Benthic Protection Zone of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park. 3 Pilot study for Performance Assessment.

Future surveys to support performance assessment of the BPZ should include re-sampling with an epibenthic sled the 40 stations inside and adjacent to the BPZ that were sampled during the present study. This approach is recommended because it provides a cost-effective
option for completing a preliminary performance assessment of the BPZ. Repeating this survey periodically (e.g. every 3-5 years) also represents the low cost option for ongoing performance assessment. Detailed data on fishing and mining activities in the region are needed to support future assessments and to provide a basis for identifying potential agents of future changes in the structure and composition of benthic communities. Future surveys
of the GAB would, ideally, not be confined to simply resampling these 40 stations and monitoring anthropogenic activities in and near the GABMP more effectively. Extensive and intensive surveys of the entire GAB are required to assess the need for additional protected areas to represent and preserve the region’s benthic communities and to provide a basis for future regional marine planning. Australia’s Ocean’s Policy and Marine Science and Technology Plan both identify the need for scientific information to underpin the management of key marine environments, such as the GAB, that are diverse, contain a high proportion of species that are endemic to Australia and are economically important.