1. Activity descriptions
The tables below provide a summarised description for each activity grouped by the activity category, as selected in FeAST.
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Anchorage and moorings - Construction | Creation of new anchorage areas and laying of new moorings in the intertidal or subtidal zone by vessels, machinery, and vehicles. |
| Artificial reefs | Construction of reef structures for habitat restoration, rehabilitation or to provide more fishing opportunities. Resulting in habitat change, increased and concentrated fishing activity and marine pests. Key consideration should be extended to how many structures a proposal includes and the construction material. |
| Boat ramp - Construction and maintenance | The building and construction of boat ramps or slipways to launch vessels. Ongoing maintenance of washing down and clearing accumulated sediment. |
| Coastal industry and operations | Shoreside based industries on the coast including chemical works, oil refineries, factories, processing plants, and other maritime industry. |
| Coastal protection structures - Construction (all) | Construction of new coastal protection works to mitigate coastal hazards such as erosion and inundation. These include seawalls, revetments, groynes, breakwaters, levees/dykes, tidal gates and beach renourishment programs. |
| Coastal protection structures - Maintenance hard defence | Maintenance of coastal protection structures including sea walls, revetments, groynes, breakwaters, stabilisation structures, tidal gates, and sluices using vessels. Includes use of machinery, vehicles, and materials. |
| Coastal protection structures - Maintenance soft defence | Maintenance of coastal protection works including beach renourishment programs and coastal management activities such as dune and vegetation management, controlled access and drainage works. |
| Coastal protection structures - Offshore | Construction and operation of offshore or detached coastal defence structures (intertidal or subtidal) including wave-screens, breakwaters. |
| Coastal protection structures - Operation (all) | Operational effects of coastal protection works that alter natural coastal processes. This includes erosion, accretion, changes to the intertidal zone, changes to coastal habitats, and coastal squeeze. Operations may include sand-bypass/ nourishment systems, operation of tidal gates etc. |
| Coastal protection structures - Piling | Pile driving required for the construction of foundations for structures including coastal defences involving the use of machinery and vessels. |
Land reclamation | Creation of new land from below the high-water mark by filling areas with sediment, rock, or cement to raise the elevation for coastal infrastructure. |
| Navigation markers and buoys | Operation, maintenance, and presence of navigation structures such as markers, Cardinals, lights, buoys, posts, towers, and transit markers. |
Outfalls and intake pipes | The construction, maintenance, and ongoing use of an outfalls and intakes pipes. The outfalls pipe could discharge liquids at varying temperatures, salinities, oxygen, nutrient concentrations. |
| Port, marina, and harbour - Construction | Construction for an expansion, new or re-development of infrastructure associated with ports, marinas and harbours including facilities, mooring berths, and the accompanying machinery, vehicles and vessels required. |
| Port, marina, and harbour - Clearance | Periodic, regular, or discrete clearance of structures and waterways, or debris, sediment, algal growth by vessels, machinery, and vehicles. |
| Port, marina, and harbour - Operation | Day-to-day operational use of ports, marinas and harbours including use of estate, movement of vessels, navigation markers, lights, and supply of fuel. |
| Port, marina, and harbour - Maintenance | Maintenance of 'hard' coastal protection structures including sea walls, groynes, rock armours, wave screens and breakwaters using machinery. |
| Port, marina, and harbour - Piling | Pile driving of tubes, stakes, beams, or sheets into substrate to create foundations for structures including coastal protection. |
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Agriculture - Grazing | Grazing of farm animals on coastal saltmarsh or wetland areas, involving the use of machinery to modify drainage systems or improve fertilisation. |
| Beach cleaning | Removal of marine litter and accumulated organic material such as seaweed and seagrass wrack that is decomposing or has an odour on the beach. |
| Beach raking | The use of sand rakes deployed from a vehicle or an individual to sweep and sift the beach for aesthetic reasons and to remove marine debris. |
| Beach renourishment and intertidal recharge | Process by which sediment is relocated and deposited onto beaches and intertidal mud and sandflats for erosion protection or for habitat creation. |
| Coastal habitat creation | Creation of new areas of intertidal, transitional, freshwater, or terrestrial habitat to protect species or as part of a biodiversity offsetting or mitigation, or coastal hazard adaptation. |
| Coastal weed control | Management activities involving the removal of invasive or non-native vegetation through clearance or herbicide spraying in the coastal zone. |
| Extracting - Beach sand | The physical removal of sand from the intertidal zone by mechanical extraction using tractors, dredgers, diggers, or trailers. |
Land reclamation | Creation of new land from below the high-water mark by filling areas with sediment, rock, or cement to raise the elevation for coastal infrastructure. |
| Managed coastline retreat | Managed and planned retreat of the coastline or active breaches of defences to allow exposure to flooding by the sea or sea water intrusion. |
| Vegetation change | The removal of existing vegetation, or the planting of vegetation in areas once previously a different land-use, habitat or EVCs using machinery. |
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Military - Air based | Military exercises involving aircraft flying, air to sea or ground firing with exploding shells. |
| Military - Seabed based | Military exercises that involve the use of the seabed e.g. installation and operation of seabed mounted equipment, seabed sampling and degaussing. |
| Military - Sea surface based | Military exercises on the sea surface e.g. boats, surface explosions and surface target towing. |
| Military - Submersed | Military exercises undertaken in the water column by submarines or divers. |
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Gas storage and sequestration | The deposition, injection of natural gases or carbon into identified submarine storage sites, known as carbon capture and storage. |
| Heat abstraction infrastructure | The construction, maintenance and ongoing use of heat abstraction exchanger housing, outfalls, and intake pipes, and machinery involved. |
| Offshore wind - Construction | The seabed preparations prior to installation of turbine structures involving the removal of seabed material, creation of foundations and vessel transit. Excluding power cable laying. |
| Offshore wind - Decommissioning | Vessel movement, vessel discharges, use of jack up barges, removal of structures, scour protection and associated habitat, use of explosives, cutting, drilling, excavation of seabed close to foundations. |
| Offshore wind - Operation and maintenance | Regular vessel movement, vessel discharges, rotor sweep, lighting, presence of turbine and foundation structures. Excludes cabling. |
| Oil and gas infrastructure - Construction | The installation of permanent and temporary infrastructure as well as rock dump to stabilise jack up rigs, cementing, concrete mattresses, matting and gravel, pipelines, debris baskets, drilling wells and plugging. |
| Oil and gas infrastructure- Decommissioning | The plugging and abandonment of wells, removal of structures and associated habitat, use of explosives, cutting, drilling. Includes operation by supporting vessels, vessel discharges, use of Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs), lifting and jack-up rigs. |
| Oil and gas infrastructure - Operation and maintenance | Production, operation, with routine supply, return of wastes to shore, power generation, chemical use, produced water, and re-injection of reservoirs. |
| Oil spills and response | Spills that can originate from terrestrial sources, sub-sea or on the surface and effect nearshore, inshore or within offshore waters. Response activities include the use of dispersants, in-situ burning, mechanical recovery and physical removal, the drilling of relief wells or plugging of wells. |
| Survey - Seismic | Any survey that uses airguns, including 2D, 3D, 4D and OBC (On Bottom Cabling) surveys and any similar techniques that use airguns. |
| Tidal lagoon - Construction | The preparation of the seabed for foundations to allow for installation of structures involving clearing, dredging, drilling, cutting by machinery. |
| Tidal lagoon - Operation and maintenance | Operation of tidal devices and structures, involving changes to water levels and tidal regimes and required servicing and repairs by vessels. |
| Tidal lagoon - Decommissioning | Removal of structures and cabling involving the use of specific machinery and vessels. |
| Tidal stream - Construction | Seabed preparation involving dredging, cutting, spoil disposal, piling, anchoring, mooring, scour protection by vessels. |
| Tidal stream - Operation and maintenance | Vessel movement, vessel discharges, rotor sweep or other device operation, lighting. |
| Tidal stream - Decommissioning | Machinery and vessels involved with removal of the impoundment and associated disruption to the seabed. |
Wave power - Construction | Seabed preparation prior to installation involving dredging, cutting, mooring, spoil disposal, anchoring, piling, drilling and associated vessel movement. |
| Wave power - Decommissioning | Removal of structures and associated habitat using vessels and other machinery for cutting, drilling and use of explosives. |
| Wave power - Operation and maintenance | Continuous operation of devices and associated repairs and servicing required by vessels. |
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Coastal harvesting by hand | The collection and removal of intertidal zone invertebrates and seaweed by hand or using digging implements for consumption or bait purposes. |
| Collecting - Aquarium | Collection of live fish and other biota for the aquarium trade. |
| Collecting - Souvenirs | Collection of biotic material for ornaments or collections or souvenirs, including shells, sponges, corals, sea stars. Also referred to as beachcombing. |
| Dive harvesting - Abalone | Collection of abalone by divers and snorkelers for recreational and commercial purposes. |
| Dive harvesting - Bivalves | Collection of scallops, mussels and bivalve species by divers, snorkelers. Includes recreational diving. |
| Dive harvesting - Pearls | Collection of pearls by divers and snorkelers for recreational and commercial purposes. |
| Dive harvesting - Sea urchins | Collection of sea urchin species by divers and snorkelers for recreational, management and commercial purposes. |
| Dive harvesting - Other | Removal of biota and other living resources from marine habitats by diving and direct handling for recreational or commercial purposes. |
| Extracting - Rhodolith | Removal of rhodolith beds and sediments from the seabed for aggregate use. |
| Fishing - Demersal seine netting | Fishing activity that includes demersal anchor, Danish seines, and Scottish seines, as well as beach seines that come into contact with the seabed. |
| Fishing - Demersal trawling | Fishing activity that includes beam trawls, demersal otter trawls, demersal pair trawls. Excludes electronic pulse fishing. |
| Fishing - Dredging for shellfish | Fishing activity using either vessels or tractors to tow non-hydraulic gear such as dredges along the seabed for scallops, oysters, and mussels or in the coastal zone to harvest clams and cockles. |
| Fishing - Electric pulse | Fishing activity that uses electrical currents to direct and drive fish and shellfish into nets and trawls towed by vessels. |
| Fishing - Hydraulic dredging | Fishing activities that include hydraulic or suction dredging to harvest clams, cockles, and razor shells. |
| Fishing - Pelagic | Fishing activity where gears do not interact with the seabed and no anchoring occurs, e.g. mid water trawls, drift nets, pelagic seines, and lines. |
| Fishing - Push net | Fishing activity includes handheld and small vessel driven push nets for fishing inshore shrimp and prawns. |
| Fishing - Purse seine netting | The targeted removal of fish species using pelagic purse seine nets towed by vessels. |
| Fishing - Rod and line | Rod and line fishing, including commercial live fish industry and recreational fishing. |
| Fishing - Long line | The targeted removal of fish species using static hooks and lines that are recovered after a period of time to retrieve caught fish. |
| Fishing - Static net | Fishing activity using permitted static nets to catch targeted fish species such as set, gillnets and boat operated lift nets. |
| Fishing - Traps | Fishing activity using only permitted gear including hoop nets, bait traps, bait nets, permitted pots, creels or rings and other similar gear. |
| Studies - Bioprospecting | Extraction of chemical and genetic material from biological resources for commercial, medical or research purposes. |
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Coastal saltworks | Operation of coastal salt pans, lagoons, and channels. Includes influences on wetlands and littoral habitats and of hypersaline water. |
| Collecting - Salvage | Collection of salvage or cargo from wrecked vessels or infrastructure (e.g. from oil and gas) on the coast, or in the marine environment using boats. |
| Dredging - Aggregate | The excavation of offshore seabed sediments using trailing suction or static grab dredgers intended for use in building or for the construction industry. |
| Dredging - Capital | The removal of material from an area not previously dredged or has not been dredged for greater than 10 years using vessels, machinery, and vehicles. |
| Dredging - Maintenance | Periodic or regular removal of material from previously dredged areas e.g. berths, channels, marinas, can be every few weeks to 10 years apart. |
| Dredging - Spoil disposal | Disposal and relocation of dredged spoil materials originating from the seabed leading to dispersal, contamination, toxic algae, and habitat changes. |
| Extracting - Guano | Collection of accumulated excrement in coastal regions from seabirds (guano) for use as fertiliser due to high phosphate content. |
| Mining - Deep sea | Extraction of minerals such as polymetallic nodules using seafloor mining devices, riser and lifting systems and mining support vessels. |
| Mining - Shallow sea | Mining of phosphate, mineral sands, and other non-living resources from shallow and shelf seabed habitats. |
| Water extraction | The temporary or permanent removal of water from the marine environment for irrigation, cooling, desalination, or industrial processes. |
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Cultural and heritage sites | Includes existing heritage and cultural sites such as wrecks, sculptures and foundations, negative impacts may include enhanced visitation pressures, site contamination and habitat change. Structures may also positively support biodiversity. |
| Pipelines | Installation, maintenance, and removal of pipeline including operations by supporting vessels. |
| Power cable - Decommissioning | The retrieval, repair or maintenance of cabling and the following reburial and protection by vessels anchored during this operation. |
| Power cable - Laying, burial, and protection | The laying of submarine power cables and associated seabed preparation activities. Cabling is either laid directly on the seabed, covered with rocks and mattressing for protection, or buried using by trench excavators. |
| Power cable - Operation and maintenance | The operation of power cables and maintenance where cables may become exposed and require reburial or need to be accessed for repairs. |
| Telecommunication cable - Decommissioning | Complete removal of cables through grabbing and raising on the seabed by vessels anchoring along the cable route. |
| Telecommunication cable - Laying, burial, and protection | Laying of telecommunications cables directly on the seabed, covered with material for protection or buried involving excavators and vessels. |
| Telecommunication cable - Operation and maintenance | Cables requiring retrieval, additional protection or to be accessed for repairs or maintenance and are then reburied or protected. Vessel movement and anchoring during the operation is considered. |
| Urban dwellings and infrastructure | Built environment activities leading to habitat removal, changes in drainage, enhanced runoff, introduction of coastal pests, noise, and light. |
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Aquaculture - Finfish | Marine-based aquaculture facilities for growing finfish in either suspended, floating or seabed anchored cages and nets. |
Aquaculture - Land based | Land based aquaculture including fish, prawns, abalone, and shellfish spat. Involving a seawater intake and outlet to natural environment. |
Aquaculture - Predator control | The adoption of practices to deter, control and prevent predation at aquaculture facilities. These include noise deterrents or visual disturbance. |
| Aquaculture - Shellfish bottom culture | Farming and harvesting of shellfish (e.g. mussels, oysters, scallops) on suitable areas of intertidal and subtidal substrate off the seafloor. |
| Aquaculture - Shellfish suspended rope or net | Shellfish (e.g. mussels, oysters) grown on ropes, nets suspended from surface structures or lines. These structures may be anchored to the seabed. |
| Aquaculture - Shellfish trestle culture | Cultivation of shellfish (e.g. oysters) grown on racks or trestles in the intertidal zone. |
| Aquaculture - Seaweed | Seaweed grown on ropes and nets suspended from surface structures or lines. These structures may be anchored to the seabed. |
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Boating - Powerboat anchor | Motorised boating and impacts from installed moorings and impacts from anchors and impacts of boat when at anchor or mooring. |
| Boating - Powerboat launch | Launching and recovery of motorised boats from the shore, boat ramps or beach including possible use of trailers. Includes powerboating races and events. |
| Boating - Sailing boat launch | Launching and recovery of sailing boats from the shore, boat ramps or beach including possible use of trailers. Includes sailing races and events. |
| Boating - Sailing boat anchor | Sailing without an engine and impacts from installed moorings and impacts from anchors and impacts of boat when at anchor or mooring. |
| Boating - Water sports | Includes non-motorised small craft-based water sports such as the kayaking, windsurfing, kite surfing, dinghies, canoes, row boats, paddle boards. |
| Camping, holiday, and resort | Includes all foreshore and shore leisure resulting in increased foot traffic, disruption to wildlife, litter, erosion, and fire risk. Also includes infrastructure components associated with urbanisation and drainage. |
| Outdoor activities - Beach sports | Beach-based sports involving small non-motorised craft such as sand yachting, kite surfing and buggies. Includes events and competitions. |
| Outdoor activities - Coastal nature-based | Coastal nature-based and sight-seeing activities including bushwalking, bike riding, beach walking, whale watching, bird watching, wildlife interaction, photography, and filming. |
| Outdoor activities - Duck hunting | The use of firearms such as shotguns on foot to shoot waterfowl and gamebirds. Hunting with gundogs and from a boat is excluded. |
| Outdoor activities - Firework displays | Shore-based only public and private firework displays. Excludes boat-based and pontoon fireworks. |
| Outdoor activities - Foreshore based | Public beach activity, surf lifesaving, swimming, surfing, promenading, social gathering, picnic and barbeque, rocky shore rambling. |
| Outdoor activities - Horse riding and dog walking | Beach based activities involving animals such as horse riding and dog walking. |
| Outdoor activities - Intertidal based | Includes surfing, swimming, rock-pooling and other water sports (excluding vessel based). Includes events such as beach cleans and large gatherings of people. |
| Outdoor activities - Light aircraft | Includes the use of manned aircraft for recreational purposes such as small planes, helicopters, hang gliding, skydiving, paragliding, and parachuting. |
| Outdoor activities - Marine nature-based | Marine nature-based and sight-seeing activities including boat tours, whale watching, bird watching, wildlife interaction, non-extractive diving, photography, and filming. |
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Studies - Archaeology | Marine archaeological research, including the removal of artefacts, the use of vessels and the presence of people. |
| Studies - Palaeontology | Paleontological studies including digs resulting in geomorphological disturbance and changes. |
| Survey - Remote sensing | This includes methods of obtaining data or images from a distance from satellites, drones or aircraft and includes LIDAR. |
| Survey - Exploratory drilling | Offshore drilling tests to evaluate the presence of deposits, minerals or assess the commercial viability for energy, extractive, or research needs. |
| Survey - Sonar | The use of echo sounders underwater for research or exploratory purposes as well as military purposes. |
| Survey - Sampling | Physical sampling of the seabed, foreshore (intertidal) and, or water column in situ using a variety of marine survey techniques. |
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Boating - Commercial hovercraft | Use and operation of commercial hovercraft over the intertidal and coastal zone. |
| Cargo operations and logistics | Includes the trans-shipment of cargo, loading and unloading of vessels, landside handling, logistics and on-ward transportation. |
| Outdoor activities - Hovercraft | Use and operation of personal hovercraft moving across the coastal zone including travel, launching and when stationary or beached. |
| Vessel - Anchorages | Operational use of designated areas where ships are permitted to anchor inside and outside of harbours, ports, and marinas. |
| Vessel - Berths | Operational use of berths including moorings, anchorages and the presence of these structures and vessels using them. |
| Vessel - Discharges and emissions | Includes operational, incidental, and accidental discharges and emissions from all types of vessels such as sewerage, oils, wastes and exhaust fumes. |
| Vessel - Maintenance | Vessel maintenance and repair on land and afloat, operation of ship, boatyards, lay-ups, dry docks, designated anchorages, and hull cleaning. |
| Vessel - Moorings | Use of temporary and permanent mooring structures by vessels such as swing mooring, trot, fore and aft mooring, pile mooring. |
| Vessel - Movements | Movement of commercial or non-recreation vessels of all scales, from container ships, tankers, cruise liners, pilot vessels, tugs, ferries, and trawlers. |
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Effluent discharge - Sewage | The release of waste matter such as sewage effluent, faeces or contaminated water from sewage treatment facilities and outfalls. |
| Effluent discharge - Thermal or Nuclear | Thermal or nuclear effluent reaching the coast or sea from power stations. |
2. Pressure descriptions
The table below provides descriptions and benchmarks for each pressure in the FeAST data inventory.
| Pressure | Description | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Above water noise | Relates to any loud noise made onshore or offshore including by construction, vehicles (including aircraft), vessels, tourism, mining, and blasting that may disturb birds and reduce time spent in feeding or breeding area. | Anthropogenic sound sources that exceed levels that elicit a response from an individual, in terms of movement away, or cessation of feeding (for disturbance), for example, or exposure which leads to auditory injury. |
| Abrasion to seabed | Physical disturbance or abrasion at the substratum surface, affecting epiflora and epifauna. May result from recreational access (human or livestock), vehicular access, moorings, activities that increase scour and grounding of vessels, pots or creels, cables and chains, anchoring, objects placed on the seabed, and harvesting of marine species. | Damage to species or habitats living on the seabed. Damage to surface features (e.g. species and physical structures within the habitat). |
| Barrier to species movement | Physical obstruction of local (within and between roosting, breeding, feeding areas) and regional/global movements (migrations) of mostly birds, fish, and mammals. Can include up-river (tidal barrages or dams) and open waters movements (offshore wind farm, wave/tidal device arrays, mariculture, or fixed fishing gears. | Species movement restricted or changed via physical obstruction. |
| Change sediment type | The permanent change of one marine habitat type to another, through the change in substratum. Causes include installation of infrastructure, rock dumping, and any replacement or removal of substrate where the sediment typology changes. Excludes drastic change from soft sediment to hard rock. | The permanent change of in substratum from one sediment type to another including to artificial (e.g. concrete mattresses, rock dumping). |
| Change of seabed type | The permanent change of one marine habitat type to another marine habitat type, through the change in substratum. Specifically, change between soft sediment and hard rock. Causes include installation of infrastructure, rock dumping, cutting pile placement from oil and gas, and replacement or removal of existing substrate. | The permanent change in substratum, including to artificial (e.g. concrete mattresses, rock dumping). Specifically, change from soft sediment to hard rock/ surfaces or vice versa. |
| Collison above water | Injury or mortality from above-water collisions of biota with static and/or moving structures not naturally found in the marine environment like boats, machinery, structures, and wind turbine blades. Activities increasing number of vessels transiting areas will influence the scale and intensity of this pressure. | Death or injury by collision above water. |
| Collision below water | Injury or mortality from below-water collisions of biota with static and/or moving structures not naturally found in the marine environment like power station intake pipes, tidal devices, and shipping. Activities increasing number of vessels transiting areas will influence the scale and intensity of this pressure. | Death or injury by collision below water. |
| Deoxygenation | The lowering, temporarily or more permanently, of oxygen levels in the water or substrate due to anthropogenic in the absence of nutrient or organic enrichment. The release of ballast waters or stagnant waters may result in deoxygenation events. | Compliance with all average annual water quality guidelines or environment reference standards. |
| Electromagnetic changes | Localised electric and magnetic fields associated with operational power cables and telecommunication cables (if equipped with power relays). Such cables may generate electric and magnetic fields that could alter behaviour and migration patterns of sensitive species (e.g. sharks and rays). | Local electric field of 1 volt per meter, or Local magnetic field of 10 tesla (μT) due to anthropogenic means. |
| Genetic modification of species | Deliberate (introduction of farmed individuals to the wild, genetic modified (GM) food production or as a by-product of other activities (mutations associated with radionuclide contamination). Scale of pressure is compounded if GM species are translocated via ballast water, ships hulls, aquaculture or aquaria imports, live bait, live seafood, or natural migration. | Translocation of indigenous species and/or introduction of genetically modified or genetically different populations of indigenous species that may result in changes in genetic structure of local populations, hybridization, or change in community structure. |
| Heavy siltation or smothering | Deposition of layers of sediment on a seabed with similar physical characteristics. Although most species of marine biota are unable to adapt, such as sessile organisms unable to make their way to the surface, a similar biota could, with time, re-establish. Associated with disposal of dredged materials. | 5 - 30cm of fine material added to the seabed in a single event or the deposition of fine material over the lifetime of the development. |
| Hydrocarbon contamination | The increase of hydrocarbon compounds above background concentrations. Categorised based on the sources i) petroleum hydrocarbons from natural seeps, oil spills and surface water runoff. ii) pyrogenic hydrocarbons from combustion of coal, woods, and petroleum. And ii) biogenic hydrocarbons from plants and animals. | Compliance with all average annual water quality guidelines or environment reference standards. |
| Introduction of light | Direct inputs of light from anthropogenic activities, such as lighting related to construction, oil and gas facilities or new tourist facilities. Ecological effects may be the diversion of bird species from migration routes if they are disorientated by or attracted to the lights. Continuous lighting may also lead to increased algal growth. | Change in incident light via anthropogenic means. |
| Introduction of microbial pathogens | Sources include untreated or insufficiently treated effluent discharges and run-off from terrestrial sources and vessels, ballast water releases, imported seed stock for mussel or shellfisheries, accidental releases of effluvia, aquaculture escapees or release contaminated faecal matter. | The introduction or increase in levels of pathogens, disease vectors or parasites from anthropogenic activities. |
| Introduction of other substances | The systematic or intentional release of other substances liquids, gases and solids resulting in pollution. Solid debris can include shellfish shells and seaweed debris that may have detrimental effects on species and changes in habitat. | Compliance with all average annual water quality guidelines or environment reference standards. |
| Invasive species | Introduction or spread of invasive non-indigenous species. Ballast water, hull fouling, stepping stone effects (such as via offshore wind farms) may facilitate the spread of such species. This pressure could be associated with aquaculture, mussel, or shellfishery activities due to imported seed stock or from accidental releases. | A significant pathway exists for introduction of one or more invasive non-indigenous species. |
| Light siltation or smothering | Deposition of layers of sediment on a seabed with similar physical characteristics. Deposition of layers of sediment on a seabed where most species of marine biota are able to adapt, such as sessile organisms able to make their way to the surface. Associated with disposal of dredged materials, mariculture, land claim, marine mineral extraction, cable and pipeline laying and various construction activities. | < 5cm of fine material added to the seabed in a single event, or the deposition of fine material over the lifetime of the development. |
| Litter | Discarded, disposed, or abandoned manufactured or processed solid material from anthropogenic activities including plastics, metals, timber, rope, fishing gear, and microplastic particles. Ecological effects can be physical (smothering), biological (ingestion; entangling; physical damage) and/or chemical (leaching, contamination). | Introduction of man-made objects able to cause physical harm (surface, water column, sea floor and/or strandline). |
| Nutrient enrichment | Increased levels of the nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon (and iron) in the marine environment compared to background concentrations. Enrichment can occur from natural processes such as the decomposition of detritus and riverine inputs or from anthropogenic sources such as wastewater runoff, terrestrial or agricultural runoff, sewage discharges, aquaculture, and atmospheric deposition. | Compliance with all average annual water quality guidelines or environment reference standards. |
| Organic enrichment | Resulting from the degraded remains of dead biota and microbiota, faecal matter from marine animals, flocculated colloidal organic matter and the degraded remains of sewage material, domestic wastes, industrial wastes. Organic matter can enter marine waters from sewage discharges, aquaculture, or terrestrial and agricultural runoff. | A deposit of 100gC/m2/yr and Compliance with all average annual water quality guidelines or environment reference standards. |
| Penetration of seabed substrates | Abrasion and penetration of sub-surface layers where sediments are physically disturbed but there is limited or no loss of substratum. Associated activities include anchoring, taking of cores, cone penetration tests, cable burial, propeller wash, certain fishing activities, agitation dredging, and aquaculture. | Damage to species or habitats below the surface of the seabed. |
| Physical loss habitat | The permanent loss of marine habitats associated with land claim, new coastal defences that move the high-water mark seawards, the footprint infrastructure, and dredging if it alters the position of the halocline. This excludes changes from one marine habitat type to another. | Permanent loss of existing marine habitat (to land or coastal infrastructure). |
| Radionuclide contamination | Introduction of radionuclide material, raising levels above background concentrations. Such materials can come from nuclear installation discharges, and from land or sea-based operations such as oil platforms and medical sources. | An increase in 10µGy/h above background levels. |
| Removal of substratum | Temporary and/or reversible change, such as from marine mineral extraction where a remaining residual layer of seabed is similar to the pre-dredge structure; or navigation dredging where the substrate removed is replaced by non-anthropogenic mechanisms, so the sediment typology is not changed. | Extraction of sediment to 30cm. |
| Removal of non-target species | By-catch of non-target species associated with fishing, harvesting and extraction activities. Ecological consequences include decline in bycatch species population, food web dependencies and population dynamics of fish, marine mammals, turtles, and sea birds. Excludes physical impacts of fishing gear (see abrasion pressures). | Accidental or incidental removal of features through pursuit of a target fishery, or harvesting or other extractive activity (commercial, recreational, or artisanal scale), including through accidental entanglement with nets or ropes e.g. aquaculture nets, mooring lines). |
| Removal of target species | Direct removal / harvesting of biota through commercial exploitation of fish and shellfish stocks, including smaller scale harvesting, angling and scientific sampling. Ecological consequences include the sustainability and composition of stocks, and energy flows through food webs. Excludes physical impacts of fishing gear (see abrasion pressures). | Removal of target species that are features of conservation importance or sub-features of habitats of conservation importance at a commercial, artisanal, or recreational scale. |
| Salinity decrease | Events or activities decreasing local salinity such as dilution from freshwater discharges at pipelines, alteration of haloclines from dredging or erection of structures or barrages that alter freshwater and seawater exchange rates. | Decrease in salinity by 4-10 units for a year. |
| Salinity increase | Events or activities increasing local salinity such as brine discharges from salt cavern washing, coastal saltworks or alteration to haloclines. | Increase from 35 to 38 units for one year. |
| Synthetic compound contamination | Increases in the levels of these compounds compared with background concentrations. Synthesised compounds such as PCBs, DDT and TCDD occur from a variety of industrial processes and chemical applications. These include pesticide and medical use. | Compliance with all average annual water quality guidelines or environment reference standards. |
| Temperature decrease | Events or activities decreasing local water temperatures seen in a thermal plume from sources such as the discharge of cooling waters from power stations, or operation of sub-sea power cables. Excludes climate change. | A 5°C change in temperature for a one-month period, or 2°C for one year. |
| Temperature increase | Events or activities increasing local water temperatures seen in a thermal plume from sources such as discharge of cooling waters from power stations, or operation of sub-sea power cables. Excludes climate change. | |
| Transition elements and organo-metal contamination | The increase in transition elements levels compared with background concentrations, such as Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Mercury, Nickel, Lead and Zinc Organo-metallic compounds such as the butyl tins (Tri butyl tin and its derivatives) can be highly persistent and chronic exposure to low levels has adverse biological effects. | Compliance with all average annual water quality guidelines or environment reference standards. |
| Underwater noise | Increases above background noise levels (environmental and incidental anthropogenic noise). May cause temporary or permanent hearing loss, discomfort, injury, behaviour change or death in marine mammals and fish. High amplitude low and mid-frequency impulsive sounds and low frequency continuous sound are of greatest concern. | Anthropogenic sound sources that exceed levels that elicit a response from an individual, in terms of movement away, or cessation of feeding (for disturbance), for example, or exposure which leads to auditory injury. |
| Vibration | Aquatic animals are sensitive to particle motion therefore vibration alone will present a significant direct disturbance to some species. Sources include direct vibration from drilling, trawling, piling, etc. and sound waves generated from substrate vibrations entering the water column. | Anthropogenic vibration sources that exceed levels that elicit a response from an individual, in terms of movement away, or cessation of feeding (for disturbance), for example, or exposure which leads to auditory injury. |
| Visual disturbance | Disturbance of biota by anthropogenic activities, such as increased vessel movements during construction phases for new infrastructure (bridges, cranes, port buildings), increased personnel movements, tourism, or vehicular movements on shore disturbing ecologically important areas like bird roosting and seal haul outs. | The visual disturbance of biota by anthropogenic activities. |
| Water flow changes | Changes in water movement, flow direction and speed, tidal processes, and ocean currents, which may result in sediment transport and erosion changes. | Peak mean king tide flow change of greater than 0.1m/s over an area >1km2 or 50% of width of water body for > 1 year. |
| Water level changes | Localised changes in water levels or tidal cycles, that alter the time the intertidal zone is exposed or immersed by water effecting habitats. | A 1-hour change in the time covered or not covered by the sea for a period of 1 year. |
| Water clarity changes | Changes in clarity/turbidity and related effects of scour due to changes in sediment and organic particulate matter and chemical concentrations. Can result from natural run-off and riverine discharges or short-lived anthropogenic activities like dredging, disposal at sea, cable and pipeline burial and construction works. | A change in one step in mean suspended particulate (mg/l), where: clear = <10 intermediate = 1-10 medium turbidity = 100 – 300 very turbid = >300 (based on the EU the WFD Water Framework Directive scale). |
| Wave energy changes | Local changes in wavelength, height, and frequency. Changes in wave action can result from structures, vessel movement or networks of wind turbines. | Change of nearshore wave height > 3% for 1 year. |
3. Habitat descriptions
The following tables provide habitat descriptions for all Biotopes (habitat complexes) and CBiCS level 3 used in the FeAST assessment.
| Biotic code | Habitat complex | Description | Key |
|---|---|---|---|
ba1.1 | High energy littoral rock | Shores of bedrock, boulder, cobble, and artificial hard substrata, either extremely exposed or exposed to breaking swell waves. Occur in the intertidal zone and the splash zone from the top of the lichen, supralittoral zone and to the lowest astronomical tide (LAT), sublittoral fringe. Further distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by type of cover, which could include species or types of species, such as mussels and algae, or presence/absence of sediment. |  |
ba1.2 | Moderate energy littoral rock | Moderately exposed shores (bedrock, boulders, and cobbles) and other hard substrata. Includes shores that are exposed to swell surge and low swell waves but not directly exposed to breaking swell waves. Occur in the intertidal zone and the splash zone from the top of the lichen, supralittoral zone and to the LAT, sublittoral fringe. May have strong tidal stream influence. Further distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by type of cover, which could include species or types of species, such as mussels and algae, or presence/absence of sediment. |  |
ba1.3 | Low energy littoral rock | Sheltered to ultra-sheltered rocky shores with very weak to weak tidal streams. Includes bedrock, boulders, cobble, and other hard substrata. Occur in the intertidal zone and the splash zone from the top of the lichen, supralittoral zone and to the LAT, sublittoral fringe. Further distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by type of cover, which could include species or types of species, such as mussels and algae, or presence/absence of sediment. |  |
| Biotic code | Habitat complex | Description | Key |
|---|---|---|---|
ba2.1 | Littoral coarse sediment | Littoral coarse sediments include shores of mobile pebbles, cobbles, and gravel, with varying amounts of coarse sand. Sediment is highly mobile and subject to high degrees of drying between tides. As a result, few species can survive in this environment: beaches of mobile cobbles and pebbles tend to be devoid of macroinfauna, while gravelly shores may support limited numbers of crustaceans. |  |
ba2.2 | Littoral sand | Littoral sand, in the intertidal zone and the splash zone from the top of the lichen, supralittoral zone and to the LAT, sublittoral fringe. |  |
ba2.3 | Littoral mud | Littoral mud, in the intertidal zone and the splash zone from the top of the lichen, supralittoral zone and to the LAT, sublittoral fringe. |  |
ba2.5 | Saltmarsh and reedbeds | Saltmarsh and reedbeds. Further distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by type (like grassland, shrubland, saltmarsh), dominant species, location (such as estuarine or coastal) and degree of inundation (such as wet or dry). |  |
ba2.6 | Mangrove | Mangrove habitat, further distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by habitat type (such as wetland or shrubland), dominant species, location (such as estuarine or coastal) and degree of inundation (wet or dry). |  |
ba2.7 | Littoral sediment seagrass | Sward-forming aquatic herbland of sheltered marine shallows, intertidal flats and lower estuarine habitats. Dominated by Grass-wracks or Sea-grasses (Zostera muelleri ssp. muelleri and Z. muelleri ssp. capricornii and/or Zostera nigricaulis and Z. tasmanica s.l.), often monospecific and sometimes in close extends into lower estuarine proximity to Avicennia marina (White Mangrove) stands. Zostera muelleri s.l. conspicuous on intertidal mudflats. |  |
| Biotic code | Habitat complex | Description | Key |
|---|---|---|---|
ba3.1 | High energy infralittoral rock | High energy rock and other hard substrata, including gravel, cobble and boulders found below the low tide mark extending to the lower limit of dense seaweed growth. Further distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by cover type or dominant algal species. |  |
ba3.2 | Moderate energy infralittoral rock | Moderate energy rock and other hard substrata, including gravel, cobble and boulders found below the low tide mark extending to the lower limit of dense seaweed growth. Further distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by cover type or dominant algal species. |  |
ba3.3 | Low energy infralittoral rock | Low energy rock and other hard substrata, including gravel, cobble and boulders found below the low tide mark extending to the lower limit of dense seaweed growth. Distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by cover type or dominant algal species. |  |
| Biotic code | Habitat complex | Description | Key |
|---|---|---|---|
ba4.1 | High energy open-coast circalittoral rock | High energy open-coast circalittoral rock found below the algal-dominated infralittoral, dominated by animal communities typically comprised of a mosaic of species. Distinguished at Level 4 by additional cover type, like sandy, or by dominant species, and at Level 5 by location. |  |
ba4.2 | Tide-swept channels of circalittoral rock | Animal-dominated communities below the algal-dominated infralittoral, typically comprised of a mosaic of species, found within channels, and narrows areas. Subject to strong tidal flows with high to moderate current and wave energy. Distinguished at Level 4 by substrate or dominant species, and at Level 5 by location. |  |
| Biotic code | Habitat complex | Description | Key |
|---|---|---|---|
ba5.1 | Sublittoral coarse sediment | Coarse sediments in the near shore zone including coarse sand, gravel, pebbles, shingle, and cobbles which are often shingle, due to tidal currents and/or wave action. Generally found on the open coast or in tide-swept channels of marine inlets and having a low silt content. Typically lacking a significant seaweed component and characterised by a robust fauna including venerid bivalves. Distinguished at Level 4 and higher by sediment type or bedform. |  |
ba5.2 | Sublittoral sand and muddy sand | Clean medium to fine sands or non-cohesive slightly muddy sands in the near shore zone on open coasts, offshore or in estuaries and marine inlets. Often subject to a degree of wave action or tidal currents which restrict the silt and clay content to less than 15%. Characterised by a range of taxa including polychaetes, bivalve molluscs, and amphipod crustacea. Distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by variability of salinity, surface bedforms like ripples, or by epifaunal structures like burrow mounds. |  |
ba5.3 | Sublittoral mud | Sublittoral mud and cohesive sandy mud extending from the extreme lower shore to offshore, circalittoral habitats. Predominantly found in sheltered harbours, marine inlets and estuaries, and stable deeper/offshore areas. Often by dominated by polychaetes and echinoderms like brittlestars. Seapens such as Virgularia mirabilis and burrowing megafauna are common in deeper muds. Estuarine muds often characterised by infaunal polychaetes and oligochaetes. Distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by variability of salinity, surface bedforms like ripples, or by epifaunal structures like burrows. |  |
ba5.4 | Sublittoral mixed sediments | Sublittoral mixed (heterogeneous) sediments found from the extreme low water mark to deep offshore circalittoral habitats, including heterogeneous muddy gravelly sands and mosaics of cobbles and pebbles embedded in or lying upon sand, gravel, or mud. May support a wide range of infauna and epibiota including polychaetes, bivalves, echinoderms, anemones, hydroids and Bryozoa. Mixed sediments with biogenic reefs or macrophyte dominated communities are classified separately. Distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by variability of salinity, dominant sediment or species type. |  |
ba5.5 | Sublittoral rhodolith beds | Beds of rhodoliths (maerl) in coarse clean sediments of gravels and clean sands from the extreme low water mark to deep offshore circalittoral habitats. Distinguished at Levels 4 as either on the open coast or in tide-swept channels of marine inlets (the latter often stony). |  |
ba5.6 | Sublittoral biogenic reefs | Includes polychaete reefs, bivalve reefs (e.g. mussel beds) and cold water coral reefs from the extreme low water mark to deep offshore circalittoral habitats. Communities develop in a range of habitats from exposed open coasts to estuaries, marine inlets, and deeper offshore habitats and in a variety of sediment types and salinity regimes. This does not include tropical coral reefs. Distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by dominant habitat-forming species groups and species. |  |
ba5.7 | Sublittoral seaweed on sediment | Shallow sublittoral sediments which support seaweed communities, including various red and brown seaweeds, particularly fine and filamentous types. The generally sheltered nature of these habitats enables the seaweeds to grow on shells and small stones which lie on the sediment surface. Includes communities developed as loose-lying mats on the sediment surface and also termed drift algal mats. Distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by dominant species groups and species. |  |
ba5.8 | Sublittoral seagrass beds | Beds of submerged marine angiosperms such as in the genera Cymodocea, Halophila, Posidonia, Ruppia, Thalassia, Zostera. Distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by dominant habitat-forming species groups and species. |  |
ba5.b | Non-reef sediment epibenthos | Mixed sublittoral sediments with a substantial cover of epibenthic biota that are not biogenic reef forming, including scallop beds, seapen beds and low densities of Pyura and other ascidians. Distinguished at Levels 4 and higher by dominant species groups and species. |  |
4. Victorian biounits
The following tables are grouped by the bioregions and provide a list of all the biounits in Victoria with a physiographic description and the area in kilometres. The biounits are used to calculate exposure levels in FeAST.
| Biounit | Physiographic setting description | Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|
Bellarine-Mornington | Approximately linear coast, partially sheltered from prevailing weather but exposed to westerly swells diffracted up the coast and to easterly swells. | 274 |
Bunurong | Bunurong cliffed coast, Andersons Inlet and sandy beaches and coastal dunes of Venus Bay. Bunurong reefs sheltered from breaking surf but subject to very strong, long-period ground surge. | 233 |
Cape Liptrap | The Arches eroded sedimentary rock outcrops, basaltic headland of Cape Liptrap, moderately sheltered Waratah Bay. | 256 |
Schanck-Woolamai | Basaltic, volcanic sediment and granite headlands incised with beaches. Inshore reefs with southerly aspect and typically shaded in winter by coastal cliffs and bluffs. | 352 |
Surf Coast | Approximately linear coast, with small points and promontories, sheltered from prevailing weather but exposed to westerly swells diffracted up the coast and to easterly swells. Gradient of exposure from south to northern section. | 490 |
Wonthaggi | Linear coast directly exposed to surf waves with gently stepped and sloped reefs and sand patches. Heavily influenced by turbid Western Port waters from the Eastern Entrance. | 124 |
| Biounit | Physiographic setting description | Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|
Corner Inlet | Sheltered embayment with a network of dendritic channels and shallow banks. Includes littoral sediment flats, circalittoral rock and granite islands. | 349 |
Nooramunga | Sheltered embayment and channels with sandy islands and barrier islands. | 177 |
| Biounit | Physiographic setting description | Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|
Cliffy Group | Isolated group of islands. | 193 |
Wilsons Prom East | Eastern low water clarity portion of the promontory with strong influence of Corner Inlet waters. Sheltered from southwest but exposed to easterlies. | 600 |
Wilsons Prom West | Western high water clarity promontory and island complex. Combines southwest coast with very high exposure and clear waters. | 467 |
| Biounit | Physiographic setting description | Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|
Gippsland Lakes | System of sheltered embayments with connecting channels and sandy islands. | 557 |
| Biounit | Physiographic setting description | Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|
Cape Nelson | Capes, promontories, and islands with extreme to very high exposure to the prevailing weather, including strong winds and swells. Includes submerged volcanic structures and deep low profile reef systems. | 698 |
Cape Otway | Rocky cape ranging from extreme exposure on the western side to high exposure on the eastern side. Has strong tidal currents at the southern tip with high geoform complexity. | 252 |
Discovery Bay | Bight with extreme exposure to the prevailing weather, including strong winds and swells. Influenced by the Bonney Upwelling and moderate to strong tidal streams. Includes coastal lagoons. | 269 |
Glenelg | Bight section with extreme exposure to the prevailing weather, including strong winds and swells. Influenced by the Bonney Upwelling and moderate to strong tidal streams. | 134 |
Shipwreck Coast | Predominantly cliffed coast with stacks, islands, and small bays. Extreme to very high exposure to the prevailing weather with strong winds and swells. Includes deep reefs with terraces, scarps, and pinnacles as well as low complexity and veneer reef systems. | 645 |
| Biounit | Physiographic setting description | Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|
Port Phillip Bay | Sheltered embayment. Yarra River plume. Mud sediment basin. | 1665 |
Port Phillip Heads | Tide-swept sediment and rock habitats. Very deep tide-swept canyon system. Flood tide delta system of the Great Sands and adjacent coasts and associated islands. | 274 |
| Biounit | Physiographic setting description | Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|
Cape Conran | Granite point and offshore reef and island system flanked by sedimentary reef systems. North of Bass Canyon. | 347 |
Croajingalong | Linear folded sedimentary coast and sublittoral reef systems punctuated by granite outcrops. Upwelling influence. Coastal inlets. | 325 |
Gabo-Howe | Wave dominated beach and dune systems with low rocky shore at Cape Howe. Sediment beds punctuated by sedimentary, metamorphic and granite outcrops and islands. Upwelling, tidal and water mixing influences. Coastal inlets and lagoons. | 192 |
Hogan Group North | Isolated group of islands. | 77 |
Ninety Mile Beach | Linear exposed ocean beach and dune system with expansive sediment beds and emergent patch reefs. | 953 |
Point Hicks | Point Hicks cape and offshore granite emergent reefs. Upwelling region at the head of the Everard Canyon, which links to the Bass Canyon. Coastal inlets. | 159 |
| Biounit | Physiographic setting description | Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|
Western Port | Sheltered embayment with strong tidal stream influence. Dendritic channels and banks. | 650 |
5. Proximity analysis data
The following tables provides a summary of the features included in the Proximity analysis section of the FeAST report. The features have been categorised and organised by the eight themes, as adopted by the Feature Atlas on CoastKit. The tables below denotes the number of features in each of the categories and the data source indicating the date the data was published.
| Feature Category | Number of features per category | Data source |
|---|---|---|
Marine National Park | 13 | Parks Victoria (2015) Marine protected areas and reserves (incomplete). Shapefile supplied by Parks Victoria. Melbourne. |
Marine and Coastal Park | 6 | Parks Victoria (2015) Marine protected areas and reserves (incomplete). Shapefile supplied by Parks Victoria. Melbourne. |
Marine Sanctuary | 11 | Parks Victoria (2015) Marine protected areas and reserves (incomplete). Shapefile supplied by Parks Victoria. Melbourne. |
UNESCO Ramsar Site | 62 | DELWP (2013) Ramsar wetland areas in Victoria at 1:20 000 (RAMSAR25/). Victorian spatial Data Directory. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
Shipwreck protected zone | 9 | Heritage Victoria (2018) Historic shipwreck protected zones. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
ECC special management area | 21 | OSRA Victoria (2015) Oil spill response atlas of Victoria. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
Marine asset areas | 150 | Commonwealth of Australia (2015) South-east marine region profile: A description of the ecosystems, conservation values and uses of the South-east Marine Region. Department of Environment. || Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. |
| Feature Category | Number of features per category | Data source |
|---|---|---|
Significant seagrass habitat | 12 | Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. |
Significant soft sediment habitat | 10 | Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. |
Significant reef habitat | 75 | Edmunds M (2019) Digitisation of marine features in Victoria. Australian Marine Ecology. Melbourne. || Edmunds M, Flynn A (2018) Victorian marine biogeographical settings. Australian Marine Ecology Report No. 559 to Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. Melbourne. || Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. |
Significant mangrove habitat | 2 | Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. |
Significant seaweed habitat | 42 | Edmunds M, Flynn A (2018) Victorian marine biogeographical settings. Australian Marine Ecology Report No. 559 to Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. Melbourne. || Edmunds M, Tran MN, McDonald B (2001) Seaweed Specimen Collection: Identification Resource for Reef Surveys. Australian Marine Ecology Report No. 124 to Department of Natural Resource and Environment. Melbourne. || Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. || Thiess Degremont Joint Venture (2010) Victorian Desalination Project: Biology Assessment for Siting and Design. Thiess Degremont Joint Venture. Melbourne. || Wilson JB (1895) List of dredging stations at and near Port Phillip Heads. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 7, 261-263. |
Significant rhodolith bed habitat | 4 | Edmunds M (2019) Digitisation of marine features in Victoria. Australian Marine Ecology. Melbourne. || Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. |
Estuary and inlet areas | 89 | Barton J, Pope A, Quinn G, Sherwood J (2008) Identifying threats to the ecological condition of Victorian estuaries. Deakin University report to Department of Sustainability and the Environment. Melbourne || Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. |
Cliffed seascape areas | 1 | Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. |
Headland and cape areas | 4 | Harris MP, Norman FI (1981) Distribution and status of coastal colonies of seabirds in Victoria. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria 42, 89-106 |
Island areas | 35 | Harris MP, Norman FI (1981) Distribution and status of coastal colonies of seabirds in Victoria. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria 42, 89-106 |
Significant coastal vegetation habitat | 30 | OSRA Victoria (2015) Oil spill response atlas of Victoria. Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
Geological sites | 457 | Edmunds M, Flynn A (2018) Victorian marine biogeographical settings. Australian Marine Ecology Report No. 559 to Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. Melbourne. || Flynn, A. (2018) Maps of special biotopes in the Rhyll segment of Western Port. Fathom Pacific. Frankston. || Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. || OSRA Victoria (2015) Oil spill response atlas of Victoria. Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
Species distributions and sightings | 1 | Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. |
Important bird areas | 1053 | A Survey of Colonially-breading Birds on Mud Islands, Port Phillip, Victoria with Annotated List of All Terrestrial Vertebrates || Hansen B, Menkhorst P, Loyn R (2011) Western Port welcomes waterbirds: Waterbird usage of Western Port. Department of Sustainability and Environment. Melbourne. || Harris MP, Norman FI (1981) Distribution and status of coastal colonies of seabirds in Victoria. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria 42, 89-106 || Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. || OSRA Victoria (2015) Oil spill response atlas of Victoria. Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
Invertebrate records and areas | 549 | ABRS (2019) Australian Faunal Directory. Canberra. Retrieved from https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/home || Edmunds M (2012) Surveys for Hooded Shrimp Athanopsis australis at Point Wilson, June 2012. Australian Marine Ecology Report No. 498 to AECOM. Melbourne. || Edmunds M (2019) Digitisation of marine features in Victoria. Australian Marine Ecology. Melbourne. || Edmunds M, Flynn A (2018) Victorian marine biogeographical settings. Australian Marine Ecology Report No. 559 to Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. Melbourne. || Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. || O'Hara TD, Barmby V (2000) Victorian Marine Species of Conservation Concern: Molluscs, Echinoderms and Decapod Crustaceans. Parks, Flora and Fauna Division, Department of Natural Resources and Environment. East Melbourne. || SpongeMaps (2019) Sponge Maps. Brisbane. Retrieved from https://www.spongemaps.org/ |
Bat colony sites | 18 | OSRA Victoria (2015) Oil spill response atlas of Victoria. Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
Marine mammal areas | 35 | Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. || OSRA Victoria (2015) Oil spill response atlas of Victoria. Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
Shark areas | 3 | Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. |
Fish records and areas | 2 | Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. |
FFG Act listed species and communities | 37 | O'Hara TD, Barmby V (2000) Victorian Marine Species of Conservation Concern: Molluscs, Echinoderms and Decapod Crustaceans. Parks, Flora and Fauna Division, Department of Natural Resources and Environment. East Melbourne. |
EPBC Act listed species and communities | 3 | Edmunds M (2012) Surveys for Hooded Shrimp Athanopsis australis at Point Wilson, June 2012. Australian Marine Ecology Report No. 498 to AECOM. Melbourne. |
Western Port Bryozoan Reef Community (FFG listed) | 25 | Flynn, A. (2018) Maps of special biotopes in the Rhyll segment of Western Port. Fathom Pacific. Frankston. |
Entrance Deep Canyon marine community (FFG listed) | 20 | Department of Sustainability and Environment (2013) Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 - Threatened List: Characteristics of Threatened Communities. Department of Sustainability and Environment. East Melbourne. || Kent J, Jenkins G (2012) Ecological descriptions of the significant marine environmental assets of Victoria: Interim report. Fisheries Victoria Technical Report Series 177. Department of Primary Industries. Queenscliff. |
San Remo marine community (FFG listed) | 3 | Department of Sustainability and Environment (2013) Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 - Threatened List: Characteristics of Threatened Communities. Department of Sustainability and Environment. East Melbourne. |
| Feature Category | Number of features per category | Data source |
|---|---|---|
Historic sites | 47 | OSRA Victoria (2015) Oil spill response atlas of Victoria. Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
Shipwreck sites | 766 | Commonwealth of Australia (2019) Australian National Shipwreck Database. Department of the Environment and Energy. Parkes, Canberra. Retrieved from https://dmzapp17p.ris.environment.gov.au/shipwreck/public/wreck/search.do || Edmunds M, Flynn A (2018) Victorian marine biogeographical settings. Australian Marine Ecology Report No. 559 to Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. Melbourne. |
Monitoring sites | 138 | Edmunds M (2017) Victorian Subtidal Reef Monitoring Program: The Reef Biota at Merri Marine Sanctuary, June 2015. Parks Victoria Technical Series 107. Parks Victoria. Melbourne. || Edmunds M, Woods B, Donnelly D (2015) Victorian Intertidal Reef Monitoring Program: Central Victoria Marine Protected Areas, July 2014. Parks Victoria Technical Series. Parks Victoria. Melbourne. |
Research areas | 18 | Commonwealth of Australia (2019) Australia's National Heritage List. Department of the Environment and Energy. Retrieved from http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national-heritage-list || Wilson JB (1895) List of dredging stations at and near Port Phillip Heads. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 7, 261-263. |
| Feature category | Numbers of features per category | Data source |
|---|---|---|
Naval areas | 2 | Heritage Victoria (2018) Historic shipwreck protected zones. Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
| Feature category | Numbers of features per category | Data source |
|---|---|---|
Oil and gas platforms and facilities | 114 | OSRA Victoria (2015) Oil spill response atlas of Victoria. Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
Oil and gas pipelines | 927 | OSRA Victoria (2015) Oil spill response atlas of Victoria. Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
Oil and gas pipe rupture site | 1 | Hydrographic Service RAN (2018) Marine navigation charts for Victoria (various). Hydrographic Service RAN. |
Saltworks area | 5 | OSRA Victoria (2015) Oil spill response atlas of Victoria. Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
Sand borrow area | 13 | Edmunds M (2019) Digitisation of marine features in Victoria. Australian Marine Ecology. Melbourne. |
Heat abstraction areas | 1 | Heritage Victoria (2018) Historic shipwreck protected zones. Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
| Feature category | Numbers of features per category | Data source |
|---|---|---|
Aquaculture licensed areas | 31 | OSRA Victoria (2015) Oil spill response atlas of Victoria. Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. East Melbourne. |
Dive harvesting areas | 444 | Edmunds M (2019) Digitisation of marine features in Victoria. Australian Marine Ecology. Melbourne. || Fisheries Victoria (2014) Commercial Scallop Dive Fishery (Port Phillip) Survey Results for 2014. Fisheries Victoria. Queenscliff. || McShane PE, Beinssen KHH, Foley S (1986) Abalone reefs in Victoria - a resource atlas. Marine Science Laboratories Technical Report No. 47. Victoria, Australia. |
Artificial reef fishing sites | 29 | OSRA Victoria (2015) Oil spill response atlas of Victoria. Department of Environment Land Water and Planning. East Melbourne. || Victorian Fisheries Authority (2019) Web page: vfa.vic.gov.au. Victorian Fisheries Authority. Melbourne. |
| Feature category | Numbers of features per category | Data source |
|---|---|---|
Vessel shipping lanes | 6 | Hydrographic Service RAN (2018) Marine navigation charts for Victoria (various). Hydrographic Service RAN. |
Vessel anchorage areas | 28 | Hydrographic Service RAN (2018) Marine navigation charts for Victoria (various). Hydrographic Service RAN. |
Past shipping incidents | 24 | Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (2017) Grounding of Bow Singapore, Port Phillip, Victoria, 19 August 2016. Australian Transport and Safety Bureau. Canberra. || Australian Transport Safety Bureau (2010) Independent investigation into the rupture of a submarine gas pipeline by the Hong Kong registered container ship APL Sydney in Port Phillip, Victoria, 13 December 2008. Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Canberra. || Australian Transport Safety Bureau (2018) Collision between the container ship Glasgow Express and the fishing vessel Mako, 15 NM south of Cape Woolamai, Victoria, 12 August 2017. Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Canberra. |
Navigational dredging areas | 16 | Edmunds M (2019) Digitisation of marine features in Victoria. Australian Marine Ecology. Melbourne. || Hydrographic Service RAN (2018) Marine navigation charts for Victoria (various). Hydrographic Service RAN. || Wilson JB (1895) List of dredging stations at and near Port Phillip Heads. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 7, 261-263. |
Dredge material grounds | 11 | Hydrographic Service RAN (2018) Marine navigation charts for Victoria (various). Hydrographic Service RAN. |
| Feature category | Numbers of features per category | Data source |
|---|---|---|
Boating and sailing areas | 4 | Edmunds M (2019) Digitisation of marine features in Victoria. Australian Marine Ecology. Melbourne. |
Dive sites | 383 | O'Toole M, Turner M (1990) Down Under at the Prom. Field Naturalists Club of Victoria and Department of Conservation and Environment. Melbourne. || Parks Victoria (2009) Ex-HMAS Canberra Dive Site. Parks Victoria. Melbourne. || Scuba Doctor (2019) Melbourne Dive Site GPS Marks. Retrieved from https://www.scubadoctor.com.au/melbourne-dive-site-gps-marks.htm. |
7. References
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Connor, D., Curd, A., Guerin, L., Naberhaus, I., Enserink, L., Heslenfeld, P., Aish, A., Hawkridge, J. and Miles, H., 2011. OSPAR MSFD Draft Advice Manual on Biodiversity. Approaches to determining good environmental status, setting of environmental targets and selecting indicators for Marine Strategy Framework Directive descriptors 1, 2, 4 and 6. Available from https://www.ospar.org/documents?d=7287
Edmunds, M. & Flynn, A. (2018). Victorian Marine Biogeographical Settings. Report to Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Australian Marine Ecology Report No. 559, Melbourne.
Edmunds, M., Flynn, A., Ferns, L. (2021). Combined Biotope Classification Scheme (CBICS). Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Available from https://www.marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/537170/CBiCS-Booklet-July-2021.pdf
Ferns, L., (2021). Victoria’s Marine and Coastal Knowledge Framework & Strategic Directions 2020-22. Available from: https://www.marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/marine-and-coastal-knowledge/marine-and-coastal-knowledge-framework
Griffiths, C.A., Langmead, O.A., Readman, J.A.J., Tillin, H.M. 2017 Anchoring and Mooring Impacts in English and Welsh Marine Protected Areas: Reviewing sensitivity, activity, risk and management. A report to Defra Impacts Evidence Group.
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Holling, C.S., 1973. Resilience and stability of ecological systems. Annual review of ecology and systematics, pp.1-23.
Howson, C. M., Steel. L., Carruthers, M. & Gillham, K. (2012). Identification of Priority Marine Features in Scottish territorial waters. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 388’
Maxim, L., Spangenberg, J., Connor, M. (2009). An analysis of risks for biodiversity under the DPSIR framework. Ecological Economics, Volume 69, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 12-23, ISSN 0921-8009, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2009.03.017.
Mazor, T., Watermeyer, K., Hobley, T., Grinter, V., Holden, R., MacDonald, K. and Ferns, L. (2022). Statewide Marine Habitat Map. Habitat Complex Modelling Method (CBiCS Level 3). The State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning 2022.
Robson, L.M., Fincham, J., Peckett, F.J., Frost, N., Jackson, C., Carter, A.J. & Matear, L. 2018. UK Marine Pressures-Activities Database “PAD”: Methods Report, JNCC Report No. 624, JNCC, Peterborough
Rogerson, K., Sinclair, R., Tyler, G., St John Glew, K., Seeney, A, Coppack, T. and Jervis, L. 2021. Development of Marine Bird Sensitivity Assessments for FeAST. NatureScot Research Report 1273.
Sinclair, R., Lacey, C., Tyler-Walters, H., Sparling, C. & Tillin, H.M. 2020. Developing FeAST for mobile marine species. Scottish Natural Heritage Research Report No. 1175 [available from SNH Research Report 1175: Developing FeAST for mobile marine species (NatureScot)
Tillin, H.M., Hull, S.C. and Tyler-Walters, H., 2010. Development of a sensitivity matrix (pressures-MCZ/MPA features).
Tillin, H. and Tyler-Walters, H., 2014. Assessing the sensitivity of subtidal sedimentary habitats to pressures associated with marine activities. Joint Nature Conservation Committee.
Tyler-Walters, H., Tillin, H.M., d’Avack, E.A.S., Perry, F., Stamp, T., 2018. Marine Evidence-based Sensitivity Assessment (MarESA) – A Guide. Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN). Marine Biological Association of the UK, Plymouth, pp. 91. Available from https://www.marlin.ac.uk/publications
Tyler-Walters, H., Williams, E., Mardle, M.J. & Lloyd, K.A., 2022. Sensitivity Assessment of Contaminant Pressures - Approach Development, Application, and Evidence Reviews. MarLIN (Marine Life Information Network), Marine Biological Association of the UK, Plymouth, pp. 192. Available from: https://marlin.ac.uk/assets/pdf/ContaminantsPressureSensitvity-Report-Jun2022-Final.pdf
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