Key ecological features are elements of the Commonwealth marine environment that are considered regionally important for biodiversity or for ecosystem function and integrity. The Commonwealth marine environment is a matter of national environmental significance under the EPBC Act.
The profiles below are based on marine bioregional plans, scientific reports and other sources. Locations of key ecological features can be viewed by turning on the Key Ecological Features layer in the Protected Matters Search Tool and in the Australian Marine Spatial Information System (AMSIS) map viewer under environment and heritage layers. The spatial data is also available to download from the departments environmental data portal.