This data describes the characterisation and estimated concentration of marine plastics in waters around Australia from surface net tows. The marine plastics recorded were predominantly small fragments (‘‘microplastics’’) resulting from the breakdown of larger objects made of polyethylene and polypropylene (e.g. packaging and fishing items). This data accompanies the following publication: Reisser J, Shaw J, Wilcox C, Hardesty BD, Proietti M, et al. (2013) Marine Plastic Pollution in Waters around Australia: Characteristics, Concentrations, and Pathways. PLoS ONE 8(11): e80466. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080466

Conducted under the Coast and Clean Seas program of the Natural Heritage Trust fund, this study provides a summary and assessment of water quality parameters, as indicators of estuarine health, in 22 selected Tasmanian estuaries. The estuaries are: Duck Bay, East Inlet, Black River, Don River, Mersey River, Port Sorell, Boobyalla Inlet, Little Musselroe River, Ansons Bay, Grants Lagoon, Douglas River, Great Swanport, Meredith River, Little Swanport, Earlham Lagoon, Browns River, Cloudy Bay Lagoon, Catamaran River, Cockle Creek, Pieman River, Nelson Bay River and Arthur River (for location, see Fig. 1 in the attached report). Information is summarised on both a State wide and individual estuary basis.

A 12-month program was developed and implemented in order to obtain baseline information on water quality (salinity, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH, dissolved nutrients, silica), ecological condition as shown by Chlorophyll a, benthic macroinvertebrates, pathogens, and habitat extent determined from habitat mapping. Five key estuaries and coastal waters were assessed in the Southern NRM Region of Tasmania. This data includes sampling from Pitt Water / Orielton Lagoon, North West Bay, Port Cygnet, Little Swanport, Moulting Lagoon / Great Swanport.

This study considered a range of water-column and sediment (benthos) based variables commonly used to monitor estuaries,utilising estuaries on the North-West Coast of Tasmania (Duck, Montagu, Detention, and Black River). These included: salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, nutrient and chlorophyll a levels for the water-column; and sediment redox, organic carbon content, chlorophyll a and macroinvertebrate community structure amongst the benthos. In addition to comparing reference with impacted estuaries, comparisons were also made across seasons, commensurate with seasonal changes in freshwater river input, and between regions within estuaries (upper and lower reaches) - previously identified in Hirst et al. (2005). This design enabled us to examine whether the detection of impacts (i.e. differences between reference and impacted systems) was contingent on the time and location of sampling or independent of these factors. This data includes sampling from Duck River, Montagu River, Detention River, and Black River.

Water quality and biological data was collected from four tide-dominated river estuaries indicative of catchments with varying levels of human impacts to: 1) assess draft indicator levels for water quality, and 2) investigate biological indicators of estuarine health in NW Tasmania. This data includes sampling from Detention River, Duck Bay, Montagu River and Black River

The AUStralian Tidal Energy (AUSTEn) project was a three year project (2018 - 2020) funded by the Australian Renewable Energy National Agency (agreement number G00902) led by the Australian Maritime College (University of Tasmania), in partnership with CSIRO and University of Queensland. The project had a strong industry support (Atlantis Resources Limited, MAKO Tidal Turbines Ltd, Spiral Energy Corporation Ltd). The aim of the project was to assess the technical and economic feasibility of tidal energy in Australia, based on the best understanding of resource achievable. For further information and output of the project, please visit the AUSTEn project website www.austen.org.au.

Indicators of estuarine ecosystem health – temperature, salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a, pH, nutrients - were sampled each month for twelve months at four sites in Georges Bay and at the bridge at the river mouth by the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute (TAFI), community volunteers and Break O’Day Council staff. Another indicator, macroinvertebrate fauna, was sampled by TAFI in winter and summer, and data were obtained on pathogen levels from the Tasmanian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program.