This layer identifies bird habitats in the Victorian coastal region. The layer is a polygon coverage with the polygon areas representing the main area of the respective bird habitats. Sites were identified from a broad range of published and unpublished sources of information and from personal communications made by experts in the field. In 2015 some additional locations were added with data from Birdlife Australia Shorebird 2020 Data. This dataset was formerly know as SHOREBIRD HABITAT but was renamed as it contains sites for seabirds and other birds.

This layer identifies shorebird coastal roosting sites in the Victorian coastal region and was produced for the Victorian component of the Oil Spill Response Atlas. Sites were identified from a range of published and unpublished sources of information, and from personal communications made by experts in the field.

This polygon layer identifies shoreline types and habitats in the coastal and shallow subtidal region. The polygon extents are defined by a buffer of the coastline. The layer is based on a map created by Natural Resource Systems for the Land Conservation Council as part of its Marine and Coastal Special Investigation. Shoreline classifications and boundaries in the LCC map were further refined through a comparison with other data sources for the coast. Shoreline categories were defined on the basis of the information requirements of oil spill contingency planning and response personnel.

This dataset maps the geomorphic habitat environments (facies) for 54 Victorian coastal waterways. The classification system contains 11 easily identifiable and representative environments: Barrier/back-barrier, Central Basin, Channel, Coral, Flood- and Ebb-tide Delta, Fluvial (bay-head) Delta, Intertidal Flats, Mangrove, Rocky Reef, Saltmarsh/Saltflat, Tidal Sand Banks (and Unassigned). These types represent habitats found across all coastal systems in Australia. Most of the 54 coastal waterways have a "Modified" environmental condition (as opposed to "Near Pristine"), according to the National Land and Water Resources Audit definition.

Key Biodiversity Areas dataset shows Victorian places of global significance for the conservation of birds and other wildlife which must meet strict, international scientific criteria. This dataset has been updated as of March 2022 to ensure all boundaries are clean of overlaps and slivers and all Key Biodiversity Areas are displayed as single features rather than multi-part polygons. There are 334 KBAs in this dataset. Visit https://www.birdlife.org.au/projects/KBA for more info.

This polygon layer represents seagrass habitat at the Swan Bay region in April 2010 mapped from aerial photography. The mapping was undertaken for the Baywide Seagrass Monitoring Program (CDP_ENV_MD_022 Rev5 - Port of Melbourne Corporation, 2010). The program is being undertaken for the Port of Melbourne Corporation as part of Baywide Monitoring to support the Channel Deepening Project.

This polygon layer represents seagrass habitat at nine regions in Port Phillip Bay in April 2009 mapped from aerial photography. The mapping was undertaken for the Baywide Seagrass Monitoring Program (CDP_ENV_MD_022 Rev5 - Port of Melbourne Corporation, 2010). The program is being undertaken for the Port of Melbourne Corporation as part of Baywide Monitoring to support the Channel Deepening Project.

Atlantic coast piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nest sites are typically found on low-lying beach and dune systems, which respond rapidly to coastal processes like sediment overwash, inlet formation, and island migration that are sensitive to climate-related changes in storminess and the rate of sea-level rise. Data were obtained to understand piping plover habitat distribution and use along their Atlantic Coast breeding range. A smartphone application called iPlover was developed to collect standardized data on habitat characteristics at piping plover nest locations. The application capitalized on a network of trained monitors that observe piping plovers throughout their U.S. Atlantic coast breeding range as part of the species’ recovery plan. Monitors used iPlover to document nest locations as well as randomly distributed points at beaches and barrier islands over ~1500 km of coast between Maine and North Carolina, USA. This work is one component of a larger research and management program that seeks to understand and sustain ecological value, ecosystem services, and habitat suitability of beaches in the face of storm impacts, climate change, and sea-level rise. Tabular digital data generated by field data collection with iPlover with accompanying site photographs in JPEG format are presented in this data release.

This layer contains marine and coastal features across Victoria. This data consists of conservation and protection zones, cultural and heritage areas, energy and resource extraction sites, defence and national security areas, locations of ports and shipping channels, fishing and aquaculture areas, and areas of natural environment and biodiversity importance.