Marine Natural Values Study Summary - Parks Victoria

caspia, Sternula nereis and Sternastriata) and many others.The sanctuary is also home to two fishspecies of conservation significanceincluding the dusky morwongPentaceropsis recurvirostris and thelongsnout boarfish Pentaceropsisrecurvirostris.Major ThreatsMeasures to address or minimisethreats identified for Barwon BluffMarine Sanctuary form part of thepark management plan. Parks Victoriaalso uses an adaptive managementapproach which includes periodicreviews of priority natural values andthreats through processes such as theState of the Parks evaluation andsetting of desired conservationoutcomes. Through these processesParks Victoria has identified emergingthreats and developed appropriatemanagement responses and actions.Serious threats for this sanctuaryinclude illegal fishing, trampling anddisturbance, increased nutrients fromshore and marine pollution, andmarine pests. A number of introducedmarine pests have the potential tocolonise within the sanctuary, fromnearby waters in Port Phillip Bay andthe ocean waters of Bass Strait.Climate change poses a seriousmedium to long term threat to naturalvalues. Parks Victoria will use anadaptive management approachto develop responses and actions thatfocus on priority climate change issuessuch as extreme weather events andImage left:Old wife Enoplosus armatus on subtidal reef.Photo by Mark Rodrigue, Parks Victoria.Image right:Port Jackson shark Heterodontus portusjacksoni.Photo by Mark Rodrigue, Parks Victoria.existing risks that will likely beexacerbated by climate change.Research and MonitoringParks Victoria has establishedextensive marine research andmonitoring programs that addressimportant management challengesfor the marine national parks andsanctuaries. These focus on improvingbaseline knowledge, as well as appliedmanagement questions.Since the establishment of the parksin 2002 our knowledge andunderstanding of natural values andthreats for the system have improvedsignificantly through the marinescience program. Much of theresearch has been undertakenas part of the Research PartnersProgram involving collaborationwith various research institutions.There are five ongoing researchprojects and one habitat mappingproject relevant to Barwon BuffMarine Sanctuary, while ten researchprojects and one habitat mappingproject have already been completed.The sanctuary has an ongoingintertidal reef monitoring programand two community-based monitoringprograms (Reef Watch and Sea Search).While recognising there are stillknowledge gaps Parks Victoria willcontinue to focus on addressinginformation needs to assistmanagement.For more information, includingmarine habitat mapping products,please see the full versions of theMarine Natural Values reportson www.parks.vic.gov.au.29