Central Eastern Marine Park - A study of ocean drivers for management decisions by Marine Parks Australia.

The Australian Government has established 60 Australian Marine Parks around the country. They cover 3.8 million square kilometers, or 43% of Australian waters, and are managed by Parks Australia. Australian Marine Parks help conserve marine habitats and the marine species that live within and rely on these habitats. These marine parks also provide places for people to watch wildlife, dive, and go boating, snorkelling and fishing. Importantly, they create jobs in industries like fishing and tourism and provide us with food and energy. However, the marine parks are under ocean-driven pressures and stresses arising from climate change. The impact of ocean change taking place now is not uniformly felt over the Australian Marine Parks. Marine parks along the east coast of Australia may be particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change given this region is warming 3 to 4 times faster than the global average. Therefore, the Central Eastern Marine Park is in a critical region, however, there have been only limited ocean and marine surveys of the park.
Central Eastern Marine Park lies about 30 kilometres off the east coast of Australia at the edge of the continental shelf. It was established in 2018 as part of the Temperate East Marine Parks network. Within the marine park are a series of seamounts and canyons that interact with currents and ocean gyres resulting in upwellings that influence biological productivity within the region. The Park is adjacent to the NSW State Government Marine Protected Areas, the Solitary Island Marine Park, and Indigenous Gumbaynggirr and Yaegl First Nations Protected Areas and Native title claims.
This data collection from an RV Investigator 2024 research voyage in June, 2024, is collated for Marine Parks Australia and provides an initial assessment of the oceanographic environment and benthic biodiversity of the Central Eastern Marine Park. It contains the physical oceanographic data collected during the voyage. The data is fully described in the report: Sloyan, B., Chapman, C, Scoulding B., Althaus, F. Cowley, E., Johnson, A., Jeffers, M., (2026). Central Eastern Marine Park - A study of ocean drivers for management decisions by Marine Parks Australia. CSIRO, Australia.