Marine Natural Values Study Summary - Parks Victoria

Australia’s southern waters areunique. Ninety per cent of ourmarine plants and animals arefound nowhere else on earth.Victoria’s marine environmenthas been classified into fivebioregions according to anationally agreed scheme(Otway, Central Victoria,Victorian Embayments,Flinders and Twofold Shelf).Within each marine bioregionthere are a variety of distinctand unique habitats andbiological communities,structured by a combinationof physical, chemical andbiological processes.In 2002 the marine national parksystem was established to representthe diversity of Victoria’s marineenvironment, its habitats andassociated flora and fauna. Themarine national parks and sanctuariesare highly protected (no take) andcover approximately 63,000 hectaresor 5.3% of Victorian statemarine waters.Since declaration of Victoria’s marinenational parks and sanctuaries andrelease of the first Marine NaturalValues Study in September 2003there has been an ongoing marinescience program that has focussedon improving baseline knowledgeand addressed important managementchallenges. Much of the researchhas been undertaken as part of theResearch Partners Program involvingcollaboration with various researchinstitutions, while there are alsoa range of ongoing commissionedand community based monitoringprograms. These programs haveconsiderably increased our knowledgeand understanding of the naturalvalues and threats for Victoria’smarine national parks and sanctuaries.The second version of the MarineNatural Values reports has beendeveloped in partnership with DeakinUniversity. The primary aim of thesereports is to add the new knowledgeand information that has beengenerated through Parks Victoria’sresearch and monitoring programsand other marine science programsto the description of the natural valuesassociated with Victoria’s marinenational parks and sanctuaries. Thereports will be important for informingpark management and will also bea valuable resource for educationand public recognition of the naturalvalues of the marine national parksand sanctuaries.This report contains summaries foreach park which have been developedfrom the full version of the MarineNatural Values reports. Thedetailed reports can be foundat www.parks.vic.gov.au.2