Coastal Environmental Values

The Southern region has diverse coastal and marine features including sandy beaches and dunes, saltmarsh flats, wetlands and estuaries, reefs, rocky foreshores and sea cliffs. These environments support a rich variety of marine life, from plant communities such as giant kelp forests, seagrass beds and sponge gardens, to fauna including sea stars, leafy seadragons, endangered handfish, penguins, and marine migratory species such as birds and whales. Beyond natural values, the region’s coastline is highly significant for Aboriginal cultural heritage.

Estuarine Environmental Values

The region has 39 estuaries, many of high conservation value and some near pristine estuaries within the borders of National Parks or Conservation Areas. There are also a large number of estuaries that have been moderately to severely modified, such as the Derwent Estuary. Two estuaries in the region are listed as Ramsar wetlands (Pittwater/Orielton Lagoon and Moulting Lagoon/Apsley Marshes) and many others include wetlands listed on the Directory of Important Wetlands of Australia (DIWA).

Marine Environmental Values

Our marine values are equally significant, with three distinct marine bioregions (Bruny, Davey and Freycinet) of which the Bruny Marine Bioregion contains the highest level of marine endemism anywhere in Tasmania. The Southern region also includes all but one of Tasmania’s Marine Protected Areas. In December 2009, 16 new MPAs were declared in South-east Tasmania. These new reserves extend over about 12,000ha and cover the range of marine ecosystems found in south-east Tasmania.  

Industry and Economic Values

The region’s marine and coastal environs are critical to industries as diverse as fishing and tourism and recreation. Eastern and Southern coastal waters are important fishing grounds for valuable wild fisheries including rock lobster, abalone and scalefish. The immense variety and natural beauty of the coast attracts a wide array of tourism and recreation ventures from eco-cruises to ocean surfing. Within the estuaries, the region supports significant marine farming enterprises, with the Huon, D’Entrecasteaux Channel, Pittwater and protected coastal areas of the Tasman Peninsula all key areas for farming oysters, muscles and salmon.

Our region’s fishing and tourism industries rely on the health of our marine, coastal and estuarine ecosystems, but each also has the potential to influence and to change the other. 

Managing Coastal, Estuarine & Marine Systems

To provide a sustainable balance between social, economic and environmental values, and to meet legislative requirements, coastal, estuarine and marine systems need careful management, informed by science.

Consideration of the following threats and issues will aid effective management of coastal, estuarine and marine systems:

• Catchment land use practices and their downstream impacts
• Fisheries and aquaculture sustainability
• Urban and industrial point source and diffuse pollution
• Tourism and recreational impacts
• Sustainable development adjacent to coastal and estuarine waters
• Terrestrial and marine introduced species
• Protection of endemic vegetation and threatened species and communities
• Climate change

What are we doing to protect Coastal, Estuarine & Marine Systems?

NRM South is working to better understand, protect and manage our diverse estuarine, coastal and marine assets. We do this in partnership with stakeholders across the region, including all levels of government, industry, research organisations, NGOs and the community. Our work includes activities through our Healthy Catchments and Coasts program to address the spread of introduced species, restoring and protecting threatened species and habitat, improving estuarine, coastal and marine water quality, understanding and adapting to the impacts of climate change and improving coastal planning and decision making.