Marine Environmental Research and Monitoring
There are a number of different components to Parks Victoria's environmental research and monitoring program for the new Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries. From baseline biological monitoring to detailed habitat mapping to community monitoring projects to research partnerships with universities and all in between, Parks Victoria is approaching environmental research and monitoring in the marine environment from a number of different directions.

To help our planning, Parks Victoria is finalising a Marine Environmental Research and Monitoring Framework, which will be available soon. This document helps both our research partners and ourselves plan research and monitoring needs. It sets out the directions, context and principles for Parks Victoria’s marine environmental research and monitoring, and lists the major research questions and areas of interest. It will be available here soon.

Why do we monitor the marine environment?
There are two reasons. First, we start any monitoring program so we can have a baseline against which to compare the future. Things changes over time and marine communities are very variable and we need to be able to tell what is natural and what is not.

Different assemblages of animals and plants naturally come and go over time so it is important to have a good amount of long-term information so we can manage the impacts on the parks, while understanding what is normal and what is out of place. Hence, the second reason we continue monitoring is so we can keep an eye on our precious and diverse environment and compare the biodviersity and other natural (environmental) values over time.

Parks Victoria, along with the Department of Sustainability and Environment has been monitoring areas of the Victorian coast in detail for a number of years now. There are a number of monitoring reports available if you would like more information. These reports are found in the Parks Victoria Technical Series. In particular, reports number 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 contain reports on the Victorian Subtidal Reef Monitoring Program.

Why do we map marine habitats in National Parks?
We map habitats for much the same reasons as we monitor – so we can track natural and other changes. Mapping marine habitats is at a lower resolution than monitoring. When we monitor, we count everything we can at the level of an individual or community. When we map a habitat, it is done at a resolution similar to an aerial photo (which in this case is around 1:25 000 to 1:100 000). The scale allows us to map our diverse and important habitats (like kelp beds, seagrass, mangroves, rocky reefs etc). Apart from giving us maps of major features under the water (much like a marine road map), we can use it to see how habitat sizes or distributions changes over time. An example of the existing habitat maps in some Marine National Parks can be seen in Number 01: Marine Natural Values Study Appendix 2 (1.20MB, PDF) from the Parks Victoria Technical Series. We are working to increase our knowledge and update these maps.

Find out more information about marine mapping in other Victorian habitats, as well as around Australia from the Australian Coastal Atlas website.

How can I get involved?
Parks Victoria is keen to encourage organised community groups to be involved in research and monitoring in Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries. We are currently involved with Deakin University in developing marine monitoring protocols in three habitats: subtidal reefs, intertidal reefs and seagrass. Standard protocols are being developed and are planned to be available for use in the Summer of 2004-2005.

Registered Friends Groups are a great way to get involved in your parks and make a contribution to the amount of information known about a particular park. More information about the various groups and possibilities are available in the Volunteers section of Parkweb.

Research Opportunties
If you have an interest in pursuing research collaborations with Parks Victoria please contact the Manager, Marine National Parks Research Programs, by calling Parks Victoria on 13 19 63.

Publications
There are a number of publications that you access about research and monitoring in Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries. They can be found in the Parks Victoria Technical Series.

Further information on Victoria’s Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries is available from the Marine and Coastal section of the Department of Sustainability and Environment website.