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About this document
The guidelines include best practice survey techniques for cetaceans, marine turtles and the dugong. They are designed to assist when determining the:
- presence
- absence
- abundance
- distribution of these species.
The purpose of the guidelines is to provide project proponents and regulatory decision-makers with a guide to appropriate survey methods, including survey design. They will help inform conservation planning and the assessment of environmental impacts. The guidelines also can be used more broadly by:
- community groups
- researchers
- citizen scientists.
How to use
The guidelines:
- provide guidance on conducting a presence/absence survey of cetaceans, marine turtles and the dugong
- outline expectations when conducting surveys of these species protected under national environment law
- provide an overview of the survey techniques.
The guidelines must be read in conjunction with:
- Significant Impact Guidelines 1.1 – Matters of National Environmental Significance
- other resources described in the guidelines.
How they were developed
The guidelines were developed through consultation with experts across:
- Commonwealth, state and territory government agencies
- the scientific research community
- industry
- the public.