Victoria's marine and coastal ecosystems are home to a diverse array of flora and fauna. There is a critical need for best available information and tools to inform decision making.
CoastKit developed by Victoria’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), offers several benefits for marine and coastal management:
- Centralized Data Repository: providing a single platform for accessing a wide range of marine and coastal data, making it easier to find and use relevant information.
- Evidence-Based Decision Making: access to decision-support tools like the Feature Activity Sensitivity Tool (FeAST) which provides a first-pass environmental risk assessment for proposed marine and coastal activities in Victoria.
- Planning and Restoration: CoastKit assists with planning applications and identifies opportunities for restoration activities, helping to protect and enhance marine environments.
- Standardized Data Classification: CoastKit promotes standardized data collection, reporting, monitoring, assessment, and evaluation, ensuring consistency and reliability.
- Friendly Interactive Mapping: Users can explore, zoom, and overlay maps, identify features, and generate reports and maps, making it a versatile tool for various applications.
The poster will provide an overview of available data and tools relevant to marine managers and researchers, including our latest outputs: Irreplaceable biotopes (habitats) and Key Ecological Features.