The Western Port Biosphere Foundation is urging locals and nature-lovers alike to back its 2025 “Turn the Tide for Nature” campaign, calling for urgent action to protect Western Port’s fragile and globally significant marine ecosystems.
Home to endangered species, Ramsar-listed wetlands and a rare underwater reef system, Western Port is one of Victoria’s most ecologically vital marine environments — and it’s under growing threat from pollution, habitat loss and urban development.
Western Port is recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and supports an extraordinary diversity of wildlife. From migratory shorebirds and Fairy Terns to Little Penguins and the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot, the region is a biodiversity hotspot just over an hour’s drive from Melbourne.
It also shelters an internationally significant Bryozoan Reef — a little-known but critically important ecological community made up of tiny marine organisms. This reef, recently mapped and now listed as threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, supports a broad range of marine life but is under pressure from dredging, coastal development and pollution.
Western Port Biosphere Foundation CEO Mel Barker said the time for action is now.
“We urgently need a comprehensive strategic framework to guide sustainable use and conservation of Western Port,” she said.
“We’re working with partners to advocate for a long-term, science-based plan that protects what makes this place so special.”
The “Turn the Tide for Nature” campaign seeks tax-deductible donations to support key initiatives, including:
- Restoration of blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves, saltmarsh, and seagrass
- Protection of Ramsar wetlands and the Bryozoan Reef
- Scientific research to guide conservation efforts
- Community engagement and education
- Advocacy for a Strategic Framework to guide sustainable development
“Western Port isn’t just a local treasure — it’s globally connected,” Ms Barker said.
“Birds that stop here migrate from as far as Siberia. What we protect here helps safeguard the global flyway, preserve biodiversity, and combat climate change.”
Donations to the campaign can be made via www.biosphere.org.au, with all contributions helping to protect Western Port for future generations.
