-ecological understanding of natural values in Australian Marine Parks". No public data outputs will be generated by this project. -------------------- Parks Australia (Australian Government) manage 60 Australian Marine Parks (AMPs) around the country, covering an area of 3.8 million square kilometres, or 43% of all Australian waters. The approach to managing AMPs is set out in eight Management Plans, one for each of the five marine park networks (North, North-west, South-west, South-east and Temperate East) and one each for the Coral Sea Marine Park, Christmas Island Marine Park and Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park. A statutory review of Management Plans for the North, North-west, South-west, Temperate-East networks and the Coral Sea Marine Park is scheduled for 2028. This project will progress the use of socio-economic information to support the management of and contribute to the review of Australian Marine Parks. It will build on previous research funded by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) to redevelop socio-economic benchmarks to support Parks Australia’s new sentinel park approach and network scale reporting. The project will estimate changes in public awareness, attitudes, and usage patterns since a 2019/20 benchmark - crucial for the upcoming statuatory revoew of AMP Management Plans in 2028. The work will additionally contribute to the overall management effectiveness system by integrating socio-economic and natural values data, together with improved socio-ecological understanding, complementing NESP-led data synthesis projects (SS2, D7, 1.3, 4.20 and 4.21) at both Sentinel Park and Network scales. Approach • A repeatable national knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) boat ramp survey will be redesigned based around a survey developed in NESP MaC Project D6. The survey will target recreational fishers and non-fishers who use AMPS around Australia, with nine survey locations to be selected in collaboration with Parks Australia. • A national general public survey will be redesigned to explore broader community views towards the AMP network, including attitudes to AMP management zones. • Surveys are likely to cover the Coral Sea, North, North-west, South-west, South-east and Temperate East networks. Outputs • Responses from recreational user surveys [dataset]. In accordance with National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research, only aggregated outputs will be made publicly available. Please contact the project leader (Matt Navarro) for further information. • Final technical 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. -------------------- Seabed and marine biodiversity data are time-consuming and costly to collect, so it is imperative that acquisition is focused on areas that align with end user priorities. The value that different stakeholders place on seabed and biodiversity data can be difficult to determine. Therefore, a shared process for identifying survey priorities is required to ensure the maximum shared benefit of future survey investment across research users, funding agencies, infrastructure providers, as well as the wider marine research community. The project aimed to assist with the planning and prioritisation of marine surveys (both physical and biological) by scoping a prioritisation framework for marine surveys undertaking physical and biological seabed data collection in Australia. Focused workshops and targeted engagements with seabed mapping organisations were used to develop a standard set of metadata for agencies to define spatial Areas of Interest (AOI). The standard metadata were used in a prototype prioritisation framework that allows users to transparently and consistently rank and prioritise survey work or data delivery processes. The prioritisation is then based on rankings established by defined sets of criteria. A web-based AOI submission tool and mapping publication service was then developed for these defined areas as part of the AusSeabed Survey Coordination Tool. Adoption of this tool facilitates the development of an interim national areas of interest product to inform future survey planning. This product supports both the needs of Parks Australia's network Science Plans, and consideration of information needs for Indigenous Protected Areas within Sea Country. Outputs • National Areas of Interest polygon & interactive map [dataset] • Code for Survey Coordination Tool [Github Repo] • Final Report with Value Prioritisation Framework [written]

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. Historical surveys conducted under the NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub inventoried natural values and ecosystem components in selected AMPs. They developed and tested standardised survey techniques to allows scientists and park managers to identify and measure the status of natural values and ecosystem components. A recent Marine Biodiversity Hub survey conducted bathymetric and visual sampling of key seafloor habitat and fish assemblages in the Capes region of South-west Corner Marine Park (Western Australia). This present project analysed the this data inventory, characterised and predicted the broader distribution of significant features and natural values, and outlined the underlying techniques and processes. This enabled the identification of important natural values and indicators of fish and benthic assemblages relevant to park management and the AMP MERI system. The new knowledge was presented together with a summary of existing knowledge of park natural values, socio-economic values, cultural values, and pressures. Future work is recommended to create national and international benchmarks, and obtain additional survey guidance from Traditional Owners. Outputs • Habitat annotations to (1) AUV and (2) drop camera imagery following nationally agreed protocols (extended CATAMI classification - the Australian morphospecies catalogue) [dataset] • Bathymetry from National Park and Special Protection zones [dataset] • Geomorphic features map for existing fine scale bathymetry coverage of the National Park and Special Protection zones [dataset] • Habitat map for existing fine scale bathymetry coverage (validated from from drop camera surveys for National Park and Special Protection zones [dataset] • Fish and shark annotations of stereo-BRUV deployments [dataset] • Science communication article for the Australian Marine Parks Science Atlas [written] • South-west Corner Marine Park survey report [written]