Standard Presentation Australian Marine Sciences Association 2026 Conference

Synthesising science for Australian Marine Parks (140281)

Steffan Howe 1 , Ben Sellers 1 , Roshni Subramaniam 1 , Dave Logan 1 , Corinna Gosby 1 , Jamey Furlaud 2 , Vicki Martin 3 , Steph Courtney-Jones 4 , Alan Jordan 5 , Jac Monk 5 , Paul Hedge 5 , Piers Dunstan 6 , Rowan Trebilco 6 , Skipton Woolley 6 , Emma Lawrence 6 , Scott Spillias 6 , Tim Langlois 7 , Matthew Navarro 7 , Carly Cook 8
  1. Parks Australia, Kingston, TASMANIA, Australia
  2. Parks Australia, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
  3. Parks Australia, Brisbane, Queensland
  4. Parks Australia, Canberra, ACT
  5. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies , University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
  6. CSIRO Environment, Hobart, TAS, Australia
  7. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  8. Monash University, Melbourne , Victoria

Australia’s system of 60 Australian Marine Parks (AMPs) covers 3.8 million km2, about 43% of Australia’s marine jurisdiction, and protects important natural, social and cultural values. Parks Australia continues to work with strategic science partners to develop and implement management effectiveness programs and systems to support adaptive management and evaluation and reporting. Here we present progress on the design and implementation of the applied science program for the AMPs, and synthesis of science outputs alongside management plan reviews and development of new plans.

This work builds upon a series of NESP projects that helped provide critical elements of Parks Australia’s management effectiveness system, prioritise monitoring needs and develop targeted data products. This program of work is now focussed on 1) research to improve understanding and updating key spatial products; 2) predicting effects of climate change; 3) progressing the design of a national monitoring program and implementation of monitoring surveys; 4) trialling expert elicitation approaches to assess condition of natural values and identify management thresholds; and 5) synthesising science outputs for the AMPs to address key monitoring and evaluation questions.

This program of work sits within an integrated and holistic management effectiveness system currently being designed and implemented by Parks Australia. Outputs will be available to inform the review of existing AMP management plans and development of new plans, with the Australian Government committing to high levels of protection for 30% of Australia’s marine environment by 2030.