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
March 2012
- Western Australian Trochus Fishery - comments open from 9 March 2012 until 12 April 2012
February 2012
- Commonwealth Western Trawl Fisheries - comments open from 1 March 2012 unti 2 April 2012
- Tasmanian Native Oyster Fishery - comments open from 27 February 2012 until 29 March 2012
- Commonwealth Torres Strait Finfish Fishery - comments open from 23 February 2012 until 26 March 2012
- Commonwealth New and Exploratory Fisheries in the CCAMLR Region - comments open from 20 February 2012 until 20 April 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
Latest news
Consultation overview reports and submissions received now available.
Marine species in Australia
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