MERI
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The Parks Australia Management Effectiveness (ME) system - previously MERI - is underpinned by a controlled, common language that provides a nationally consistent lexicon for a) Natural, cultural, and heritage values; (b) Social, cultural, and economic benefits; (c) Activities and anthropogenic pressures; and (d) Biophysical, and social and economic drivers. The Natural Values component of the common language is defined at three levels: 1) ecosystem complexes; 2) ecosystems; and 3) ecosystem components. This map shows the Ecosystems (tier 2) component of the Natural Values, and delineates features by habitat and depth for the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This version (2022) of the National Values Ecosystems dataset uses Geoscience Australia's 250m resolution Australian Bathymetry and Topography Grid, 2009 (http://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/53D99B6581B9A) as the basis for the map. See Hayes et al. 2021 and Dunstan et al. 2023 for a full definition of Natural Values Ecosystem terms, input datasets used, and processing steps involved with the creation of this map. Note that this dataset uses a combination of input data sources and interpolates where data gaps exist. The common language adopts a functional, largely geo-physical perspective to define surrogates for marine ecosystems. This dataset is not a substitute for a validated habitat map (see Seamap Australia National Benthic Habitat Layer: https://metadata.imas.utas.edu.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/4739e4b0-4dba-4ec5-b658-02c09f27ab9a), but has a national coverage and provides valuable broad-scale categorisation of marine ecosystems in Australian waters.
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This record provides an overview of the scope and research output of NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Project D7 - "NESP Hub support for Parks Australia’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement System (MERI) for Australian Marine Parks". No data outputs are expected for this project. -------------------- This application is to facilitate Hub engagement with Parks Australia during development and initiation of their Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement (MERI) System for Australian Marine Parks. A key priority for the Marine Parks Branch in the 2019-20 financial year is finalising the Australian Marine Park MERI system. The Marine Biodiversity Hub will play an important role in development and implementation of this system. Hub partners have had previous experience in developing the integrated monitoring framework for the Great Barrier Reef, developing a process for identifying indicators for monitoring Key Ecological Features, and also have collected much of the ecological data that exists within Australian Marine Parks. In discussions with Parks Australia, to ensure the MERI system is optimally integrated with current scientific knowledge and capability, there are a number of tasks and information needs that the Hub is well positioned to provide assistance with, these include: • Review the ‘common language’ proposed for Australian Marine Parks, including natural values and pressures classifications, hierarchies and definitions. • Contribute to the identification of natural values, pressures and human uses within Australian Marine Parks and, where required, provide spatial data layers for incorporation into Parks Australia’s spatial information systems (i.e. Wylie) and other mapping portals. • Review conceptual models developed for each of the key ecosystems across the Australian Marine Park networks. • Review ecological risk assessments for natural values and pressures. • Provide advice on the process and criteria for identifying monitoring and inventory priorities. • Develop detailed conceptual models for areas identified as monitoring priorities. • Contribute to the development of monitoring questions. • Provide advice on the process and selection criteria for identifying appropriate value and pressure indicators (noting that the NESP D6 project is helping to identify appropriate social and economic indicators and measures). • Provide advice on best practice approaches for assessing management effectiveness. • Identify the suitability of existing data sets to support the identified monitoring priorities. • Provide advice on evaluation and reporting including best approaches for using a combination of quantitative data and expert opinion, and to help ensure alignment and consistency across objectives, key evaluation questions and reporting.
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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)
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The National Environmental Science Program projects SS2 and D7 (under the Marine Biodiversity Hub) and 1.3 (under the Marine and Coastal Hub) were instigated to support the design of Monitoring Effectiveness (ME) framework for Australian Marine Park (AMP) estate, and contribute to the AMP Science Plan. The overall objective of these projects was to provide a nationally accepted common language to describe natural values and pressures, and a robust approach to combining this information to inform national priorities for monitoring inside AMPs. Broadly, the following approach was taken: 1. Identify Key Natural Values (KNVs) in AMP networks through an expert elicitation process, 2. Develop a national-scale ecosystem map via a combination of depth and characteristic habitat using the ME framework 3. Collate and synthesise pressures operating within Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone and state/territory waters, as defined by the ME framework's pressures common language 4. Provide a spatially explicit analysis of the relative risks posed to marine conservation values, as defined by the ME framework’s natural values hierarchy. This record describes component 3: collating the pressures by ME common language for all of Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone and state/territory waters; and determining the cumulative pressure exerted by each activity/sub-activity combination. Components 1, 2 & 4 will be described elsewhere.