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Historic Content you are reading content from a previous reporting year.

Showing 30 of 50 results

Global importance of Antarctica

2016
Antarctic environment
Introduction
Report Content

2016 Antarctic environment Introduction Marine South West Marine South East Antarctica Although isolated from other continents, Antarctica is...

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State and trends of the Southern Ocean

2016, 2011
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Assessment summary

Antarctic environment State and trends The physical environment: The Southern Ocean Antarctica...

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Risks to the Antarctic environment 2016

2016
Antarctic environment
Risks
At a glance

At a glanceAs for other regions, distant human activities can contribute to the key risks to the Antarctic environment, including global population, economic pressures and the effects of climate change. Management can mitigate many of the population and economic impacts, and climate change...

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Box HER12 Rocla Quarry, Calga, New South Wales

2016
Heritage
Pressures
Case Study

The Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council and other objectors to an approved sand quarry expansion at Calga in New South Wales successfully overturned the approval on appeal to the New South Wales Land and Environment Court. The court’s decision to refuse the expansion...

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Major regional changes are occurring in Antarctic sea ice coverage

2016
Antarctic environment
Key Finding

2016For the past 30 years, there has been a small increase in the extent of sea ice around Antarctica, but with strong regional differences. Most notable are contrasting regional changes in sea ice seasonality attributed to changing patterns of large-scale atmospheric circulation. In the...

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Approach - Land 2016

2016
Land
Report Content

2016 Land This report takes a broadly similar approach to the Land chapter in the 2011 state of the environment report (SoE 2011; SoE Committee 2011), and is intended to be an update of that material. A significant addition in 2016 is an attempt to...

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The physical environment: The atmosphere—climate and weather patterns

2016
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Antarctic environment State and trends Antarctica The physical environment includes both the nonliving factors that characterise an ecosystem (e.g. weather patterns, ice coverage, the...

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The physical environment: The Southern Ocean

2016
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Antarctic environment State and trends Antarctica The Southern Ocean The Southern Ocean is changing in ways that are likely to affect regional and global climate, and marine productivity (...

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Introduction 2016

2016
Antarctic environment
Introduction
At a glance

Antarctica is the southernmost continent. Including all islands and ice shelves, it covers an area of about 13.9 million square kilometres (km2)—nearly twice that of Australia. The sea ice that surrounds Antarctica adds about another 19 million km2 at its maximum extent in September–October...

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Executive Summary - Antarctic environment

2016
Antarctic environment
Executive Summary

Antarctic environment 2016This report mainly focuses on the environment of areas administered by Australia (the Australian Antarctic Territory, and the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands), subantarctic Macquarie Island (which is part of Tasmania)...

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State and trends of the Antarctic environment 2016

2016
Antarctic environment
State and trends
At a glance

At a glanceThe physical and chemical components of the Antarctic environment are changing. The Antarctic surface and lower atmosphere are warming, with the strongest temperature increases in the Antarctic Peninsula region and West Antarctica. Part of the warming is because of global...

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Climate change

2016
Ambient air quality
Risks
Report Content
... associated with large-scale changes in atmospheric circulation. ...
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Several factors, such as ocean acidification, increasing wind strength and changes in ocean circulation in the Southern Ocean, may affect the base of Antarctic food webs

2016
Antarctic environment
Key Finding

2016  Dissolved carbon dioxide acidifies the ocean and reduces the availability of carbonate ions that shell-making organisms require for calcification, reducing the ability of these organisms to form shells. This may affect their reproductive capabilities and recruitment. Changes in the...

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Marine regions

2016
Marine environment
Introduction
Report Content

2016 Marine environment Introduction Tasmania Marine Temperate East Marine South West Great Barrier Reef Marine North...

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Pressures on Indigenous heritage

2016
Heritage
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Heritage Pressures Tasmania Timor Sea Greater Sydney There is a recognised gap between Indigenous Australians and the wider Australian...

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The physical environment: The cryosphere

2016
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Antarctic environment State and trends Antarctica The physical environment includes both the nonliving factors that characterise an ecosystem (e.g. weather patterns, ice coverage, the...

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Risks to biodiversity 2016

2016
Biodiversity
Risks
At a glance

At a glanceEscalation of existing risks such as invasive species, climate change and changing fire regimes, and the interactions between these risks, will continue to exert significant and widespread changes on biodiversity. The importance of some risks, or at least the perception of those...

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Antarctica is warming, although changes in atmospheric circulation brought about by the Antarctic ozone hole have been a temporary mitigating factor that has reduced the overall amount of warming, primarily in summer

2016
Antarctic environment
Key Finding

2016During the past half-century, western Antarctic surface temperatures have shown general warming trends, with significant regional patterns. Cooling of the lower stratosphere because of ozone depletion in spring and early summer has helped to mitigate the amount of warming during the...

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Outlook for the Antarctic environment 2016

2016
Antarctic environment
Outlook
At a glance

At a glanceCurrently, the Antarctic environment is still in a comparatively good condition. However, the pressures on the continent and the surrounding ocean will increase. For example, the extraction of marine resources is not only going to continue but will intensify in the future. Most...

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Marine environment: 2011–16 in context

2016
Marine environment
Introduction
Report Content
... description of ENSO). Variation in ocean temperatures and circulation associated with the La   Niña event, ...
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Climate change

2016
Inland water
Risks
Report Content

2016 Inland water Risks South East Coast South Australian Gulf North Western Plateau Murray Darling North East Coast...

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Temperature

2016
Climate
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Climate State and trends Australia’s climate has warmed since national temperature records began in 1910, with mean surface air temperature showing around a 1 °C warming since then (Figure ATM18). Concurrent with...

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Marine debris

2016
Marine environment
Pressures
Report Content
... difficulties in surveillance and enforcement, and ocean circulation and wind patterns that appear to promote ...
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Climate change

2016
Marine environment
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Marine environment Pressures Tasmania Marine South West Great Barrier Reef East Coast Marine South East...

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Pressures on the marine environment

2016
Antarctic environment
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Antarctic environment Pressures Antarctica The water chemistry of the Southern Ocean appears to be changing at a faster rate than previously estimated, particularly in the deep ocean...

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The living environment: Marine and terrestrial

2016
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Antarctic environment State and trends Antarctica Given its extreme conditions, the Antarctic has a surprising diversity of ecosystems. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, driest and...

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State and trends in indicators of marine ecosystem health

2016, 2011
Marine environment
State and trends
Assessment summary

This assessment summary has changed since 2011 This assessment summary combines ecological processes, physical...

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Pressures affecting the marine environment

2016, 2011
Marine environment
Pressures
Assessment summary

Marine environment Pressures Additional pressuresDumped wastesToxins, pesticides and herbicidesMarine debrisAnthropogenic noiseMarine vessel activityMarine renewable energy generationMarine mining and industryMarine oil and gas...

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Global importance of Antarctica

2011
Antarctic environment
Introduction
Report Content

2011 Antarctic environment Introduction Antarctica Although isolated from other continents, Antarctica is connected to the rest of world through oceanic and atmospheric circulations. Antarctica...

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7 Antarctic environment | 6 Risks to the Antarctic environment

2011
Antarctic environment
Risks
At a glance

At a glanceAs in other regions, the key risks to the Antarctic environment are being brought about by human activities often far away, including global population and economic pressures, and the effects of climate change. While management can mitigate many of the population and economic...

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Australia State of the Environment 2016 has been prepared by independent experts using the best available information to support assessments of environmental condition, pressures, management effectiveness, resilience, risks and outlook.

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We, the authors, acknowledge the traditional owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community; we pay respect to them and their cultures and to their elders both past and present.

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