Western Australia's North West Shelf is one of the most economically significant coastal and sea regions in Australia. It produces the majority of Australia's domestic and exported oil and gas and its ports carry most of the nation's iron ore exports. The infrastructure supporting these and other industries is concentrated along the coastal fringe or in offshore facilities. These areas are also characterised by habitats of high ecological value, such as mangrove forest, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and sponge beds. These habitats support a diverse fish community, as well as listed species such as dugongs, turtles and whale-sharks. Maintaining the region's environmental assets during a period of rapid industrialisation poses major challenges for all stakeholders in the North West Shelf region. The Western Australian Government recognises that a collaborative and informed approach is essential in balancing and managing multiple-uses of the North West Shelf ecosystem. As a result, NWSJEMS was established to support ecologically sustainable development of the North West Shelf region. NWSJEMS was a A$7.7m marine environmental study of the North West Shelf, jointly funded by CSIRO and the Western Australian Government. The overarching objective was to develop and demonstrate practical science-based methods that could support integrated regional planning and multiple-use management of the North West Shelf marine ecosystems. The first major component of the study was compiling, extending and integrating information and understanding of the ecosystems and human activities of the North West Shelf. This included reviews of existing information, collation of existing data, filling key gaps through collection of new data, and development of new data products such as maps and habitat classifications. The second component was the development of a range of ecological models that combined data products with process understanding to generate new insights into the dynamics of the North West Shelf system and provide a predictive capability. The models included ocean currents and connectivity, sediment transport, nutrient cycling and primary production, food web interactions, and habitat dynamics. The third component was the development of a new modelling framework for evaluating the effectiveness of strategies for managing major sectors operating on the North West Shelf. This required representation of the ecosystem, the human sectors, and a simulated monitoring and management decision process. The framework was used to evaluate management strategies under various scenarios, taking into account known uncertainties, so as to identify strategies that could robustly meet management objectives. The fourth component was integral to the success of the study. It was the development of tools that allowed both study participants and a broader user group to access, explore and retrieve study results, including data products and model outputs. Where feasible, these were developed as online interactive tools or distributed on DVD.
