This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub project "Mapping critical Australian sea lion habitat to assess ecological value and risks to population recovery". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- Australian sea lion populations have declined by more than 60% over the past four decades. Abundance and trends vary markedly across the species range, suggesting that localised risk profiles from threats - such as bycatch, marine pollution, and habitat degradation - vary at small spatial scales. Fine scale variation in habitat use is thought to underpin these differences, yet knowledge about Australian sea lion's dependency on key habitats and their vulnerability to human impacts is limited. This project deployed compact animal-borne cameras with GPS and motion sensors on eight adult female sea lions at two key colonies: Seal Bay (Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park) and Olive Island (Western Eyre Marine Park). The devices recorded nearly 80 hours of footage over 560 km of seabed, identifying six distinct benthic habitat types, including previously unmapped rocky reefs and kelp forests. The footage was used to develop fine-scale habitat maps using machine learning models, providing a valuable baseline for assessing ecological value, foraging intensity, and the effectiveness of protected areas. This innovative approach complements traditional seafloor mapping and offers a scalable, cost-effective method for locating and monitoring critical habitats for endangered marine species. The results directly inform recovery planning, fisheries management, marine park design, and the identification of Biologically Important Areas. Ongoing camera deployments at Seal Bay and new sites along the western Eyre Peninsula will improve understanding of sea lion colony-specific behaviours and contribute to long-term monitoring of habitat change, diet, and emerging threats. Outputs • Tracking data from sea lion-deployed tags: location, depth, time, temperature, light, acceleration [dataset] • Timestamped video footage from sea lion-deployed cameras [dataset] • Final project report [written]

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Research Plan 2024 project "Enhancing monitoring approaches to evaluate the abundance, life history and critical habitats of the endangered Australian sea lion". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- The Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) is Australia’s only endemic pinniped and is listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act. Populations have declined by more than 60% over the past 40 years and are vulnerable to threats including fisheries bycatch, disease, pollution, marine debris entanglement and climate change. Improving knowledge of abundance, demography and critical habitat use is essential for evaluating threats and guiding recovery actions, but is difficult due to the species’ breeding biology, longevity, seafloor foraging behaviour and use of remote breeding sites. This project developed and applied cost-effective methods to improve monitoring of Australian sea lion populations, particularly in under-surveyed regions exposed to anthropogenic pressures. It included four linked components: (1) helicopter and remote-camera surveys of breeding sites in the Recherche Archipelago; (2) drone surveys of selected breeding and haul-out sites in Western Australia and South Australia; (3) processing and analysis of long-term demographic data from the microchipped Seal Bay population; and (4) continued deployment of underwater cameras to identify habitat use, foraging behaviour and potential risks. The project was co-designed with Indigenous partners, including Yalata Anangu Aboriginal Corporation, Far West Coast Aboriginal Corporation and Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation. Indigenous partners contributed to delivery of project components, including drone-based monitoring and field activities, supporting Indigenous leadership in the use of new technologies for sea lion monitoring and Healthy Country management. Outputs included updated abundance and breeding-site information, validated drone survey methods, improved workflows for demographic analysis, and additional animal-borne camera data on critical habitats. These data and methods support implementation of the Australian Sea Lion Recovery Plan, long-term state government monitoring, assessment of cumulative impacts and recovery actions, and conservation planning linked to Sea Country values. Outputs • Qualitative and qualitative spatial assessments of breeding sites from helicopter surveys in Recherche Archipelago [dataset] • Drone-collected photogrammetry, FLIR, thermal imaging and LiDAR data [dataset] • Demographic results from analysis of Seal Bay microchipping program [dataset] • Tracking data from sea lion-deployed tags: location, depth, time, temperature, light, acceleration [dataset] • Timestamped video footage from sea lion-deployed cameras [dataset] • Short non-technical summaries to distil the key findings and take-home messages [written] • Final project report [written]

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Emerging Priorities project "Assessing impacts of harmful algal bloom events on South Australian benthic habitats". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- In early 2025, South Australia experienced an unprecedented harmful algal bloom (HAB) dominated by Karenia species, with high concentrations in Gulf St Vincent and Spencer Gulf. These gulfs support diverse benthic habitats, iconic biodiversity, and important commercial and recreational fisheries. The rapid development of the bloom and challenges associated with accessing affected areas limited timely assessment of impacts to benthic ecosystem. This Emerging Priorities project will assess HAB impacts by repeating recent benthic surveys at impacted sites across both gulfs. The project will take advantage of existing pre-bloom baseline data, allowing robust before-after comparisons with minimal confounding by seasonal or inter-annual trends. The assessment will integrate towed-camera habitat imagery, stereo-BRUV fish assemblage surveys, benthic trawl data and environmental measurements. Towed-camera resurveys will provide post-bloom imagery, and visual and quantitative assessments of habitat condition. Repeat stereo-BRUV surveys will assess changes in relative abundance, richness and composition of fish and larger invertebrate communities across seagrass and sand habitats. The findings will inform the South Australian HAB Science Program, support development of HAB-related coastal habitat monitoring, and provide evidence for state and Commonwealth agencies to prioritise future monitoring, research and management actions. Outputs • Post-HAB benthic imagery [imagery] • Quantitative assessment of impacts on benthic habitat and fish communities [dataset] • Final technical report [written]

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub project "Updating knowledge of Australian white sharks". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- The white shark is listed as Vulnerable and Migratory under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999. Previous NESP-funded research provided updated estimates of breeding population size and trend, but uncertainty remained around juvenile nursery and pupping areas, movement patterns, and connectivity between eastern and south-western Australian populations. More recent evidence has also raised the possibility of a single Australian population. This project aimed to reduce uncertainty in the status, trends and population structure of white sharks in Australian waters, with a focus on identifying biologically important habitats and improving population assessment through expanded close-kin mark-recapture (CKMR) analyses. The project combined three major components: (1) pilot tagging studies of large adult females and juvenile sharks to improve understanding of movements, pupping areas and habitat use; (2) genetic analyses to assess stock structure and connectivity using samples collected across Australia, and where possible from South Africa and New Zealand; and (3) updated population assessment using expanded tissue sample collections and close-kin mark-recapture methods. Population estimates incorporated approximately 1,000 tissue samples from New South Wales together with additional samples from South Australia and Western Australia. Juvenile abundance information from the New South Wales shark management program was also integrated into the assessment framework. CKMR approaches used genetic identification of parent-offspring and half-sibling relationships to estimate adult abundance, survival and population trends. Project outputs included updated estimates of population size and trend, improved understanding of population connectivity and movement patterns, and refined information on potential nursery and critical habitat areas. These findings support white shark recovery planning, future monitoring design, and conservation assessment in Commonwealth and state waters. Outputs • New genetic samples and sequencing data for white sharks [dataset] • Tracking data from PAT tags [dataset] • Final technical report (including recommendations for systematic future research to assist in identifying additional critical habitat for the south-western white shark population) [written]