Into the blue

Beyond the sand and white-capped waves, Australia’s marine waters extend over an area almost twice as large as the area of our land. The seascape below the surface is more varied and dramatic than that on land; a place filled with canyons, undersea mountains, plateaus and trenches. Not surprisingly, it is also filled with amazing plant and animal life – kelp forests, sponge gardens, coral reefs, turtles, dolphins, crabs, sea snails, fish, the list goes on.

Sea pen, NSW. Photo: Rick Tegler

Sadly, overfishing, oil and gas drilling, mining and pollution are destroying marine habitats, leaving them impoverished and on the verge of collapse. Some species have already disappeared. Climate change will make matters worse because it will turn seawater warmer and more acidic and change ocean currents - a key foundation of life in the marine environment.

The Wilderness Society has established campaigns for marine protection in the coastal (state) waters of New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. TWS is also building a campaign to protect deeper Commonwealth waters.

To help give our marine species the best chance to survive and flourish, scientists recommend the establishment of fully protected areas. These areas may be known as marine national parks, sanctuaries, or 'no-take zones', but they all mean the same thing – an area where marine life is fully protected and has the opportunity to live and thrive without threat from destructive activities such as fishing, mining and oil exploration, and shell, coral and aquarium fish collection. 

By securing some of our marine environment in fully protected areas now, we can avoid losing our amazing marine life and help it survive into the future for our kids and their kids to enjoy.

WildCountry Science

Anemone Fish. Photo: Agnes Milowka

Recently, through the work of the WildCountry Science Council, The Wilderness Society has been learning about the ecological processes which shape how the land, seas and its wildlife interact. Australia’s extraodinary marine environment is shaped by processes such as the massive flushing of fresh water into the oceans and the key role played by top predators such as sharks. Importantly the marine environment is also shaped by the interconnections of these ecological processes which creates the still relatively unresearched complex web of marine life.

Scientists Prof Helene Marsh, Dr Regina Souter and Dr Trevor Ward are leading a new discussion on marine processes and their role in conservation planning.

If we are to protect the nature of marine Australia, we must ensure that the amazingly diverse seascapes beneath the blue horizon are protected in fully protected areas. At the same time we need to ensure these ecological processes are managed in such a way that they continue to shape the web of life.

For more information, please contact:

Felicity Wishart
National Campaigner
Email Felicity Wishart
Tel: 03 9038 0888
Fax: 03 9038 0800