Australia’s coastlines are home to some of the world’s most fascinating marine wildlife, from Little Penguins—to the playful, yet often elusive, Australian and New Zealand fur seals.
As climate change, habitat loss, and human activity take their toll, these ecosystems need ongoing monitoring and action – that’s where Seabirds to Seascapes (S2S) comes in.
Launched in 2022 by the New South Wales Government, this initiative is tackling marine conservation at scale, with AU$6.6 million in funding from the NSW Environmental Trust, alongside $2.5 million in-kind support from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water (DCCEEW) and S2S partners.
Uniting three key projects—Project Restore, The Great Big Little Penguin Count, and the Seal Survey—S2S is restoring critical habitats, monitoring vulnerable species, and pioneering new ways to safeguard the marine life of the NSW Marine Estate.
Ocean Lovers Festival
The Seabirds to Seascapes program is participating in this year’s Ocean Lovers Festival – Australia’s largest cultural and science celebration for the Ocean – and invites participants to join the Seabirds to Seascapes Trail to learn more about this exciting program.
A Holistic Approach to Ocean Conservation
Led by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, S2S project partners include the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS), Taronga Conservation Society Australia, and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS); together, these organisations are working to:
- Restore Sydney Harbour’s marine habitats—from seagrass meadows to kelp forests.
- Track and support Little Penguins (Eudyptula minor) across the NSW coastline.
- Identify key Australian (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) and New Zealand Fur Seal (A. forsteri) hotspots to inform future conservation efforts.
“Sydney Harbour is a vast and dynamic marine environment, but Seabirds to Seascapes proves that even targeted conservation efforts can make a significant difference. By bringing together world-leading experts, community volunteers, and cutting-edge science, the program is uncovering new ways to restore marine habitats—creating a blueprint for future conservation efforts,” says Kate Akkerman, senior policy Officer at DCCEEW.
Project Restore: Bringing Sydney’s Underwater World Back to Life
Project Restore seeks to strengthen our natural environment by restoring key ecosystems within Sydney Harbour. Led by the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS), Project Restore aims to enhance and regenerate urban marine habitats at up to 10 locations by recovering lost seagrass meadows, enhancing kelp forests, installing living seawall panels, and deploying artificial fish habitats.
Marine, social and economic scientists and restoration leaders from SIMS, The University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, Macquarie University, and the University of Technology Sydney have combined forces to restore degraded habitats and enhance artificial foreshores through eco-engineering through this exciting project.
Project Restore integrates flagship SIMS initiatives—Operation Posidonia, Operation Crayweed, Living Seawalls, and Fish Pods—into a holistic restoration approach. The project demonstrates how ecological and social benefits can be achieved at scale by restoring multiple habitats simultaneously. This model could be expanded beyond Sydney Harbour to support urban marine conservation globally.
“Project Restore is a first-of-its-kind project that tackles restoration on a seascape level. The methodologies and processes developed during this program allow us to create a global blueprint that can be applied in urbanised harbours,” says Dr Francisco Martinez-Baena, Project Restore Project Manager.
The Great Big Little Penguin Count
The Great Big Little Penguin Count collects data on the population size of Little Penguin colonies along the NSW coastline. Trained citizen scientists and NPWS volunteers assist in counting penguins, tracking foraging movements, and investigating population boundaries and dispersal patterns. This initiative, conducted in collaboration with Taronga Conservation Society Australia, marks the first-ever population estimate of Little Penguins in NSW, providing essential data for their future conservation.
This year’s Great Big Little Penguin Count will be the third penguin population survey under the S2S project, covering 12-15 offshore islands. During peak nesting season between September and October, the count combines traditional observation methods with modern tracking technologies.
The Seal Survey: Mapping NSW’s Fur Seal Hotspots
Seals are charismatic, intelligent, and essential to our marine ecosystem—but where do they go, and why? The inaugural Seal Survey, launched in 2024 at Barrenjoey Head, is working to answer these questions.
Using drone surveillance, satellite tagging, population density assessments, and sightings reported through the citizen science platform Haul Out Call Out, the survey is pinpointing key locations for Australian Fur Seals and New Zealand Fur Seals along the NSW coastline.
These sightings will complement drone surveys to provide a more comprehensive understanding of seal movements. In collaboration with the New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the survey also benefits from their expertise in seal population mapping.
By identifying preferred breeding habitats and human-seal interaction risks, this research will help shape long-term marine conservation strategies.
“Through collaboration, research, and education, Seabirds to Seascapes is helping to ensure that NSW’s marine ecosystems remain healthy and resilient for generations to come,” concluded Akkerman.
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