“Some people might not be interested in seaweed. But they may be interested in fishing, or their beachfront property not getting washed away, or making sure that their coastal waters are clean. All of those things are intimately tied to kelp forests.”

Cayne Layton

https://www.greenbiz.com/article/can-forests-worlds-oceans-contribute-alleviating-climate-crisis

“Kelp is SO much more than slimy beach debris. It’s the habitat building, carbon storing and tooth-paste thickening, algae-extraordinaire responsible for maintaining and regulating cool, rocky shores across the globe.”

https://www.themarinediaries.com/tmd-blog/help-whats-kelp

Aboriginal people have been sustainably using and managing Sea Country and its resources for tens of thousands of years. There is no separation of land and sea - Song Lines cross from land to deep coastal waters.

Evidence of Aboriginal use of marine resources on the GSR region includes middens and fish traps such as those at Arrawarra (NSW) and Whyalla (SA). These sites were used to provision food, cultural and spiritual activities. Other artefacts include items made from kelp (kelp baskets) and shells.

Marine plants and animals have a special spiritual place in stories passed through generations and is demonstrated through the social system of totems that carry with them a responsibility for the management and protection of species.

' Indigenous Australians have lived off the sea’s abundant resources for tens of thousands of years. Tidal fish traps and productive coasts would act as camping grounds where knowledge was shared through storytelling, including the sustainable fishing and preparation of local fish, shellfish and crustaceans. Jasan Billny, a representative of the Barngarla people in South Australia explains, “Part of our connection to land and sea is that every flora and fauna has a story to it, so you treat it with respect.” He continues, “This connection to our country is why these resources have survived for so long."

https://greatsouthernreef.com/about

Australia has a long non – indigenous maritime history. The 8000 km coastline of the Great Southern Reef experiences some of the most treacherous seas in the world, particularly during storm events. There are over 1,000 known shipwrecks in Tasmanian waters where jagged cliffs and rocky reefs posed huge risks in the days of sailing ships. These vessels form part of Australia’s Maritime Heritage and are protected under government legislation.

All of the habitats and species of the Great Southern Reef and its kelp forests make up a significant component of the Australian Marine Estate. It is important that this natural heritage is protected for future generations.

It’s estimated that the Great Southern Reef contributes more than $10 billion a year to the Australian economy. Some major economic contributions from fisheries and tourism per year include:

- rock lobster fisheries » approx. $375 million pa

- abalone fisheries » approx. $134 million pa.

- direct tourism activities » approx.$10 billion pa

- total tourism (reef and adjacent coastal areas) » approx. $40 pa

Regional coastal communities rely on tourism to provide employment and generate income. On Phillip Island in Victoria, Tasmania’s west coast, and Kangaroo Island in South Australia, the reef contributes approximately 15% to total economic activity.

Each year thousands of tourists visit marine parks to enjoy unique natural environments and species. The Giant Australian Cuttlefish aggregation in South Australia attracts tourists from around the world who come to snorkel or SCUBA dive at this unique breeding site. In 2020 tourists visiting during the aggregation period contributed over $17 million to the Adelaide's economy (ABC News).

The Great Southern Reef kelp forests perform important environmental services that include:

- helping to prevent coastal erosion (by absorbing and deflecting wave energy)

- acting as a ‘biofilter’ trapping sediments and absorbing nutrients

- providing habitats for courtship, mating, egg laying and juvenile fish (nurseries)

- supporting a huge diversity of species in all tropic levels in complex food webs

Beach wrack binds coastal sand and supports diverse coastal ecosystems

Carbon sink

One of most important features of kelp forests is their role absorbing Carbon Dioxide and producing Oxygen. Kelp and other seaweeds (macroalgae); microalgae (phytoplankton); and marine plants (seagrass) absorb CO2 during photosynthesis to grow biomass. They produce oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis, oxygenating the ocean for consumer organisms.

‘Due to its sheer scale and close proximity to almost 70% of the Australian population, the reef forms an integral part of Australian culture and society’

Cultural services are the non-material benefits people gain from an environment such as recreational use, appreciation of beauty, spiritual enrichment, a sense of place, health and well- being.

Rocky reefs create surf breaks that support a strong surfing culture. Bells Beach in Victoria has a reputation developed through surf culture and folklore as an internationally renowned surfing icon. As well as hosting an annual international surfing contest, Bells Beach's surfing history is commemorated for its status as a Surfing Recreation Reserve.

‘National Surfing Reserve status recognises surfing as a sport that is part of the social and economic fabric of many coastal communities across the Great Southern Reef and beyond’

All living things have value because they exist. This value links very closely to spiritual values and our sense of belonging to the natural world that comes from appreciating nature.

The Great Southern Reef is a unique place that has significant intrinsic value.

Many scientists believe it is important that evolutionary processes that have created the Great Southern Reef continue to function. Well protected areas that have zones set aside for exclusion or 'scientific use' can allow natural change to proceed. When compared to other places change could be determined as human induced or evolutionary. The challenge is in creating large marine parks.

REFERENCES

Review of Coast and Marine Ecosystems in Temperate Australia Demonstrates a Wealth of Ecosystem Services

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.00453/full

Australia’s forgotten other ‘Great Reef’

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20200922-australias-forgotten-other-great-reef

The remarkable power of Australian kelp

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210406-how-kelp-can-help-solve-climate-change

All eyes on Whyalla's spectacular cuttlefish aggregation, as numbers may have come in lower than hoped

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-10/whyalla-cuttlefish-numbers-aggregation-fishing-ban-kingfish-farm/100281726

Substantial role of macroalgae in marine carbon sequestration

https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo2790