NOTE: A review is being undertaken of Biologically Important Areas of regionally significant marine species, now referred to as Biologically Important Areas for protec ted marine species (BIAs). Species that have been reviewed have been removed from this original BIA dataset and are available in an updated dataset. Go to the Biologically Important Areas for protected marine species web page for more information.
Work was originally undertaken through the marine bioregional planning program to identify, describe and map biologically important areas (BIAs) for protected species under the EPBC Act. BIAs spatially and temporally define areas where protected species display biologically important behaviours (including breeding, foraging, resting or migration), based on the best available scientific information. These areas are those parts of a marine region that are particularly important for the conservation of protected species.
In collecting information on BIAs, the Department has explicitly aimed to collect information about known important areas and about areas that are likely to be or may be important for a protected species. This approach was taken to ensure that: the BIAs identified did not simply represent survey effort but identified areas that scientists consider are likely to be biologically important for a protected species.
BIAs are accompanied by comprehensive data attributes which enable decision-makers and people proposing to undertake actions that may have a significant impact on matters of national environmental significance to assess the relevance of the information to their specific circumstances.
BIAs were initially captured on a regional basis and each region has a different list of regionally significant species. For more information about BIAs and their capture please refer to the Marine bioregional plans and the associated report cards for each region.
BIAs have been identified for the following species:
Dolphins:
Australian Snubfin Dolphin (Orcaella heinsohni)Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin (Sousa chinensis)Indo-Pacific/Spotted Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus)
Dugong:
Dugong (Dugong dugon)
Marine Turtles:
Flatback Turtle (Natator depressus)Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta)Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)
Sawfish (Rays):
Dwarf Sawfish (Pristis clavata)Largetooth Sawfish (Pristis pristis) - Also known as Freshwater SawfishGreen Sawfish (Pristis zijsron)
Seabirds:
Antipodean Albatross (Diomedea exulans antipodensis)Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator)Australian Lesser Noddy (Anous tenuirorstris melanops)Black Noddy (Anous minutus)Black Petrel (Procellaria parkinsoni)Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris)Black-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens)Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana)Black-winged Petrel (Pterodroma nigripennis)Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus)Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)Buller's Albatross (Thalassarche bulleri)Campbell Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris impavida)Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)Common Diving-petrel (Pelecanoides urinatrix)Common Noddy (Anous stolidus)Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii)Fairy Tern (Sternula nereis)Flesh-footed Shearwater (Ardenna carneipes)Gould's Petrel (Pterodroma leucoptera leucoptera)Greater Frigatebird (Fregata minor)Great-winged Petrel (*macroptera race) (Pterodroma macroptera macroptera)Great-winged Petrel (Pterodroma macroptera)Grey Ternlet (Procelsterna cerulea)Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche chlororhynchos bassi)Kermadec Petrel (Pterodroma neglecta neglecta)Lesser Crested Tern (Thalasseus bengalensis)Lesser Frigatebird (Fregata ariel)Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor)Little Shearwater (Puffinus assimilis)Little Shearwater (Puffinus assimilis tunneyi)Little Tern (Sternula albifrons sinensis)Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra)Northern Giant Petrel (Macronectes halli)Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus)Providence Petrel (Pterodroma solandri)Red-footed Booby (Sula sula)Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda)Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii)Short-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna tenuirostris)Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta cauta)Soft-plumaged Petrel (Pterodroma mollis)Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea)Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscata)Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus)Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans (sensu lato))Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica)White Tern (Gygis alba)White-bellied Storm Petrel (Fregetta grallaria grallaria)White-faced Storm Petrel (Pelagodroma marina)White-fronted Tern (Sterna striata)White-necked Petrel (Pterodroma cervicalis)White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus)Wilson's Storm Petrel (Oceanites oceanites)
Seals:
Australian Sea Lion (Neophoca cinerea)
Sharks:
Grey Nurse Shark (Carcharias taurus)Whale Shark (Rhinocodon typus)White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Whales:
Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)Pygmy Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda)Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) - REVIEWED – see Southern Right Whale BIAsSperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
Note: A few BIAs extend into neighbouring marine regions including the Great Barrier Reef. Polygons are attributed with the region where most of the polygon occurs.
Note: This dataset was originally published in 2011, with some updates made in 2015. Some further minor updates were made to the dataset in June 2024.
All BIA data can be viewed via the Australian Marine Spatial Information System (AMSIS).
