Under cultural leadership, this project combines Indigenous Wudjari kaartdijin (knowledge) and Western Science to fill critical data gaps and increase knowledge and understanding of cultural landscapes in the Marine Parks of southwestern Australia. The study area is focused on the Eastern Recherche Marine Park and South-west Corner Marine Park around Investigator Island, exploring species and their habitats along the ancient coastline that extends out to a depth of approximately 120 m, where the coastline was about 20,000 years ago.
The project includes the application of oral histories and knowledge systems, with acoustic mapping, coring of seabed and island wetlands, BRUV surveys, and sediment analysis and dating. Initial findings reveal insights into the patterns of change and adaptation across space and time by ancestral Wudjari, linked to post-glacial inundation and patterns of change in human-environment relations in the formation of the contemporary Wudjari landscape.
Increased understanding of this area is a priority for Parks Australia and would provide guidance on how to best manage the cultural and biological values of the parks. This approach enables the cultural knowledge of these areas to be connected alongside the western knowledge, providing a conduit between management, research, conservation and communication.