Decades of ocean research helps shape future of marine conservation
For more than 20 years, Professor Jessica Meeuwig AM from The University of Western Australia (UWA) has been leading research into Australia’s marine environments, generating critical scientific data that will help inform the Australian Government’s 2028 review of Commonwealth Marine Parks.
A key tool in this work is the use of Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS), which enable scientists to observe marine life in its natural habitat without disturbing ecosystems. The technology provides valuable insights into species diversity, abundance and ocean health, helping build the evidence base for future marine conservation and management decisions.
Through UWA’s Marine Futures Lab, Professor Meeuwig and her team have built one of the world’s most comprehensive long-term datasets on open-ocean wildlife and marine protected areas. Their research has included more than 40 expeditions across 13 Australian Marine Parks, covering approximately 3,000 kilometres of Western Australia’s coastline.
Recent surveys undertaken in Perth Canyon, Geographe and South-West Corner marine parks have extended monitoring programs that now span a full decade, creating one of the longest-running records of open ocean wildlife anywhere in the world.
Professor Meeuwig said long-term monitoring is essential to understanding how marine ecosystems respond to both protection measures and emerging environmental pressures.
“Long-term monitoring allows us to move beyond snapshots and understand how marine ecosystems change through time,” she said.
“As Australia prepares for the 2028 Marine Park review, these data provide a powerful evidence base to ensure protection is guided by science and delivers meaningful outcomes for marine biodiversity.”
The research is helping scientists track ecological change, identify emerging threats and evaluate the effectiveness of marine conservation measures.
