The National ECM Key Habitat Distribution Map Series were derived from the NISB Habitat Map created by the University of Tasmania for a partnership between the Department of Climate Change and the National Land and Water Resources Audit. It supports the DCC/Audit partnership by providing a nationally consistent set of the available mapping data that show the distribution of habitats that occur between the approximate position of the highest astronomical tide mark (HAT) and the location of the outer limit of the photic benthic zone (approximately at the 50-70 m depth contour). This area is broadly equivalent to the “inner” and “mid-shelf” regions identified by Geoscience Australia. The resulting map data set forms a core component of the ECM National Habitat Map Series. The habitat classes include: coral reef, rock dominated habitat, sediment dominated habitat, mangroves, saltmarsh, seagrass, macroalgae and filter feeders (e.g. sponges), as defined in the NISB Habitat Classification Scheme. The scheme is designed to support the development of marine ‘ecoregions’ or bioregional subregions. Details of the scheme and the process of its development are available in National Intertidal/Subtidal Benthic (NISB) Habitat Classification Scheme Version 1 (Mount, Bricher and Newton, 2007). The 10 km and 50 km tiles distribution maps that form the National ECM Key Habitat Distribution Map Series were derived from the NISB Habitat Map in order to produce maps at resolutions that are easy to interpret at state and national extents. For each state, two layers were produced, one with 10 km and one with 50 km tiles. In each layer, new fields were created listing the presence, absence, unknown distribution or nonapplicability of the Habitats of Interest (HOI). The HOI are rock substrate (Class 1.2), unconsolidated substrates (Class 2.0), coral habitat (classes 1.1 and 1.2.2.3), sediment dominated habitats (Class 2.0.1), seagrass dominated habitats (Classes 1.2.2.4 and 2.0.2.1), mangrove dominated habitats (Class 2.0.2.2) and saltmarsh dominated habitats (Class 2.0.2.3). There are technical geographic and cartographic issues that arise when comparing mapped data sets of multiple scales, as is the case for this compiled and derived data set. The two derived information products were generated to provide a simplified spatial representation of the broad distribution patterns of each of the key habitats National ECM Habitat Map Series User Guide_v7.doc 30/04/2008 Page 32 of 156 across large areas. These derived products are designed to enable the visualisation of the habitat distributions at the regional and national extents. It is extremely important to note that they are definitely NOT able to be used to calculate areas of habitat types.

This dataset maps the geomorphic habitat environments (facies) for 36 South Australian coastal waterways. The classification system contains 12 easily identifiable and representative environments: Barrier/back-barrier, Bedrock, Central Basin, Channel, Coral, Flood- and Ebb-tide Delta, Fluvial (bay-head) Delta, Intertidal Flats, Mangrove, Rocky Reef, Saltmarsh/Saltflat, Tidal Sand Banks (and Unassigned). These types represent habitats found across all coastal systems in Australia. Most of the 36 coastal waterways have a "Modified" environmental condition (as opposed to "Near Pristine"), according to the National Land and Water Resources Audit definition.

The National Land & Water Resources Audit (the Audit) collated data and information on the status of Australia’s natural resources and contextual social and economic information.\\n\\nThe information was used to assist in identifying Australia’s natural resource management priorities and will be used to support the evaluation of current and future natural resource management (NRM) investments.\\n\\nhe estuary assessment compiled readily available data and used qualitative and quantitative methods. The assessment provides detail on the condition of Australian estuaries including the amount of modification from the pristine state, drivers of change, susceptibility to further change, and key management needs.