Marine Natural Values Study Summary - Parks Victoria

The park is home to twenty-one biotarecorded or presumed to be at theirdistributional limit including brownalgae, green algae, sea cucumbers,a seastar, a chiton and crab species.Major ThreatsMeasures to address or minimisethreats identified for Bunurong MarineNational Park form part of the parkmanagement 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 Bunurong MarineNational Park include physicaldisturbance such as human, vehicleor animal/pet trampling; marine pestsand diseases; lack of education;increased coastal development;terrestrial inputs of poor waterquality and poaching.Climate change also poses a seriousmedium to long term threat to naturalvalues. Parks Victoria will use anadaptive management approach todevelop responses and actions thatfocus on priority climate change issuessuch as extreme weather events andexisting risks that are likely to 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 theparks in 2002 our knowledge andunderstanding of natural valuesand threats for the system haveimproved significantly through themarine science program. Much of theresearch has been undertaken as partof the Research Partners Programinvolving collaboration with variousresearch institutions.There are six ongoing research projectsand one habitat mapping projectrelevant to Bunurong Marine NationalPark, while five research projects andone habitat mapping project havealready been completed. The parkhas ongoing intertidal and shallowsubtidal reef monitoring programs.While recognising there are stillknowledge gaps Parks Victoria willcontinue to focus on addressing theinformation needs that will assistmanagement.For more information, includingmarine habitat mapping products,please see the full versions of theMarine Natural Values reportson www.parks.vic.gov.au.Image left:Shack Bay looking east towards Eagles Nest. Photo by MarkNorman, Museum Victoria.Image right:Giant rock formations covered in encrusting growth in thewaters at Twin Reefs. Photo by Mark Norman, MuseumVictoria.35