Coasts and marine
What is Australia doing?
Marine bioregional planning
Marine species
Protected areas
Legislation
Marine pollution
Fisheries
Australia's vast ocean environment
Our Australia. One Place, Many Stories: Oceans
Australia has the third largest marine estate of any nation in the world. It is a massive area larger than our landmass and extends from the tropical seas of the north to the sub-Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean.
Our oceans possess an abundance of biodiversity and marine life - some of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world - and there is still much about our oceans that we are yet to discover.
Australia's vast oceans provide many benefits to its people and its visitors alike - as a source of food, recreation, and a range of industries such as minerals and energy that contribute to our economy. But this extraordinary natural diversity and biological richness comes with some responsibility. We need to ensure our oceans, and the life in them, remain healthy, productive and resilient so that future generations can enjoy them as we do.
For its part, the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities works to achieve these goals through programs and initiatives in a range of focus areas including marine bioregional planning, the creation and management of marine reserves, the conservation and recovery of protected species and assessing the sustainability of Australia's fisheries.
- Our Australia. One Place, Many Stories: Oceans - view some of Australia's iconic ocean environments.
Latest news
February 2012
- Commonwealth Northern Prawn Fishery - comments open from 9 February 2012 until 13 March 2012
- Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery - comments open from 8 Februaryy 2012 until 9 March 2012
January 2012
- New South Wales Lobster Fishery - comments open from 23 January 2012 until 22 February 2012
- Western Australian Temperate Shark Fisheries - Invitation for comment open from 16 January 2012 until 16 February 2012
December 2011
- Commonwealth Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery - comments open from 23 December 2011 until 23 February 2012
- New South Wales Ocean Trawl Fishery - comments open from 2 December 2011 until 9 January 2012
November 2011
- Commonwealth marine reserve proposal for the Coral Sea region - comments close 24 February 2012
- Torres Strait Prawn Fishery - comments open from 23 November 2011 until 22 December 2011
- Queensland River and Inshore Beam Trawl Fishery - 23 November 2011 until 22 December 2011
- Marine bioregional planning in the Temperate East - comments close 21 February 2012
- Tasmanian Scallop Fishery - comments open from 18 November 2011 until 19 December 2011
- Victorian Scallop Fishery - comments open from 18 November 2011 until 19 December 2011
- Tasmanian Rock Lobster Fishery - comments open from 4 November 2011 until 7 December 2011
October 2011
- Torres Strait Trochus Fishery - comments open from 1 November 2011 until 2 December 2011
- Queensland Spanner Crab Fishery - comments open from 1 November 2011 until 30 November 2011
- Australian High Seas Fisheries - comments open from 25 October 2011 until 24 November 2011
- Tasmanian Abalone Fishery - comments open from 7 October 2011 until 10 November 2011
- Whalewatching in Commonwealth Waters - review of management arrangements - submissions open until 16 December 2011
September 2011
- Commonwealth Skipjack Tuna Fishery - comments open from 30 September 2011 until 4 November 2011
- South Australian Marine Scalefish Fishery - comments open from 28 September 2011 until 31 October 2011
- New South Wales Estuary Prawn Trawl Fishery - comments open from 19 September 2011 until 19 October 2011
- Queensland East Coast Fin Fish Fishery - comments open 12 September 2011 until 21 October 2011
- Queensland Marine Aquarium Fish Fishery - comments open 8 September 2011 until 11 October 2011
August 2011
- Victorian Sea Urchin Fishery - comments open 29 August 2011 until 27 September 2011
- Western Australian Marine Aquarium Fish managed Fishery - comments open 15 August 2011 until 13 September 2011
July 2011
- South Australian Sea Urchin Fishery - comments open from 1 August 2011 to 29 August 2011
- Queensland Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery - comments open from 22 July 2011 to 24 August 2011
- Queensland Deep Water Fin Fish Fishery - comments open from 22 July 2011 to 24 August 2011
- Coral Triangle Initiative - Announcement of Coral Triangle Initiative support package and the Australian Government Support Plan
- Shark Bay Crab Interim Managed Fishery - comments open from 1 July 2011 to 2 August 2011
- Western Australian Beche-de-mer Fishery - comments open from 1 July 2011 to 2 August 2011
June 2011
- Tasmanian Commercial Dive Fishery - comments open from 28 June 2011 until 29 July 2011
- Tasmanian Kelp Fishery - comments open from 20 June 2011 until 20 July 2011
Public consultation
Coral Sea region
Submissions are invited on the Commonwealth marine reserve proposal for the Coral Sea. Comments close 24 February 2012
Temperate East Marine Region
Submissions are invited on the Draft temperate East Bioregional Plan and the Temperate East Commonwealth marine reserves network proposal. Comments close 21 February 2012
Information for media
Now closed
The public consultation period on the draft North and North-west Marine Bioregional Plans and Commonwealth marine reserves network proposals has now closed.
Marine species in Australia
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