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

W

Waller CL, Griffiths HJ, Waluda CM, Thorpe SE, Loaiza I, Moreno B, Pacherres CO & Hughes KA (2017). Microplastics in the Antarctic marine system: an emerging area of research. Science of the Total Environment 598:220–227.

Walton DWH (2018). Tourism in the Antarctic. Antarctic Science 30(3):147.

Wang G, Hendon HH, Arblaster JM, Lim EP, Abhik S & van Rensch P (2019). Compounding tropical and stratospheric forcing of the record low Antarctic sea-ice in 2016. Nature Communications 10:13.

Wang J, Church JA, Zhang X & Chen X (2021). Reconciling global mean and regional sea level change in projections and observations. Nature Communications 12:990.

Wasley J, Robinson SA, Turnbull JD, King DH, Wanek W & Popp M (2012). Bryophyte species composition over moisture gradients in the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica: development of a baseline for monitoring climate change impacts. Biodiversity 13(3–4):257–264.

Watters GM, Hinke JT & Reiss CS (2020). Long-term observations from Antarctica demonstrate that mismatched scales of fisheries management and predator-prey interaction lead to erroneous conclusions about precaution. Scientific Reports 10:2314.

Webb AL, Hughes KA, Grand MM, Lohan MC & Peck LS (2020). Sources of elevated heavy metal concentrations in sediments and benthic marine invertebrates of the western Antarctic Peninsula. Science of the Total Environment 698:134268.

Webster M, Gerland S, Holland M, Hunke E, Kwok R, Lecomte O, Massom R, Perovich D & Sturm M (2018). Snow in the changing sea-ice systems. Nature Climate Change 8(11):946–953.

Wege M, Bornemann H, Blix AS, Nordøy ES, Biddle L & Bester MN (2021). Distribution and habitat suitability of Ross seals in a warming ocean. Frontiers in Marine Science 8:659430.

Whitehead H (2002). Estimates of the current global population size and historical trajectory for sperm whales. Marine Ecology Progress Series 242:295–304.

Wienecke B (2009). Emperor penguin colonies in the Australian Antarctic Territory: how many are there? Polar Record 45(4):304–312.

Wienecke B (2010). The history of the discovery of emperor penguin colonies, 1902–2004. Polar Record 46(238):271–276.

Wienecke B (2012). Emperor penguins at the West Ice Shelf. Polar Biology 35(9):1289–1296.

Wilcox C, Van Sebille E & Hardesty BD (2015). Threat of plastic pollution to seabirds is global, pervasive, and increasing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(38):11899–11904.

Williams L, Kristiansen P, Sindel B, Wilson SC & Shaw J (2013). Weeds down under: invasion of the sub-Antarctic wilderness of Macquarie Island. Plant Protection Quarterly 28(3):71–72.

Williams LK, Shaw JD, Sindel BM, Wilson SC & Kristiansen P (2018). Longevity, growth and community ecology of invasive Poa annua across environmental gradients in the subantarctic. Basic and Applied Ecology 29:20–31.

Williams R (1985). The potential impact of a krill fishery upon pelagic fish in the Prydz Bay area of Antarctica. Polar Biology 5:1–4.

WMO (World Meteorological Organization) (2018). Scientific assessment of ozone depletion: 2018, Global ozone research and monitoring project – report no. 58, WMO, Geneva, Switzerland.

Woehler EJ & Croxall JP (1997). The status and trends of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seabirds. Marine Ornithology 25:43–66.

Wöhrmann APA (1998). Aspects of eco-physiological adaptations in Antarctic fish. In: Di Prisco G, Pisano E & Clarke A (eds), Fishes of Antarctica: a biological overview, Springer, Milano, Italy, 119–128.

Worby AP, Geiger CA, Paget MJ, Van Woert ML, Ackley SF & DeLiberty TL (2008). Thickness distribution of Antarctic sea ice. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 113(C5):C05S92.

World Population Review (2021). Antarctica population 2021, World Population Review, California, accessed 27 May 2021, https://worldpopulationreview.com/continents/antarctica-population.