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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

Coasts

Written by Dr Graeme Clark, Mibu Fischer and Dr Cass Hunter

Ngalpa ukapalamik a kaymel kunakan gasamka muluka mathamka gegyadh may ngalpun Maluw a danalgaw pawaw. Ngalpa apasik ngalpun thumayawayay lagaka a Dagamuka thumagasamka ngalpun danalgaw pawa a ngurpay ngalpun mabaygika. 

Let’s be united with striving to reduce impacts to sea country and cultural heritage. Respecting our Indigenous Protected Areas is important given their immense cultural significance to our people.

Cygnet Repu, Mabuyag Elder, Maluiligal (Western Islands, Torres Strait)
Coastal land and sea are some of the most valued and productive environments in the world. The stewardship of our coasts is a shared responsibility and needs proactive collaborations and governance to protect and sustain its natural, cultural and social richness. There are ongoing challenges for the conservation, inclusive management, and sustainable use of coastal assets.  
Coasts artwork by Alick Tipoti
Key Findings
Find out the main messages of the report. Each chapter has 10 key points that summarise the findings of the chapter.
Start with Key findings
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Outlook and impacts
Where are we headed? Understand the outlook of our coastal environment, based on how it is tracking now and how we are managing it. Also find out how recent change will affect our health and wellbeing.
Start with Outlook and impacts
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Environment
How are the different aspects of our coasts tracking? Explore the condition of Australian beaches, shorelines and waterways, and coastal ecosystems, habitats and species.
Start with Environment
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Pressures
What are the pressures on our coasts? Identify the main climate, human and industry pressures on our coasts and find out how they are affecting environmental health.
Start with Pressures
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Management
How effective is our management of the coastal environment? Discover the main environmental management interventions and actions, and how well they protect our coasts and minimise the impact of pressures.
Start with Management
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Chapter resources
Find out about the chapter authors and their analysis approach, the artwork appearing in the chapter, and the available supplementary material.
Explore Authors and acknowledgments
Explore Assessments
Explore Graphs, maps and tables
Explore Case studies
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Explore findings from Coasts
Coasts are a zone of concentrated biodiversity and productivity
Our coasts are under pressure
Climate change, particularly sea level rise, will have profound impacts on our coasts
Consistent and coordinated management approaches, involving Traditional Custodians, will lead to better protection of our coasts
Infographic showing that by the end of the century sea level rise will have destroyed seaside habitats and beaches, damaged houses and other important infrastructure and heritage, affected culturally important areas like burial grounds and gathering places, and cost Australia hundreds of billions of dollars.