Reaching up towards the sun from rocky reefs seaweeds provides shelter and structure for reef residents and form the basis of complex food webs. They are the backbone for temperate reef communities, contributing significantly to the Australian economy through primary industries and tourism. Fortunately, these reefs are well managed by global standards. Yet with growing pressures from climate change, population growth and coastal urban development, the reefs are under increasing pressure, with some areas already showing signs of stress. Scientists suggest that our temperate seas along the west and south-east coasts of Australia are warming 2-4 times faster than the global average. This can largely be attributed to the increased influence of the East Australian Current on the east coast and Leeuwin Current on the west coast, which transport warm waters southward along the coast. Some of the most evident impacts caused by these warming seas has occurred off eastern Tasmania and is associated with dramatic losses of giant kelp forests. Some estimates suggest that up to two thirds of the kelp forests here have disappeared in the past 50 years, with over 90% lost in some places. Tasmania once had vast swathes of giant kelp forests, however a combination of the range expansion of sea urchins, and prolonged periods of warm water have dramatically impacted their distribution. Despite the importance of these threatened reefs, Australia’s temperate marine ecosystems still have a relatively low profile compared to Australia’s iconic coral reefs.

A recently discovered great white shark nursery off Port Stephens, NSW is helping to fill the blanks about this infamous threatened species. Internationally renown great white shark expert Barry Bruce of the CSIRO is leading the charge by utilising modern advances in acoustic and satellite tagging technology to study the movements of this species. Dr Nicholas Otway of the NSW Department of Primary Industries is conducting necropsies on the juvenile sharks caught in shark nets or as by-catch in commercial fisheries to provide insight into the biology of this largely misunderstood species.

Australia's grey nurse shark has had a checkered history in the company of people. By the early 80’s the species was deemed on the brink of extinction, which led to their declaration as a protected species in 1984 - making the grey nurse the first protected shark species in the world. The population does appear to be recovering due to effective management measures including the declaration of critical habitats and sanctuary zones within marine parks, which are both closed to fishing. This species however, remains the subject of a divided community, as many of the protected areas correlate with good fishing grounds. The sharks continue to be caught either by illegal fishing, or as they migrate between the protected aggregation sites, and by the beach protection program (shark nets) deployed between Newcastle and Wollongong.

Each year between April and November, Australia’s eastern coastline comes alive with the spectacular acrobatic displays of humpback whales. After a summer of feeding on krill in Antarctic waters, these charismatic animals migrate north to sub-tropical waters where they mate and give birth. During their annual migration of up to 10 000 kilometres, humpbacks attract thousands of visitors to coastal towns such as Eden, Byron Bay and Hervey Bay. The exact timing of the migration period can vary from year to year depending on water temperature, sea ice, predation risk, prey abundance and the location of their feeding ground. The majority of humpbacks in Australian waters migrate north from June to August, and back towards the Southern Ocean from September to November. Groups of young males typically lead the migration while pregnant cows and cow-calf pairs bring up the rear. Adult breeding animals form the bulk of the migration in the middle stages. Unfortunately, along the way the whales encounter floating debris such as fishing gear, shark nets and navigational floats. As a result, teams located along the coast are tasked to set them free.