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We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the sovereign Traditional Owners of Australia and thank them for their stewardship of this Country, its lands, waters and skies. We respectfully acknowledge their culture and customary practices, and pay respect to their Ancestors, Elders and future leaders.

For the first time, the State of the Environment report includes a strong Indigenous narrative across all 12 thematic chapters, a narrative crafted through recognising the leadership, collaboration and authorship of Indigenous Australians who continue their connection as Traditional Owners to their lands, waters and skies.

Click to view the State of the Environment report

 

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Authors and acknowledgements

Authors

Headshot of author Barbara Wienecke
Dr Barbara Wienecke  
Dr Barbara Wienecke is a Senior Research Scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division. She has studied the foraging ecology of penguins and other seabirds for more than 20 years. Since 1993, she has spent many seasons in Antarctica, the subantarctic and South America, and has published the results of her work in international journals and books. Dr Wienecke is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Natures Penguin Specialist Group, and a member of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels working groups. 
Headshot of author Andrew Klekociuk
Dr Andrew Klekociuk 
Dr Andrew Klekociuk is a Principal Research Scientist and leader of the Atmosphere and Ice Sheet Section in the Science Branch of the Australian Antarctic Division. His active research interests include the interactions between ozone and climate, the role of clouds and aerosols in the climate of the Southern Ocean, and interactions between the tropics and Antarctica. He is a committee member of the International Ozone Commission.
Headshot of author Dirk Welsford
Dr Dirk Welsford 
Dr Dirk Welsford is a Senior Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division, (previously the Acting Chief Scientist), and Departmental Science Convenor at the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. His interests include the use of science and logic in developing resource use and conservation strategies; effective communication of science for use by policy makers; and the role of human relationships in effective environmental decision making. He has represented Australia at meetings for the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) for over 15 years, and is currently the Chair of the CCAMLR Scientific Committee.

Acknowledgements 

The authors are grateful for the assistance of the following contributors (all from the Australian Antarctic Division unless otherwise noted): Jonathon Barrington, Rhonda Bartley, Louise Bell (LiGHTBOX42), Dana Bergstrom, Kathryn Brown, Noel Carmichael (Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service), Sue Cook (University of Tasmania), Shavawn Donoghue (Katabatic Consulting), Mike Double, Tess Egan, Louise Emmerson, Ben Galton-Fenzi, James Fleming, Jax Fisher, Ursula Harris, Will Hobbs, Alex Fraser (University of Tasmania), Natalie Kelly, Cath King, Jonathan Kool, Pal Krummel (CSIRO), Mandi Livesey, Rob Massom, Julie McInnes, Ewan McIvor, Richard Mazurek, Joel Pedro, Phillip Reid (Bureau of Meteorology), Sharon Robinson (University of Wollongong), Andy Sharman, Gill Slocum, Colin Southwell, Tim Spedding, Jonny Stark, Tas van Ommen, Josh Van Limbeek, Jane Wasley, Lihini Weragoda and Phillipe Ziegler. 

We are also grateful for the support of Belinda Bauer, Roger Morrison, Bede Moses, Phillip Rofe and Kimberley Shields from the State of the Environment Section of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, and the team at Biotext, especially Kylie Evans and Darren Goossens. 

We also thank the reviewers whose comments helped to improve the manuscript.