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Areas where aggregations of dugong are known to display biologically important behavior such as breeding, foraging resting or migration.

Six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles occur in Australian waters and are protected under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). These species are the EPBC Act listed threatened ‘endangered’ loggerhead (Caretta caretta), olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) turtles, and ‘vulnerable’ green (Chelonia mydas), flatback (Natator depressus) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles. Marine turtles are found throughout Australia’s marine environment and are most common across northern Australia. Australia has some of the largest marine turtle nesting rookeries in the Indo-Pacific region and is the only country where flatback turtles nest.

Seismic surveying is widely used in the marine environment to define and analyse subsurface geological structures, mainly by the oil and gas exploration and production industry. Seismic surveying utilises a technique that directs acoustic energy (sound) into the rock beneath the sea floor from equipment towed behind a purpose-built seismic vessel.

Sound is very important to whales and dolphins for effective hunting, navigation and communication. Toothed whales and dolphins (e.g killer whales and bottle nose dolphins) use natural sonar system (echolocation) for hunting and navigating Baleen whales (e.g humpback and blue whales) use sound for communicating over long distances by producing a series of sounds which are frequently termed songs.

Balaenoptera physalus (fin whale) is listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity conservation act of 1999 (Cwlth) (EPBC Act). The species is eligible for listing as culnerable as, prior to the commencement of the EPBS Act, it was listed as vulnerable under schedule 1 of the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (Cwlth)

Commonwealth Protected Marine Species - Identification Guide includes pictures, general information and species location in Australia.