Australia looks after one of the largest areas of ocean in the world – an area more than twice that of our land mass. That gives us a lot of water to look after. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea has declared 16 million square kilometres of ocean surrounding Australia falls within our responsibility. In order to look after our vast marine ecosystems, we need to understand what lurks beneath its surface.
Over 80 per cent of the life in the Southern Oceans is found no where else on Earth. Not only do we have vast areas of coral reef, we have the highest diversity of both mangrove species and sea grasses. Climate change, overfishing and irresponsible recreational activities can have a disastrous impact on these environments, in turn upsetting the balance of other surrounding ecosystems.
We rely heavily on the health of our oceans, whether it’s for its bountiful resources or simply to visit and enjoy. Our waters provide a range of resources, from fish to fuel to tourist destinations, which can all impact on the health of an ecosystem.
Getting the balance right between protecting an environment and using it can be a delicate task. Good information is vital if we’re to manage our coastal environments for the use and appreciation of generations to come.
The federal and state and territory governments work together to manage our oceans. Generally, the state and territory look after the coastlines and shallow waters, while the Australian Government looks after the deep.
To determine how to sustainably manage our oceans, the federal government has set up the Marine Bioregional Planning program to assess the different marine environments surrounding our country. The program will provide the government with more detailed information to help them decide precisely what activities could be considered harmful, and which can be managed productively.
Once the government knows more about these marine environments and how they are used, it will act to set up Marine Protected Areas which help protect important habitats and representative samples of marine life. Areas declared as Marine Protected Areas will have restricted activities permitted within them. Setting up these protected areas can assist in restoring the productivity of the oceans and avoid further damage of the marine environment.
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