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

On 28 March 2025 the government assumed a Caretaker role. Information on websites maintained by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water will be published in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions until after the conclusion of the caretaker period.

Due to technical issues, graphs, maps and tables are currently not displaying within the main content, however, are available via the chapter resources navigation bar. We are working on a solution to resolve the issue.

References

O

Ogaki MB, Coelho LC, Vieira R, Neto AA, Zani CL, Alves TMA et al. (2020b). Cultivable fungi present in deep‑sea sediments of Antarctica: taxonomy, diversity, and bioprospecting of bioactive compounds. Extremophiles 24(2):227–238.

Ogaki MB, Vieira R, Muniz MC, Zani CL, Alves TMA, Policarpo AS, Murta SMF, Barbosa EC, Oliveira JG, Ceravolo IP, Pereira PO, Rosa CA & Rosa LH (2020a). Diversity, ecology, and bioprospecting of culturable fungi in lakes impacted by anthropogenic activities in maritime Antarctica. Extremophiles 24(4):637–655.

Oliver ECJ, Burrows MT, Donat MG, Sen Gupta A, Alexander LV, Perkins-Kirkpatrick SE, Benthuysen JA, Hobday AJ, Holbrook NJ, Moore PJ, Thomsen MS, Wernberg T & Smale DA (2019). Projected marine heatwaves in the 21st century and the potential for ecological impact. Frontiers in Marine Science 6:734.

Oliver ECJ, Donat MG, Burrows MT, Moore PJ, Smale DA, Alexander LV et al. (2018). Longer and more frequent marine heatwaves over the past century. Nature Communications 9:1324.

Orr JC, Caldeira K, Fabry V, Gattuso JP, Haugan P, Lehodey P, Patoja S, Pörtner HO, Riebesell U, Trull T, Urban E, Hood M & Broadgate W (2009). Research priorities for understanding ocean acidification. Oceanography 22(4):182–189.

Owens I & Zawar-Reza P (2015). Weather and climate. In: Liggett D, Storey B, Cook Y & Meduna V (eds), Exploring the last continent: an introduction to Antarctica, Springer, Cham, Switzerland, 91–114.

O’Connor SE (ed) (2016). Methods in enzymology, vol. 576, Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering in plants and microbes part B: metabolism in plants, Academic Press, Oxford, United Kingdom.

O’Neill TA, Balks MR & López-Martínez J (2013). Visual recovery of desert pavement surfaces following impacts from vehicle and foot traffic in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica. Antarctic Science 25(4):514–530.