The Pilbara is widely acknowledged as the powerhouse of the Australian economy. The extensive economic activity and widespread media reports on global warming, marine heatwaves and invasive species give the impression that the Pilbara marine environment is degraded. It contains diverse habitats, including mangroves, rocky shores, coral reefs, mudflats, and estuaries that each support highly localised species endemism. The marine life biodiversity of the Pilbara is thought to be largely intact, despite being the region containing major facilities for mineral extraction industries. The marine biodiversity of this region has been well-preserved through effective management practices. Also, ports and other industrial sites are adjacent to high biomass ecosystems of native species that provide little opportunity for invasive species to establish. Despite the economic importance of the Pilbara and its high levels of endemic biodiversity, many species remain undescribed.  

In this new project some of the biodiversity of the Pilbara marine area will be described for the first time. An example group, the air-breathing marine slugs (Onchidiidae) will be studied in detail and undescribed species from the Pilbara will be formally described.  

The tremendous development of industrial and port facilities in recent decades may give the impression that the marine environment of the Pilbara has been severely degraded. There are of course nodes where port and industrial facilities have been constructed, but there are also large parts of the Pilbara coastline that are relatively untouched. To make the information available to upper secondary students and the general public, the current status of the marine environment will be brought together in an ebook which will be published free on the internet. The initial Pilbara coverage has been broadened to include the coastline of northwestern Australia between Shark Bay and Broome. Chapter 1 will set the scene – where the region is, its marine biogeographic setting, regional currents, etc. There will be chapters describing the main habitats: rocky shores, sandy shores, mangroves, coral reefs and plankton. Later chapters will discuss iconic species, fish and fisheries management, conservation reserves and the present status and future outlook of the region.