Science for Marine and Coastal Areas

Australia is responsible for managing and protecting the third-largest marine estate in the world. Our oceans provide tremendous environmental, cultural, social and economic benefits. These are subject to cumulative pressures including coastal development, unsustainable natural resource extraction, climate variability and change, and marine plastics and pollution.

The Marine and Coastal Hub will deliver high-quality research that improves environmental, cultural, social, and economic outcomes across Australia’s marine and coastal regions. Our applied scientific knowledge and methods will support decision-making and practical management in response to Australia’s national and international laws and obligations. Our approach is stakeholder-driven, co-designed, and collaborative, building on 15 years of achievement in previous national funding programs.

The Marine and Coastal Hub’s national research program will build on the experience of its partners to ensure:

• Australia’s coastal and marine assets are managed and conserved in ways that derive maximum social, cultural and
economic benefit for Australians.

• Coastal communities and industries view effective marine and coastal management, and the relationship with their catchments, as a positive pathway to sustained economic growth and recovery.

• Environmental information and solutions requested by the Australian Government and the community are delivered by a flexible and highly skilled research capability that is trans-disciplinary, solution-focused, respectful of tradition and local knowledge and responsive to challenge and change.