Seabirds to Seascapes protecting Coastal Biodiversity

An exciting and innovative project to restore important habitat in Sydney Harbour and support our penguin and seal populations in New South Wales.

Every second breath we take is from the ocean – produced by kelp forests, seaweeds and plankton.

The NSW Government's multi-agency Seabirds to Seascapes project is taking steps to conserve and protect the health of our critical marine habitats.

Thanks to a $6.6 million grant from the NSW Environmental Trust and $2.5 million provided in-kind by project partners, this ambitious three-year project aims to bring important ecosystems like seagrass meadows and marine wildlife such as sea horses back to the world's most iconic harbour.

Seabirds to Seascapes – Protecting Coastal Biodiversity is being led by the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water – Biodiversity, Conservation and Science Division, partnering with experts from the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS), Taronga Conservation Society Australia and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

The project incorporates 3 initiatives, including restoring key marine habitat in Sydney Harbour, and surveying penguin and seal populations along the NSW coastline. This work builds on the management of threatened and protected marine species in New South Wales, guided by the NSW Marine Estate Management Strategy and Saving Our Species program.

Why do marine environments matter?

Sydney Harbour's wildlife depends on the future health of its habitats and ecosystems.

One of the key indicators of a healthy ecosystem is biodiversity, or its range of plant and animal life. The healthier the ecosystem, the greater its biodiversity.

High levels of biodiversity in marine environments yield a number of benefits, including cleaner water – thanks to better filtration by molluscs or oysters – and sequestered carbon. Seagrasses and kelp forests store carbon as well as releasing oxygen.

In short, repairing damaged habitat offers hope to re-establish lost biodiversity while sequestering carbon, increasing fish numbers and filtering water.

Seabirds to Seascapes will help us to learn how to restore health to different marine ecosystems in a holistic way, after many years of urban degradation. These learnings can then be rolled out in New South Wales or further afield.

What does Seabirds to Seascapes aim to achieve?

Seabirds to Seascapes aims to improve marine ecosystem health and support important marine species by learning how coastal restoration influences and benefits marine habitat, animals and biodiversity.

The project focuses on habitat restoration in Sydney Harbour and will undertake a penguin count and seal survey along the NSW coastline.

Seabirds to Seascapes draws in the community to be an active part of this world-leading project, and builds capacity of those looking after our coastal, estuary and marine environments.

It supports collective efforts to protect, rehabilitate and manage habitats and ecosystems so native species can thrive.

Seabirds to Seascapes focuses on good and practical conservation to support vulnerable marine habitats and native species that are critical for a healthy and functioning ecosystem.

In a nutshell, it aims to:

• learn how to best approach degraded marine habitat through restoring connected habitats

• improve parts of Sydney Harbour's habitat to improve animal and plant life and broader biodiversity and ecosystem health

• develop knowledge to be able to take these learnings and apply them to other marine environments

• gain a better understanding of little penguin and fur seal populations and movements along the NSW coastline

• engage with the local community and increase awareness of the importance of conserving biodiversity in our oceans and on our coasts.

We want people to learn what's happening underwater through citizen science opportunities and ignite their passion to care for our marine environment.

Read more about the project here > NSW Department of Planning & Environment