Module 15

OHT 1

 Module 15 Home

The Nature and Purpose of
Coast and Marine Studies

Source: Adapted from Our Sea, Our Future: Major Findings of the State of the Marine Environment Report for Australia, Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories, Canberra, 1995, pp. 34-37

The sustainability of coastal and marine systems depends on Australians knowing about the marine environment, recognising the threats to it, wanting to care for it, and learning the skills to look after it.


This includes:

  • an awareness, appreciation and understanding of the marine environment and of the need for its conservation;
  • environmental responsible attitudes;
  • a commitment to work for the conservation of the coastal and marine environment;
  • a wide range of skills for successfully tackling coastal environmental problems;
  • the ability to actively contribute to planning and management processes; and
  • a high level of commitment to future management programs.