Climate change is threatening tropical reefs across the world, with most scientists agreeing that the current changes in climate conditions are occurring at a much faster rate than in the past and are potentially beyond the capacity of reefs to adapt and recover. Current research in tropical ecosystems focuses largely on corals and fishes, although other benthic marine invertebrates provide crucial services to reef systems, with roles in nutrient cycling, water quality regulation, and herbivory. We review available information on the effects of environmental conditions associated with climate change on noncoral tropical benthic invertebrates, including inferences from modern and fossil records. Increasing sea surface temperatures may decrease survivorship and increase the developmental rate, as well as alter the timing of gonad development, spawning, and food availability. Environmental changes associated with climate change are linked to larger ecological processes, including changes in larval dispersal and recruitment success, shifts in community structure and range extensions, and the establishment and spread of invasive species. Loss of some species will trigger economic losses and negative effects on ecosystem function. Our review is intended to create a framework with which to predict the vulnerability of benthic invertebrates to the stressors associated with climate change, as well as their adaptive capacity. We anticipate that this review will assist scientists, managers, and policy-makers to better develop and implement regional research and management strategies, based on observed and predicted changes in environmental conditions.

Catchment outlet sediments (0-10 cm depth, sieved to <2 mm) collected at a very low density over most of the Australian continent have been analysed using the Mobile Metal Ion (MMI®) partial extraction technique. Of the 54 elements analysed, eight are generally regarded as essential nutrients for plant growth: Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P and Zn. For these, 'bioavailability', defined here as the ratio of the partial digest concentration to the total concentration, has been investigated. This estimation of 'bioavailability' gives results comparable with standard agricultural measurements. Average 'bioavailability' ranges from 15.0% for Ca to 0.1% for Fe. Smoothed (kriged) colour contour maps for continental Australia have been produced for these eight nutrients and interpreted in terms of lithology (e.g., presence of carbonates in the MMI® Ca map), mineralization (e.g., well known and possibly less known mineral districts in the Cu, P and Zn maps), environmental processes (e.g., salinity in K map, weathering and acid generation in Fe map) and agricultural practices (e.g., application of fertilizers in P and Zn maps). This first application of a partial extraction technique at the scale of a continent has yielded meaningful, coherent and interpretable results.

Moreton Bay (MB) is a large (~1800 square km), stressed (with recent outbreaks of the cyanobacteria Lyngbia majscula), sub-tropical estuary which receives urban and rural runoff from a large catchment. Silicon is an essential nutrient for diatomaceous phytoplankton growth in coastal ecosystems. BSi (biogenic silicon) in surface sediments, pore water DSi (dissolved silicate, SiO4--) and benthic DSi fluxes were used as tracers of the formation and degradation of organic matter (OM) in MB. This work has implications for N & P cycling, water quality and eutrophication. BSi, TOC (both up to 2 wt%), TN & TP and diatom sterol biomarkers were all highest in the muddy sediments of western MB that is ~65% of the bay's area. We found that diatoms dominated OM cycling in western MB, and the benthic DSi flux accounted for ~80% of the pelagic productivity. Our conceptual model is that diatoms being heavy (because of their Si content) sink rapidly to the sediments where their biomass-N (OM-N) was denitrified to N2 and lost to the atmosphere with an efficiency of about 50%. Approximately 60% of OM-P, subsequent to degradation, remained trapped within the sediment. Diatoms therefore are an important vector to repeatedly deliver river-borne N & P to their respective sinks. However, diatomaceous OM contributed only about 20% of the OM input to the marine sands of eastern MB, about 34% of the bay's area. The principal OM input to the sandy sediments was attributed to benthic photosynthesis and N-fixation with rates of N-fixation (estimated from pore water DIN gradients) at 1.5 - 3.5 mmol m-2d-1. OM was rapidly and efficiently degraded (principally by O2), with little net accumulation and burial in sediments. N was denitrified efficiently (~100%). DIP must have been recycled rapidly in the top few cm's of the sandy sediments to support N-fixation. A whole-bay silicate budget indicated that: 1. DSi fluxes through the western margin of MB were about 4- fold those in eastern MB. 2. Pelagic diatom productivity was supported (approximately) by the benthic fluxes of DSi. 3. The DSi inventory was recycled through diatomaceous phytoplankton in about 15 days. 4. The export of DSi to the sea was about the same as the combined terrestrial and small marine inputs.

From 1995 to 2000 information from the federal and state governments was compiled for Comprehensive Regional Assessments (CRA), which formed the basis for Regional Forest Agreements (RFA) that identified areas for conservation to meet targets agreed by the Commonwealth Government with the United Nations. This CD was created as part of GA's contribution to the Central Highlands CRA. It contains final versions of all data coverages and shapefiles used in the project, Published Graphics files in ArcInfo (.gra), postscript (.ps) and Web ready (.gif) formats, all Geophysical Images and Landsat data and final versions of documents provided for publishing.

There is growing awareness of the scientific and intrinsic value of Antarctic geological features, including sites containing rare, and in some cases, globally unique mineral occurrences, mineral assemblages, and unusual rocks features (e.g. ventifacts) and rare fossils. However, the global economic value of the mineral and fossil trade is also considerable and growing, with prized specimens being sold for prices per gram equivalent to that of gold. Locations of geological value, once considered 'protected' by virtue of the logistical complexity and prohibitive cost involved in collection, are becoming increasingly vulnerable as the interest of collectors grows and the inaccessibility of Antarctica diminishes with more frequent visits by private and adventure travellers. Thus the need for proactive intervention, protection and management of 'geo-heritage' sites is becoming increasingly urgent. Wider recognition of the geological values of sites achieved by invoking the provisions for area management of the Madrid Protocol will also help mitigate casual souveniring and accidental or deliberate damage caused by ill-advised construction or other human activity, such as use of heavy machinery.

Mapping of benthic habitats seldom considers biogeochemical variables or changes across time. We aimed to: (i) develop winter and summer benthic habitat maps for a sandy embayment; and (ii) compare the effectiveness of various maps for differentiating infauna. Patch-types (internally homogeneous areas of seafloor) were constructed using combinations of abiotic parameters, and are presented in sediment-based, biogeochemistry-based and combined sediment/biogeochemistry-based habitat maps. August and February surveys were undertaken in Jervis Bay, Australia, to collect samples for physical (%mud, sorting, %carbonate), biogeochemical (chlorophyll a, sulfur, sediment metabolism, bio-available elements) and infaunal analyses. Boosted Decision Tree and cokriging models generated spatially continuous data-layers. Habitat maps were made from classified layers using GIS overlays, and were interpreted from a biophysical-process perspective. Biogeochemistry and %mud varied spatially and temporally, even in visually homogeneous sediments. Species turnover across patch-types was important for diversity, and the utility of habitat maps for differentiating biological communities varied across months. Diversity patterns were broadly related to reactive carbon and redox which varied temporally. Inclusion of biogeochemical factors and time in habitat maps provides a better framework for differentiating species and interpreting biodiversity patterns than once-off studies based solely on sedimentology or video-analysis.

From 1995 to 2000 information from the federal and state governments was compiled for Comprehensive Regional Assessments (CRA), which formed the basis for Regional Forest Agreements (RFA) that identified areas for conservation to meet targets agreed by the Commonwealth Government with the United Nations. These 3 CDs were created as part of GA's contribution to the Eden, NSW CRA. CD1 contains original and final versions of all data coverages and shapefiles used in the project, Published Graphics files in ArcInfo (.gra), postscript (.ps) and Web ready (.gif) formats, all Geophysical Images and Landsat data and final versions of documents provided for publishing. CD2 contains the DEFUNCT directories, data that has been modified or replaced in the final version. CD3 contains the INTEGRTN directory, integration data used for evaluating options.

Community concern about changes in the earth's environment has intensified during the past decade. The Government's response is reflected in the Prime Minister's statement on the Environment, in the setting up of the Resource Assessment Commission to investigate the developmental and environmental use of resources, and in the ASTEC review of environmental research in Australia. There is increasing recognition that science provides the framework for the protection of the Australian environment and for the responsible use of its resources. The geosciences are vital for the understanding of the environment, the development of essential resources, and the simultaneous conservation of environmental quality and diversity. The Government's new charter for BMR, tabled in the Senate in June 1989, recognised the need for BMR to provide the knowledge base for the resolution of environmental issues. For BMR to respond to the increasing demand for geoscientific base line data and advice in the context of sustainable development for Australia, it needs to identify the areas of geoscience necessary to take on a new role in understanding and conserving Australian earth resources in parallel with its traditional role of guiding the development of those resources. It is proposed that new environmental projects should be managed under a new Unit of Environmental Geoscience. For 1989/90 the development of the program will require approximately 1% of BMR resources - in professional staff and funding. In 1990/91, expenditure should be close to 2%. For fully operational programs in 1991/92 we estimate costs will be around 5-6% of total BMR resources.

This study investigated bio-environment relationships in Jervis Bay, a sandy partially enclosed embayment in NSW. Three decision tree models and a robust model selection process were applied to a wide-range of physical data (multibeam bathymetry and backscatter grids and derivatives, parameters that describe seabed sediment and water column physical/geochemical characteristics, seabed exposure) and co-located biological data. The models for selected infaunal species and three diversity indices explained 32-79% of data variance. Patterns of abundance and diversity were statistically related to a wide range of environmental variables, including sediment physical (e.g. mud, CaCO3, gravel) and geochemical properties (e.g. chlorophyll a, total sediment metabolism, total sulphur), seabed morphometric characteristics (e.g. local Moran's I of bathymetry, rugosity), seabed exposure regime and water column light attenuation. The modelled response curves together with results from an earlier habitat mapping study informed the development of a conceptual model that provides a process-based framework for the interpretation of biodiversity patterns in the southern part of the Bay. The conceptual model had three zones which were noted for: (i) fine-sediment resuspension and macroalgae accumulation (leading to anoxia; extreme); (ii) bioturbation (in-between); and (iii) exposure of the seabed to waves (extreme in places). Most bio-environment relationships pointed to complex relationships between multiple biological and physical factors occurring in the different process domains/zones. The combined use of co-located samples and bio-environment and conceptual models enabled a mechanistic understanding of benthic biodiversity patterns in Jervis Bay.

From February to March 2010, Geoscience Australia (GA) conducted an multibeam survey of the coastal waters of the Vestfold Hills in the Australian Antarctic Territory. The survey was conducted jointly with Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) and the Deployable Geospatial Survey Team (DGST) of the Royal Australian Navy. The survey was aimed primarily at understanding the the character of the sea floora round Davis to better inform studies of the benthic biota and the possible impacts of the Davis Station sewage outfall. DGST were involved so the data could be used to update and extend the nautical charts of the Davis area.