An ‘underwater bushfire’ is descending on the oceans around Tasmania and Victoria.
Add your name to support increasing marine sanctuaries that help protect south-east Australia’s iconic marine life.
This summer’s marine heatwave is predicted to be ‘off the scale’. It could wipe out kelp forests, kill seabirds, spread marine diseases, interrupt ocean tourism operations and crash fish populations.
Shockingly, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has predicted the 2023/24 summer’s marine heatwave could exceed the maximum sea surface temperature anomalies they can capture.
Marine sanctuaries act like national parks in the ocean and have been shown to increase the resilience and recovery times of the marine life they protect.
Sadly, only 8% of south-east Australia’s offshore oceans are protected in marine sanctuaries. This means that 92% of the region could already be facing threats like overfishing and seismic blasting, which puts marine life at even greater risk when marine heatwaves occur.
The Australian government will soon release its plan to update the entire South-east Marine Park Network.
We must show there is community support for increased marine sanctuary protection – please add your name now.