The Large Marine Domains dataset contains a set of regional marine planning units for Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone developed in collaboration with the National Oceans Office (NOO) and the CSIRO Division of Marine Research in 1998. These planning units are a key requirement for supporting Australia's Oceans Policy announced by the Commonwealth government in December 1998. The boundaries define areas surrounding continental Australia and the external territories including Cocos Keeling Islands, Christmas Island, Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, Macquarie Island, Heard and McDonald Islands, and the Australian Antarctic Territory. Boundaries have undergone a series of changes since their inception. See the Lineage for more details on these changes. Dataset including the boundaries of thirteen marine regions on the continental shelf of Australia, identified in the draft report 'Large Marine Domains Of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zones' (CSIRO 1998). The purpose of this study was to create a hierarchical framework of biological regionalisations at the provincial level derived largely from distributional data for endemic fish species. The previous study, 'Interim Marine and Coastal Regionalisation for Australia' (CSIRO 1996) of the shelf region (coast to the shelf-break at the 200m isobath) forms the basis of the current Large Marine Domain (LMD) regions on the shelf. The regions are designated Northern; North-eastern; Eastern-central; South-eastern; South-western; Western-central; North-western; Norfolk; Sunda; Macquarie; Kerguelen; Australian Antarctic; and South Tasman Rise. The National Oceans Office has, to a large degree adopted these Large Marine Domain boundaries to form administrative boundaries for marine mapping and planning purposes.

The National Oceans Office undertook in September 2001 an analysis of Bioregionalisation for the Australian South-east Marine Region, an integration of geological, oceanographic and biological data as the basis for bioregionalisation. The biological and physical assessment was intended to contribute to the implementation of ecosystem-based management in the South-east Marine Region by developing a shared understanding of the ecosystem. The assessment had two streams, ecosystem structure and ecosystem function and incorporated the input from these projects among others: - Production of a consistent, high quality bathymetric data grid for the south-east marine region. - Seabed characterisation including geomorphology, acoustic facies and seabed sampling (GA) - Computer sediment modelling (GEOMAT) - Refine Broad Scale Bioregionalisation (Provinces and Biomes) (CSIRO) - Upgrade deepwater nutrient, water properties and ocean current models (CSIRO) - Rapid assembly of ecological fish data (CSIRO Marine Research in collaboration with Australian Museum, Victoria Museum and NSW Fisheries) - Rapid assembly of ecological invertebrate data (Museum Victoria in partnership with Australia Museum and CSIRO Marine Research) - Bioregionalisation analysis for the South-east Marine Region (CSIRO Marine Research and Australian Geological Survey Organisation [GA]) This dataset contains the spatial distribution of the physical and biological components of the Region resulting from bioregionalisation analysis for the South-east Marine Region. Further detail will be available in the report entitled "An Interim, Draft bioregionalisation for the continental slope and deeper waters of the South-East Marine Region of Australia" by A. Butler, P. Harris et al. (draft only available at time of this metadata compilation).

This dataset contains information on closures collected from various NPF Management meetings, from the 1970's to 2004 (see below). Information was collected on why closures were proposed, evidence presented, and reasons why the proposals were accepted, rejected or modified. Emphasis is placed on obtaining information on why a closure was instigated, and the reasons why closures undergo subsequent modification. Scientific research carried out within or near each closures is also listed. Data were collected for closures that already existed at the time of database creation (2004), and it is planned that data collection will be ongoing, subject to funding and personnel availability. The data collected is linked to an existing GIS database containing spatial information on gazetted closures. Data sources for the historical review included: NORPAC/ NORMAC agendas and minutes, 1982 - 2004; Northern Fisheries Council documentation; Closures Task Force /Closure Committee minutes; Departmental Correspondence; Government Gazettes; AFMA NPF Directions; NPF publications (e.g. Pownall, 1994); Meeting notes kept by some research representatives on the above committees. The project objectives were: a. Identify the reasons for the designation of each closure and any information from research surveys that are available to evaluate the reasoning (including instances where no information exists). b. Develop agreed criteria to classify the different types of closures in the fishery. c. Develop and document protocols and criteria to be used to review (change or remove) an existing closure. d. Develop and document protocols and criteria to be used to establish new closures in the fishery. e. Provide Industry with succinct information that allows the consideration of the implementation, success and future advantage of the current closures.