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Marine Biogeography and Patterns of Marine Biodiversity along the South Australian Coast - Developing a Technical Framework for a Representative System of Marine Protected Areas

¹Karen Edyvane and ²Janine Baker

¹Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, HENLEY BEACH, AUSTRALIA
²Coast and Marine Branch, Department of Environment and Heritage, South Australia

Theme: TH2

In South Australia, much progress has been made in recent years in examining and mapping patterns of coastal marine habitat biodiversity. These studies have largely been undertaken to provide essential baseline information for marine biodiversity and conservation management (such as the development of a representative system of Marine Protected Areas), but also, to define natural ecological units and boundaries for a bioregional planning framework to assist with multiple-use, ecosystem management. From 1992-1997, broad-scale mapping studies (using remote sensing imagery and aerial photography) and systematic biodiversity surveys of the marine habitats of South Australia were undertaken. These studies assisted in defining spatially-scaled `bioregions' (at the mesoscale) and `bio-units' (at the microscale) and also, in identifying areas of high conservation value. A total of eight bioregions have been identified for South Australia (i.e. Eucla, Murat, Eyre, Spencer Gulf, Northern Spencer Gulf, Gulf St Vincent, Coorong, Otway) and 29 coastal bio-units and four offshore gulf biounits. These studies have also given insights into key ecological processes responsible for ecosystem patterns, from broad-scale physical processes, such as oceanographic features, to local scale, such as variations in wave exposure. The results of the mesoscale bioregionalisation studies have been incorporated into a co-ordinated State and Commonwealth effort to develop an `Interim Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia' to assist in the development of a national, representative system of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPAs). This research has also assisted in the development in 1999 of a technical framework and guidelines for planning and establishing a representative system of MPAs in South Australia. This framework outlines (i) a potential policy framework and guidelines for establishing a comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR) system of MPAs in South Australia, (ii) a bioregional planning framework to assess representativeness of the MPA system, (iii) a comprehensive inventory of marine and estuarine conservation values and uses to assist with the identification of candidate MPAs, (iv) a preliminary prioritisation framework at the bio-unit scale, based on a conservation and threat assessment, to assist with defining conservation priorities, and (v) a list of 96 recommended candidate sites for MPAs in South Australia, identified on the basis of International Union for Conservatin of Nature (IUCN) criteria. Following the release of this list, further studies have been undertaken by the State Government to identify locations of high biodiversity conservation value. The scientific information derived from these studies will be provided to local consultative committees to support the planning stages in the establishment of the representative system.