This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub bridging study - "Future-proofing restoration & thermal physiology of kelp". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- Kelp forests create complex habitats that support a diverse and productive community of marine life. They underpin coastal food-webs, fisheries, and a suite of other ecosystem services including nutrient and blue carbon cycling. Across much of the world, kelp forests are in decline and under threat from stressors including urbanisation, overgrazing, ocean warming, and marine heatwaves driven by climate change. Australia’s giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) forests are listed as a Threatened Ecological Community under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Habitat restoration is a potential tool for the conservation and management of giant kelp ecosystems. Given the direct impacts of climate change and ocean warming, there is growing recognition of the need for habitat restoration to be ‘future proofed’. For restoration to be effective, the cause of habitat decline must be understood and overcome. This is problematic when climate change is driving habitat loss since it cannot be reversed or ameliorated prior to restoration. A previous NESP project led by this team (Project E7, Marine Biodiversity Hub) identified warm-tolerant strains of giant kelp from remnant patches in eastern Tasmania, where the species has experienced precipitous declines due to ocean-warming. These strains have high potential to assist with ‘future-proofing’ kelp forest restoration, however it is still unclear what the physiological mechanisms are that provide their improved thermal tolerance. It is also unknown whether cross-breeding the identified warm-tolerant giant kelp strains will affect and potentially improve their thermal tolerance capacity. This project explored the physiology of kelp thermal performance, specifically the mechanisms potentially responsible for the warm water tolerance identified in particular giant kelp strains. It confirmed the improved ability of the warm-tolerant strains to develop at stressful warm temperatures relative to normal giant kelp, and demonstrated for the first time that their improved thermal performance may extend to the development and fertilisation. The outcomes progress toward the identification of populations of Australian kelp that may be resilient to (or especially threatened by) ocean warming and climate change. Outputs • Ecophysiological measurements from laboratory experiments of warm-tolerant vs average giant kelp genotypes [dataset] • Final Project Report including a short summary of recommendations for policy makers of key findings [written]

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. -------------------- The system of marine parks that spans Australia’s Commonwealth waters is among the largest in the world. The parks play a major role in conserving marine life, supporting commercial and recreational pursuits, and help to protect cultural values significant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Parks Australia has developed management plans for the five regional Australian Marine Park (AMP) networks (North, North-west, South-west, South-east and Temperate East) and the Coral Sea Marine Park. Under each management plan, a science plan sets monitoring and research priorities to guide the collection of information to evaluate management effectiveness, and identify opportunities for improvement. This prioritisation is vital given the low levels of knowledge for most of the AMPs, the technical challenges and high cost of implementing science in vast and remote areas, the finite resources available for park management, and the complexity of the decision-making process. This project provided Parks Australia with scientific and technical information and advice necessary to establish monitoring priorities for natural values and pressures for AMP networks and the Coral Sea Marine Park (CSMP). Taken together with previous work completed under the Marine Biodiversity Hub (projects SS2 and D7), this completes a full national priority list for monitoring in AMPs. The combined research provides a nationally accepted common language to describe natural values and pressures in a science-based approach to combining this information to determine national priorities. The Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement (MERI) system is the first national process of its type globally and is a significant step towards adaptive, integrated and place-based management. Activities undertaken by this project collated and analysed environmental and human use-data for each of the AMP networks and the CSMP. The key data outputs and Final Project Report identify the monitoring priorities in each Network and the CSMP, and help to identify key knowledge gaps to help inform future research priorities. These steps can be repeated through time alongside improvements in the evidence base and our understanding of how ecosystems respond to multi-sectoral activities to achieve continual improvement in management actions and environmental outcomes, Outputs • Digital map layers per AMP network of: (1) Ecosystems (2) Pressures & Activities (3) Cumulative Impacts • Final Technical Report containing maps of Key Natural Values, and of spatial Monitoring Priorities, including 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 "Unbroken whispers: the ripples connecting sea kin". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- Knowledge, in all its forms, is key to effectively protecting and recovering threatened and migratory whales and dolphins. Indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK) has guided Indigenous peoples through many uncertain climate and ecological fluctuations. IEK has also been used as part of protected area and species management for many thousands of years. More recently, IEK has shown huge potential to contribute to our understanding of threatened and migratory whales and dolphins, but this knowledge has not historically been collated, analysed or properly considered. Consequently, there is an absence of Indigenous perspectives and use of cultural knowledge informing the protection and recovery of EPBC listed threatened and migratory species. This Indigenous-led project will identify and share (where appropriate) cultural knowledge of relationships with whales and dolphins, and connections between land, sea and sky. Indigenous communities will participate in research that explores cultural ideology around kinship and responsibilities to kin, through expressing the knowledge, values and concerns they hold for whales and dolphins. The acquired knowledge and methods will support the cultural governance of sea Country by Indigenous communities and organisations, and policymaking, implementation and review by government agencies in relation to resource use and conservation. Outputs • GIS visualisation package of key geospatial layers related to connecting land and sea in the context of cultural keystone species [dataset] • Final project report [written]

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub small-scale study - "A national framework for improving seagrass restoration". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- Seagrasses provide resources and ecosystem services critical to the health of coastal ecosystems and human populations. They increase water clarity, stabilise sediments and reduce coastal erosion, sequester carbon, and provide habitat and food to marine animals, including commercially important fish and invertebrates. Across Australia, the loss of >275,000 ha of seagrass meadows and associated ecosystem services – valued at AU$ 5.3 billion – has contributed to the long-term degradation of estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems. Restoration of seagrass is critical for improving the health and function of these ecosystems and sustaining coastal communities and industries that depend on them. This is primarily because restoration practices are piecemeal and driven by local drivers and are generally not conducted at scales of seagrass loss. This project addressed this problem by bringing together scientists and key stakeholders to collate knowledge on seagrass ecology and restoration and generated a framework to scaling-up restoration nationally. It also build on ongoing restoration trials to test the proposed framework: assessing sediment quality and manipulations (Gamay Rangers, UNSW); use of sediment filled hessian tubes for seed and seedling capture (Malgana Rangers, UWA), and: scaling up seed collection for seed-based restoration (Seeds for Snapper, OZFISH, UWA). Outputs • Effect of sediment quality and manipulation on seagrass transplant success [field data] • Locations and health of beachcast fragments of Posidonia in Botany Bay [field data] • Effect of engineering hydrodynamics (by use of hessian socks) on seagrass transplant success [field data] • Final project report [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]

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. -------------------- Populations of the endangered Australian sea lion have declined by >60% over the last 40 years. There is a marked uneven distribution in abundance and trends across the species range, suggesting that localised risk profiles from threats vary at small spatial scales. Fine scale differences in habitat use are thought to underpin these differences, yet knowledge about the species dependency on key habitats and their vulnerability to human impacts is limited. This project deployed underwater cameras onto sea lions to identify and map their critical habitats, assess their ecological value and identify risks to populations. Tagging took place at three sea lion colonies adjacent to Commonwealth and state marine reserves off South Australia including Olive and Pearson Islands (Western Eyre Marine Park) and Seal Bay (Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park). Results from this study improve our understanding of threats to sea lion populations and support future conservation actions to recover the species. 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 scope and research output of NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Synthesis Study - "National trends in coral species following heatwaves". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- This project engaged coral taxonomic experts to annotate existing Reef Life Survey (RLS) photoquadrats taken across northern Australia before and after major disturbances, to allow: • Quantification of the spatial and species-level responses of Australian corals to the 2016 and 2017 marine heatwave and mass bleaching events (and cyclones that occurred during this period). • Identification of the species most threatened by warming and cyclones, and species likely to respond best to restoration efforts. • Contribution to a coral-specific analysis to the next national State of the Environment report. Planned Outputs • Dataset on % cover of corals to highest taxonomic resolution possible from surveys around northern Australia before and after the 2016 mass bleaching event.

This record provides an overview of the scope and research output of NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Project A11 - "Shark action plan". -------------------- Conservation of elasmobranch species (sharks and rays) is an increasing priority globally, including Australia, as evidence of overexploitation of some species becomes apparent. Common issues and threats among elasmobranch species may improve management if considered holistically. This project will produce a Shark Action Plan assessing requirements for improved management including a summary of current status across the taxa, guidelines for reducing impacts and improving management, and identification of key knowledge gaps impeding conservation and management. This Plan will help guide policy for Australian elasmobranchs developed by DoEE and fishery managers. On-ground conservation will be developed from recommendations in this plan. Planned Outputs • Shark Action Plan relevant to management of Australian elasmobranchs including an assessment of current threats, prioritised conservation and management actions for at-risk species and guidance on future management and data needs • Integrated Conservation Advices for multiple species with similar threats • Significant Impact Guidelines for Australian elasmobranchs • Discussion paper outlining a framework for how to apply conservation strategies for fished (Conservation Dependent) species • Presentation of results to key stakeholders and end users • Manuscripts for scientific journals outlining the results of project components (eg, Conservation Dependent species framework)

This record provides an overview of the scope and research output of NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Project A3 - "A national assessment of population status of White Sharks". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- White sharks are listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act and the subject of a national recovery plan, yet there is still no effective way to assess their population status and thus no way of determining the efficacy of conservation actions. Recent debate due to various human-shark interactions has highlighted the need for further information. This Project provides a national assessment of white shark population size and status in order to establish the efficacy of existing recovery actions and provide a scientifically sound and rational basis from which to develop policies that balance conservation objectives and public safety. Planed Outputs • Tools to refine and integrate CK-MR, electronic tagging distribution and species demographic data for population assessments of a key threatened species at a national scale (combining knowledge developed under this project combined with similar techniques being applied under NESP to euryhaline sharks and planned for grey nurse sharks). • National estimates of (census) population size and trend for white sharks in Australian waters (western and eastern populations respectively) are established that fulfil the highest priority actions of the National Recovery Plan. • New genetic and statistical tools trialled for the estimation of historical population trend from contemporary tissue samples for key species for which other methods of population assessment are unreliable or unavailable. • Provide information that identifies movement corridors, hotspots and contributes to management strategies for top-order marine predators • Estimate juvenile white shark survival and abundance for input into integrated national population assessment models in order to refine population estimates. • National-level information on habitat use, behaviour and spatial dynamics of white sharks at various scales used to provide the scientific underpinning for government decisions and policies as well as provide for more informed public debate. • Identify national strategies to monitor white shark populations. • The project will provide peer-reviewed additions to the scientific literature that will add to the science-support for the development and implementation of policies to support the ecologically sustainable management of Australia’s marine environment.