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Australia is one of the first countries to adopt a national Oceans Policy recognising the responsibility to understand, manage and conserve these marine territories.

The South East of Australia has one of the most distinct marine regions around the continent, in the sub-Antarctic and in the Antarctic. It is also the first region in which the natural elements – the biology, ecosystems, topography – are to be studied.

Earlier this year, the National Oceans Office and the Australian Geographic Survey Organisation (AGSO) completed extensive seabed mapping of the region using the French research vessel, L’Atalante.

In a $2.7 million project funded jointly by the National Oceans Office and CSIRO, the research vessel Southern Surveyor has begun a rapid assessment program of marine life on the continental shelf and in deeper waters to about 2,000 metres.

Find out more about the players in this project

At The Frontiers

It is often said that Australian scientists' knowledge of our oceans today is akin to that understood by European explorers about to set out across the Australian continent in 1788.

In the marine world, our knowledge is strongest at or near the 57,000 kilometre long coastline. Nearer the continental shelf, and in the much deeper basins, technology, time and resources have been the impediment to building a profile of Australia’s marine back yard – the physical conditions as well as life in the deep.

Recent Australian research voyages in 1998 and 1999 to Macquarie Island and the Tasmanian seamounts south of Tasmania demonstrated clearly that such expeditions are helping scientists increase their knowledge of the deep oceans.

The 66-metre Research Vessel Southern Surveyor has been used by CSIRO for scientific research in Australian waters since 1988.

From the deep ocean reefs in the Southern Ocean far beyond the reach of sunlight or the tropical waterways of Northern Australia, new ecological communities and marine species are being discovered at a faster rate today, than at any time over the previous 200 years.

Yet, they still know more about the types of fishes living around Antarctica and Heard Island, than they do about the fish species around much of Australia. At ocean depths below 1,500 metres – which is more than 70 per cent of the entire Australian marine jurisdiction – very little is known.

Implementing Australia's Oceans Policy

Australia's Oceans Policy was launched by the Australian Government on 23 December, 1998. It aims to develop an integrated and ecosystem-based approach to planning and management for all ocean uses. This will be achieved through regional marine planning based on large-scale marine ecosystems. The first regional marine plan will cover the South-east Region, which includes the area within the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone off South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania (including Macquarie Island). Planning will also encompass claimable continental shelf areas adjacent to the Exclusive Economic Zone.

For much of this area there is little or no information on seabed and water column communities, and ecosystem structure and processes. Developing and testing techniques for the rapid assessment and mapping of seabed habitats will be critical to obtaining information in the time and at the scales needed for regional marine planning.

Find out more about regional marine planning and Australia's Oceans Policy from www.oceans.gov.au, the National Ocean Office web site.

Find out more about:

• Tasmania's deep ocean marine reserve
• The RV Southern Surveyor

Information sheets:

• Mapping Australia's Marine Territories
• The East Australian Current
• Oceans - our need to know
• View a list of all CSIRO Marine Research information sheets.