White sharks are listed as vulnerable under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and actions to assist their recovery and long-term viability are prescribed in a national recovery plan for the species. A priority action is to develop an effective means of estimating the size of white shark populations and monitor their status (population trend). This would provide a scientific basis for assessing recovery actions, and for local policies governing human-shark interactions: an issue of significant public concern. NESP Project A3 provides a national assessment of the southern-western adult white shark population abundance and an update of the total eastern Australasian white shark population abundance and status in order to establish the efficacy of existing recovery actions and provide a scientifically sound and rational basis from which to inform policies that aim to balance conservation objectives and public safety. This record describes white shark distribution and movement through the use of acoustic and electronic tags fitted to approx. 70 animals. Tag detection data are continually uploaded to the IMOS Animal Tracking Facility (ATF) database. This data collection has been granted Protected Species Status and access to the data is currently restricted. Refer to the Point of Contact listed in this record for further information regarding access to data.

This record provides an overview of the scope and research output of NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Project A3 - "A national assessment of population status of White Sharks". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. White sharks are listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act and the subject of a national recovery plan, yet there is still no effective way to assess their population status and thus no way of determining the efficacy of conservation actions. Recent debate due to various human-shark interactions has highlighted the need for further information. This Project provides a national assessment of white shark population size and status in order to establish the efficacy of existing recovery actions and provide a scientifically sound and rational basis from which to develop policies that balance conservation objectives and public safety. Planed Outputs • Tools to refine and integrate CK-MR, electronic tagging distribution and species demographic data for population assessments of a key threatened species at a national scale (combining knowledge developed under this project combined with similar techniques being applied under NESP to euryhaline sharks and planned for grey nurse sharks). • National estimates of (census) population size and trend for white sharks in Australian waters (western and eastern populations respectively) are established that fulfil the highest priority actions of the National Recovery Plan. • New genetic and statistical tools trialled for the estimation of historical population trend from contemporary tissue samples for key species for which other methods of population assessment are unreliable or unavailable. • Provide information that identifies movement corridors, hotspots and contributes to management strategies for top-order marine predators • Estimate juvenile white shark survival and abundance for input into integrated national population assessment models in order to refine population estimates. • National-level information on habitat use, behaviour and spatial dynamics of white sharks at various scales used to provide the scientific underpinning for government decisions and policies as well as provide for more informed public debate. • Identify national strategies to monitor white shark populations. • The project will provide peer-reviewed additions to the scientific literature that will add to the science-support for the development and implementation of policies to support the ecologically sustainable management of Australia’s marine environment.

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub project "Updating knowledge of Australian white sharks". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. The white shark is listed as vulnerable and migratory under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The national White Shark Recovery Plan 2013 sets out research and management actions necessary to support the recovery of the white shark in Australian waters. Previous research funded by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) provided updated estimates of white shark breeding population size and trend. However, the results were based on modest data sets and were limited by some critical knowledge gaps in relation to pupping and juvenile nursery areas, and uncertainty about how populations are connected between eastern and south-western Australia. Recent unpublished work has raised the prospect of a single Australian population. The White Shark Recovery Plan 2013 has identified a critical need for a quantitative assessment of population trends and evidence of any recovery of the white shark in Australian waters. This project will provide an update and reduce uncertainty regarding the status, trends, and population structure of white sharks in Australian waters. Specifically, it will focus efforts to identify critical habitats and biologically important areas for white sharks and improve the understanding of population status through advancing close-kin mark recapture research. Three project sub-components will involve: • Investigating the feasibility of filling knowledge gaps about juvenile and pupping areas and adult movements; • Investigating population structure to resolve mixing/connectivity questions; and • Updating population estimates based on significant new data. The project approach will comprise of: (1) A pilot study to assess the effectiveness of tagging adult females (>4.5 metres) and juveniles (>2 m) throughout the southern-western white shark range. Genetic samples will be gathered from around Australia and sought from South Africa and New Zealand to conduct a comprehensive update of white shark stock structure. (2) Using an expanded tissue sample set from New South Wales (~1000 samples) to update and refine estimates of adult population size and population trend for the eastern white shark population. Juvenile numbers will be estimated using data from the New South Wales shark management program. Additional samples from South Australia and Western Australia will be combined with previous samples in the southern-western population to refine estimates of population size. (3) Population estimates undertaken using close-kin mark-recapture, a technique that combines advanced genetics and statistical modelling to infer population demographics by identifying close-kin-pairs (parent-offspring or half-siblings) among a collection of sampled animals. Outputs • New genetic samples and sequencing data for white sharks [dataset] • Tracking data derived from 12 PAT tags [dataset] • Final technical report (including recommendations for systematic future research to assist in identifying additional critical habitat for the south-western white shark population) [written]

The Marine chapter of the 2016 State of the Environment (SoE) report incorporates multiple expert templates developed from streams of marine data. This metadata record describes the Case Study "White shark (Carcharodon carcharias) status in Australasian waters". The full Case Study, including figures and tables (where provided), is attached to this record. Where available, the Data Stream(s) used to generate this Case Study are accessible through the "On-line Resources" section of this record. DESCRIPTION OF THE FOCUS OF THE CASE STUDY The white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is a large, globally distributed, apex predator and one of the few shark species responsible for fatalities to humans. They are a target species for ecotourism, with the South Australian industry valued at over $6M annually. In Australian waters, it occurs from northwest Western Australia around the south coast to central Queensland as two populations separated east and west by Bass Strait. Biologically important areas for white sharks occur in all Marine Regions with the exception of the North Marine Region A geographically discrete nursery area spanning 65 km of coast is centred around Port Stephens in central New South Wales and a second more geographically extensive nursery area is present off 90 Mile Beach in southeast Victoria. Movements are extensive across the range of each population, primarily focussed over continental shelf and slope waters with occasional open ocean excursions. ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE The key factor for monitoring status is a lack of information on current population size and trend. Although impact has no doubt been reduced, white sharks are still taken as bycatch in commercial shark fisheries, shark control programs and targeted in response to shark attack/potential hazards. Impacts of shark cage diving operations on white shark physiology is unknown and subject to current research. DATA STREAM(S) USED IN CASE STUDY Relevant peer review publications and reports, aerial survey and tagging data.

This record provides an overview of the scope and research output of NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Project A4 - "The status of human-shark interactions and initiatives to mitigate risk in Australia". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. Considerable political, public and media attention has recently been focussed on human-shark interactions, specifically surrounding shark attack and ways to mitigate this risk. Finding the most appropriate policy balance between conservation of sharks, maximising public safety and understanding the broader social and economic ramifications/drivers for doing so is a continuing challenge for Government. This project will review the status of human-shark interactions in Australia, provide a synthesis of current initiatives to reduce risk, review recent international efforts to address these issues and identify knowledge gaps to provide an informed base for determining the most appropriate future research and policy support. The project will develop a background document that: • Provides a synthesis of the current state of knowledge of shark-human interactions in Australia, focussing specifically on species such as white sharks, bull sharks and tiger sharks • Identifies what initiatives are currently underway nationally to address human-shark interactions including the status of current research as well as current management and policy initiatives. • Identifies technological developments within Australia and internationally in this space • Identifies lessons and experiences from these initiatives • Identifies issues and knowledge gaps • Provides guidance to the Department regarding further investment that is cognisant of State Government initiatives and requirements and ensure a coordinated national knowledge base for addressing these issues

This record provides an overview of the scope and research output of NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Project A1 - "Northern Australian hotspots for the recovery of threatened euryhaline species". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. Euryhaline elasmobranchs represent over half of the EPBC-listed threatened sharks and rays, with northern Australia of national importance for this threatened species community. Critical information gaps remain, limiting the implementation of Recovery Plan objectives. This project will fill many data gaps through the application of acoustic telemetry, traditional and advanced molecular research (population genetics and close-kin mark-recapture), life history studies and Indigenous knowledge and education. End-users, primarily the Department of the Environment, state and territory fisheries and wildlife agencies, and Indigenous organisations, will be provided with information necessary to improve management and facilitate recovery of these threatened species, focusing on three themes: (1) Monitoring and understanding euryhaline species; (2) Indigenous partnerships for management of euryhaline species, and; (3) Knowledge for the reassessment of river shark status. Planned Outputs • Updated assessment of river shark status • Manuscripts on ecology and status relevant to the management of threatened euryhaline species • Manuscripts on optimal design of acoustic receiver arrays and statistical methods for estimating mortality • Threatened marine species education package for Indigenous communities • Media releases around key field and engagement activities • Data and information outputs of this project will include distribution, extent of occurrence and area of occupancy estimates for key marine species, Indigenous knowledge on key species distribution and occurrence, mortality and survivorship data on key species, the first data on river shark age determination (an essential component of understanding demography), molecular data on population structure and population connectivity of key species, and lower population size estimate for Glyphis garricki. Data will be housed on appropriate explorable databases and made fully available to DOE • Refining the identification of biologically important areas (BIAs) within the NT and WA for threatened euryhaline elasmobranchs (using published BIA protocols)

This record provides an overview of the scope and research output of NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Project A9 - "Grey Nurse Shark CK-MR Population Estimate – East Coast". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. A review of the 2002 National Recovery Plan for Grey Nurse Shark (DEWHA 2009) concluded it was not possible to determine if the east coast population had shown any signs of recovery (DoE 2014); recommending a new recovery plan be developed for this species. A primary objective of the new recovery plan (DoE 2014) is to improve knowledge of GNS population status. This will require a robust estimate of population size and trend – something that has not been provided to date. This project will use genetic SNP data to inform close kin-mark recapture analysis to estimate population size and trend, and provide guidance on future monitoring strategies for the east coast population of grey nurse shark. Planned Outputs • Tools to refine and integrate CK-MR and species demographic data for population assessments of a key threatened species at a national scale (combining knowledge developed under this project combined with similar techniques being applied under NESP to euryhaline sharks and white sharks). • A national estimate of (census) population size and trend for the eastern Australian population of grey nurse shark will be developed to fulfil the highest priority actions of the National Recovery Plan. • Identify national strategies to guide future monitoring of grey nurse shark populations. • The project will provide peer-reviewed additions to the scientific literature that will add to the science-support for the development and implementation of policies to support the ecologically sustainable management of Australia’s marine environment.

This record provides an overview of the scope and research output of NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Project A11 - "Shark action plan". No datasets were generated by this project. Conservation of elasmobranch species (sharks and rays) is an increasing priority globally, including Australia, as evidence of overexploitation of some species becomes apparent. Common issues and threats among elasmobranch species may improve management if considered holistically. This project will produce a Shark Action Plan assessing requirements for improved management including a summary of current status across the taxa, guidelines for reducing impacts and improving management, and identification of key knowledge gaps impeding conservation and management. This Plan will help guide policy for Australian elasmobranchs developed by DoEE and fishery managers. On-ground conservation will be developed from recommendations in this plan. Outputs • Shark Action Plan relevant to management of Australian elasmobranchs including an assessment of current threats, prioritised conservation and management actions for at-risk species and guidance on future management and data needs [written] • Manuscripts for scientific journals outlining the results of project components (eg, Conservation Dependent species framework) [written]

This record provides an overview of the scope and research output of NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Project A11 - "Shark action plan". No datasets were generated by this project. Conservation of elasmobranch species (sharks and rays) is an increasing priority globally, including Australia, as evidence of overexploitation of some species becomes apparent. Common issues and threats among elasmobranch species may improve management if considered holistically. This project will produce a Shark Action Plan assessing requirements for improved management including a summary of current status across the taxa, guidelines for reducing impacts and improving management, and identification of key knowledge gaps impeding conservation and management. This Plan will help guide policy for Australian elasmobranchs developed by DoEE and fishery managers. On-ground conservation will be developed from recommendations in this plan. Outputs • Shark Action Plan relevant to management of Australian elasmobranchs including an assessment of current threats, prioritised conservation and management actions for at-risk species and guidance on future management and data needs [written] • Manuscripts for scientific journals outlining the results of project components (eg, Conservation Dependent species framework) [written]