Marine and coastal management involves identifying solutions that balance human uses such as fishing, oil and goas, and coastal infrastructure developments with conservation goals. Coastal managers have a broad-based knowledge of marine and coastal systems and understand how the use of the environment by humans can be combined with the sustainable management of coasts and nearshore environments.

Graduates are employed in fisheries and marine conservation agencies at a state and federal level (such as the Department of Environment and Conservation), consulting firms, resource industries, the fishing industry, agencies such as Greenpeace and Reef Check, and in research at CSIRO, the Ocean’s Institute and universities.