EPA programs for bays, coasts and oceans
EPA is involved in programs aimed at understanding and protecting our bays, coasts and oceans. They fall into the following categories:
- Surf Coast and Westernport Bay water quality information
- Dredging
- Seagrass
- Exotic marine pests
- Beach Report
- Urban runoff
- Aquaculture
- other programs.
Dredging
Dredging is an important activity that is regulated by EPA, which has published Guidelines for Dredging (Adobe PDF fle, 792KB) in its Best Practice Environmental Management Series.
Dredging is necessary to create and maintain shipping and boating channels to enable international trade and safe fishing and recreational boating.
The two main impacts of dredging are the release of contaminants (for example, oil, heavy metals and/or other chemicals) and nutrients from disturbed sediments and increases in turbidity (which can affect aquatic plants and animals).
Therefore, dredging needs to be managed to minimise its impacts on the environment and its uses.
Seagrass
Seagrass is an important habitat along the Victorian coastline. Seagrass meadows not only provide food and shelter for fish and other marine creatures but also stabilise seabeds and maintain water clarity. Seagrass is home to millions of creatures, from tiny plankton to fish and, of course, the famous migratory birds that visit Western Port each year.
EPA, in conjunction with the community based Western Port Seagrass Partnership (WPSP) and the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT), is implementing a seagrass restoration project in Western Port.
The seagrass restoration project aims to develop optimum seagrass replanting techniques that could be used in further phases of the project and forms part of the long-term strategy of promoting the natural colonisation of seagrass in Western Port.
Throughout the project volunteers will be working side by side with marine biologists to aid in the development of techniques to improve the Western Port environment.
For more information on the Western Port Seagrass Partnership Project please visit www.seagrass.com.au.
Exotic marine pests
Exotic marine pests are non-native animals and plants whose populations have grown to an extent which is destructive to the natural marine environment.
One way in which exotic marine pests enter the marine environment is through ship ballast water (the material placed in a ship's hold to improve its stability).
On behalf of a Victorian Government Consortium consisting of EPA, Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and Department of Infrastructure (DOI), EPA undertook a ballast water demonstration project called Hastings Project – Ballast Water Management for Western Port between July 2001 and December 2002.
The Victorian Government introduced the domestic ballast water management arrangements for Victoria that entered into force on 1 July 2004. This policy was developed to reduce the risk of marine pest introductions from ballast water discharges from ships.
Beach Report
EPA runs a program all summer, monitoring the quality of 35 beaches in Port Phillip Bay. It's called Beach Report.
Urban runoff
Urban runoff is not one of the things that you would immediately think of as having an impact on the coasts and oceans of Victoria, but what we do in our catchments does impact on our coasts.
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, which involves the farming of aquatic animals and plants, is an important industry in Victoria, and EPA is committed to making sure it grows in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. For more information on the aquaculture industry in Victoria, please visit the Department of Primary Industries' (DPI) Aquaculture web pages.
Information on marine pests is also available.
Other programs
Monitoring the marine environment
Information regarding EPA's marine monitoring programs is available.
Marine water quality objectives
EPA Publication 794 – Water Quality Objectives for Marine and Estuarine Waters – Ecosystem Protection (Adobe PDF file, 643KB) is available for download.