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  • This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub scoping study - "Research needs for a national approach to socio-economic values of the marine environment". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- Effective management of the marine estate requires recognition of the fact that we live in a connected human-natural system. Human uses of the marine environment often create pressures that drive overall condition, but it is also these uses that create ‘benefits’ or ‘values’ in the marine environment. Thus understanding the coupled relationships between humans and nature is essential to managing the marine environment that delivers environmental, social and economic outcomes. In this project we will work with stakeholders (particularly DAWE) through co-design to identify: (a) social and economic research priorities, and (b) existing social and economic data sets to address these priorities. This project includes, as a key differentiation from previous NESP MHB projects, an additional theme on implementation and behaviour change that will ensure research can inform the full pathway from policy to on ground action. This work will set the research direction for projects under the NESP 2 MAC and involve co-designed project proposals. Outputs • Inventory of compiled datasets relating to relevant economic values, threats, and socioeconomic values for Case Study locations [grey data] • Final technical report with analysed data and a short summary of recommendations for policy makers of key findings [written]

  • This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Research Plan 2024 project "Potential impacts of offshore wind developments on eastern Indian Ocean pygmy blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda)". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- Pygmy blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) are listed as Endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC 1999), and their distribution and Biologically Important Areas (BIAs) overlap with areas proposed for offshore renewable energy (ORE) development in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and potentially NSW. This project will quantify the distribution and location of areas of residency (e.g., foraging) for eastern Indian Ocean pygmy blue whales, where these overlap with proposed ORE developments, and assess the potential impacts of these developments to the species in addition to existing impacts from other anthropogenic activities. The outputs from this project will assist government, regulators, proponents, and other stakeholders in the assessment and mitigation of ORE projects to this threatened species, and will identify future research and associated data collection needs. Outputs • Spatial layers quantifying the relative distribution including migratory corridors and foraging areas across the known eastern Indian Ocean pygmy blue whale range [dataset] • Spatial layers of habitat suitability distribution [dataset] • Spatial layers for human activities identified as key pressures in this study [dataset] • Spatial layers of cumulative impact score across the species' range including potential threats from ORE and existing threats from other industries [dataset] • Final project report [written]