The Tasmanian Estuaries (South East) Marine Habitats 1:25,000 layer depicts marine habitats of nine estuaries (Bryans lagoon, Catamaran River, Cloudy Bay Lagoon, D'Entrecasteaux River, Great Swanport, Little Swanport, Pipeclay Lagoon, Pitt Water and Southport Lagoon) in the south east of Tasmania. The habitat types depicted in the dataset include rocky reef, sand, hard sand and seagrass. The data was collected from November 2004 to September 2005 by marine researchers at the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute. The shallow waters of the estuaries enabled the use of aerial photography, including purpose flown aerial surveys, and satellite imagery as the primary data source. The habitats defined in the imagery were ground truthed in the field with underwater camera equipment, echo sounder data, and a Differential GPS unit. The dataset is intended for the use of fulfilling the coastal management objectives according to The Living Marine Resources Act 1995 and to support Natural Resource management priorities in the Southern NRM region of Tasmania.

The Tasmanian Estuaries (North West) Marine Habitats 1:25,000 layer depicts marine habitats of four estuaries (Montagu River, Duck Bay, Black River and Detention River). The habitat types depicted in the dataset include rocky reef, sand, hard sand and seagrass. The data was collected in April 2005 by marine researchers at the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute. The shallow waters of the estuaries enabled the use of aerial photography imagery as the primary data source. The habitats defined in the imagery required thorough checking in the field via underwater camera equipment, echo sounder data, and a Differential GPS unit to enable field checking of the image interpretation. The dataset is intended to be used to fulfil coastal management objectives according to The Living Marine Resources Act 1995 and to support Natural Resource management priorities in the Cradle Coast NRM region of Tasmania.

The Tasmanian Estuaries (South East) Marine Habitats 1:25,000 layer depicts marine habitats of nine estuaries (Bryans lagoon, Catamaran River, Cloudy Bay Lagoon, D'Entrecasteaux River, Great Swanport, Little Swanport, Pipeclay Lagoon, Pitt Water and Southport Lagoon) in the south east of Tasmania. The habitat types depicted in the dataset include rocky reef, sand, hard sand and seagrass. The data was collected from November 2004 to September 2005 by marine researchers at the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute. The shallow waters of the estuaries enabled the use of aerial photography, including purpose flown aerial surveys, and satellite imagery as the primary data source. The habitats defined in the imagery were ground truthed in the field with underwater camera equipment, echo sounder data, and a Differential GPS unit. The dataset is intended for the use of fulfilling the coastal management objectives according to The Living Marine Resources Act 1995 and to support Natural Resource management priorities in the Southern NRM region of Tasmania.

The southeastern Tasmania marine habitat project 1:25000 depicts marine habitats from Marion Bay [147 57, -42 44] to Second Lookout Point [146 52, -43 40] from the coastline to the 40metre depth contour. The habitat types depicted in the dataset include High profile reef, Medium profile reef, Low profile Reef, Patchy Reef, Sand, Hard Sand, Silty Sand, Silt, Seagrass, Patchy Seagrass, Sparse Seagrass and Caulerpa. The data was collected through intensive field sampling from June to December 2000 by marine researchers at the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute. The use of underwater camera equipment, echo sounder data and a Differential GPS unit allowed for the extensive area to be surveyed. The dataset is intended to be used to fulfil coastal management objectives according to The Living Marine Resources Act 1995.

The Macquarie Harbour marine habitat project 1:25000 depicts marine habitats from Hells Gate [145d13m, -42d 13m] to the mouth of the Gordon River [145d31m, -42d26m]. The habitat types depicted in the dataset include Reef, Cobble, Silt and Sand. The data was collected through intensive field sampling from January to June 2008 by marine researchers at the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute. The use of underwater camera equipment, echo sounder data and a Differential GPS unit allowed for the extensive area to be surveyed. The dataset is intended to be used to fulfil coastal management objectives according to The Living Marine Resources Act 1995.

The North Eastern Tasmania marine habitat layer1: 25,000 depicts marine habitats from Swan Island [148° 20', -40° 40'] to St Helens Point [148° 20', -41° 20']. The habitat types depicted in the dataset include rocky reef, sand, hard sand and seagrass. The data was collected from November 2003 to October 2004 by marine researchers at the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute. The use of underwater camera equipment, echo sounder data, side scan sonar and a Differential GPS unit allowed for the extensive area to be surveyed. The dataset is intended to be used to fulfil coastal management objectives according to The Living Marine Resources Act 1995.

The north western Tasmania marine habitat project 1:25000 depicts marine habitats from Robbins Island [144deg 53min, -40deg 44min] to West Head [146deg 43min, -41deg 44min] from the coastline to 1500m from the coastline. The habitat types depicted in the dataset include Reef, Sand, Seagrass, and Cobble. The data was collected through intensive field sampling from February to September 2006 by marine researchers at the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute. The use of underwater camera equipment, echo sounder data and a Differential GPS unit allowed for the extensive area to be surveyed. The dataset is intended to be used to fulfil coastal management objectives according to The Living Marine Resources Act 1995.

The data is quantitative abundance of fish and megafaunal invertebrates and algal % cover derived from transect based counts at a wide range of locations across Temperate Australia. The methods are described in detail in Edgar and Barrett (1997). Primarily the data are derived from transects at 5 m depth and/or 10 m depth at each site surveyed. Methods were initially developed for research on temporal changes following protection in Tasmanian MPAs (Maria Is, Tinderbox, Ninepin Point, Governor Island). Further research has collected data in Tasmania, in MPA planning surveys (e.g. St Helens, Waterhouse Region, Low Head, Lillico Beach, Rocky Cape), an oil spill assessment (Low Head), and in studies and surveys in new Tasmania MPAs (Port Davey and the Kent Group). The data represented by this record was collected in MPA planning surveys and for opportunistic surveys such as the Low Head oil spill assessment. In many cases the dataset involved temporal replication (year scale).

Eight scientific staff of the Western Australian and Northern Territory Museums completed a survey of 37 marine, five freshwater and two terrestrial stations in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Habitats were sampled for a variety of invertebrate taxa and for fish. This report includes species inventories for most of the taxa sampled. More than 170 species of hard corals, 82 species of echinoderms, 317 species of molluscs, 139 species of decapod crustaceans, 49 species of barnacles, 67 species and higher taxa of polychaete worms and 324 species of fishes were recorded. The Kimberley has quite a high diversity of marine habitats which are dominated by the effects of strong tidal currents and high turbidity resulting in a relatively low faunal diversity. Comments are included on future management options for Kimberley marine ecosystems.

A total of 111 estuaries of moderate or large size were recognised around Tasmania and associated Bass Strait islands. The catchments of these estuaries were mapped using GIS, and available data on geomorphology, geology, hydrology and rainfall collated for each estuary and catchment area. Tasmanian estuaries were classified into nine groups on the basis of physical attributes that included salinity and tidal data collected during a field sampling program. Baseline information on the abundance, biomass and estimated production of macrobenthic invertebrate species was collected during a quantitative sampling program at 55 sites in 48 Tasmanian estuaries. These data were generally obtained at three different intertidal levels and two shallow subtidal depths at each site, and included information on a total of 390 taxa and over 100,000 individuals. Data on the distribution of 101 fish species, as obtained during surveys of 75 Tasmanian estuaries using seine nets by Last (1983) with some supplementary sampling, were also incorporated into the study.