The secret weapon in saving our sea lions, sharks and snapper

From reviving seaweed forests to safeguarding our endangered sea lions and understanding white sharks - researchers are unlocking new ways to protect our oceans and secure their future. Here’s how.

The The sustainable use of Australia’s marine ecosystems is more important than ever. Without targeted research, iconic species face extinction and vital coastal environments risk irreversible decline. 

This is why scientists from Flinders University, in collaboration with the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and other partners, are leading a diverse range of marine research projects focused on conservation, sustainability, and recovery of marine life. These projects build on many years of collaborative research programs that have seen successful outcomes.

“Flinders University is dedicated to bringing together government, industry and community - alongside diverse groups of researchers from across the university - to tackle our environment’s most pressing issues and find real-world solutions to change people’s lives for the better,” says Flinders University Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Professor Raymond Chan.

“These collaborations identify real-world problems and develop evidence around innovative approaches to solve them.  

“Sharing resources such as funding, facilities and expertise amplifies the quality and scope of these innovations driving change more quickly and effectively for our community.”

Saving Australia’s endangered sea lions

The endangered Australian sea lion has suffered dramatic population declines over the past 40 years with fewer than 10,000 individuals remaining in the wild. Dr Ryan Baring (Flinders University) and Professor Simon Goldsworthy (SARDI) are leading a major collaborative effort to identify the key threats facing this iconic species and to develop effective conservation solutions. 

Supported by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW), the project also brings together researchers from the University of Sydney, Macquarie University, and the University of Western Australia, in partnership with the SA Department for Environment and Water (DEW), the Minderoo Foundation and the Far West Coast and Yalata Anangu Aboriginal Corporations.

Through extensive biological sampling in the wild, the team is assessing disease risk, genetic diversity, and foraging behaviour, while also evaluating the impacts of climate change and other stressors across sea lion colonies. Special focus is being placed on understanding why some populations are recovering while others continue to decline.

Findings from this work will directly inform targeted management actions under Australia’s 10-year Threatened Species Action Plan—supporting the long-term survival and recovery of one of our nation’s most unique marine mammals.                                 

Planning the path to recovery of snapper

Snapper is one of Australia’s most iconic fishes, but the changing environment and continued exploitation have put this species at risk.

Since 2010, numerous snapper populations across Australia have experienced significant declines, including in South Australia, which prompted the temporary closure of commercial and recreational fishing for snapper in Gulf St Vincent, Spencer Gulf, and the west coast of Eyre Peninsula in November 2019. An assessment in 2022 showed these closures had stopped declining numbers, but there was insufficient evidence of recovery, and the fishery closures were extended to 30 June 2026.

Now, Flinders’ Professor Luciano Beheregaray and his team are working with SARDI researcher, Dr Troy Rogers, and collaborators from the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA), Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA, and the University of Adelaide on a three-year Snapper Science Program co-funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and the SA Government. This program is building better knowledge of snapper movement and breeding behaviour to inform more appropriate fishery management.

Through developing a comprehensive understanding of the biology of snapper, and factoring the influence of changing environmental conditions, the Snapper Science Program aims to ensure the recovery and long-term sustainability of South Australia’s snapper stocks.

Expanding our knowledge of white sharks

Australian white sharks may be top predators in the ocean, but the extent of their population recovery and location of biologically important areas are still unknown. Flinders Professor Charlie Huveneers is working with SARDI research scientist, Dr Mick Drew, to gain new knowledge of Australian white sharks and identify their essential habitats in southern Australia.

The research will deploy satellite tags on neonate, small juvenile and large adult white sharks with the hopes of filling some critical knowledge gaps regarding nursery areas. The researchers will also use tissue samples collected over the last 10 years to update 2018 population estimates obtained through “close-kin mark-recapture”.

This project will also address a key objective of the White Shark Recovery Plan by contributing to a better understanding of Australian white shark population structure and assessing if, or how much, the population has recovered since its protection over 25 years ago. It will also address a key objective of the White Shark Recovery Plan.   

With funding by the Australian Government under the National Environmental Science Program, this collaborative research also involves the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and CSIRO. 

Together, these groundbreaking research efforts are not only safeguarding Australia’s marine life but also setting a global benchmark for ocean conservation—proving that with science, collaboration and commitment, a thriving future for our seas is within reach.