Environment Tasmania is working with Ocean Planet to protect our oceans. Ocean Planet is an organisation committed to a sustainable future for Tasmania's marine environment and all that relies on it.
New Film: Tasmania's Unique Marine Environment
Click the image below to watch.
Threats & Challenges
The oceans are fundamental to all life on earth. Healthy oceans:
- produce half of the planet’s oxygen
- provide nourishment such as seafood
- regulate temperature and control climatic systems such as rainfall
- protect coasts from erosion
- provide medical treatments for diseases such as cancer
- provide the largest store of carbon in the world
In Tasmania, we have some of the most unique and diverse marine ecosystems in the world. Yet our marine environment faces many threats that need to be addressed immediately if we are to avoid critically degrading our valuable environment, economy and lifestyle. Read more...
ABOVE: Endangered Spotted Handfish
Solutions
Marine national parks (also known as marine protected areas, sanctuaries or marine reserves) are ‘an area of ocean that is fully protected from activities that remove animals and plants and alter habitats, except as needed for scientific monitoring’.
Australia is a signatory to the international agreement of the Convention on Biological Diversity to protect each marine region in a comprehensive, representative and effectively managed network of protected areas by 2012. This is represented in our commitment to establish a National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas in each marine region by 2012. Read more...
To find out how you can get involved and sign up to the Ocean Planet e-bulletin, go to the Ocean Planet website.
