The coastal stingaree occurs in the Great Australian Bight Marine Park (GAB), within which exists a Benthic Protection Zone (BPZ) that affords some degree of protection to this bottom-dwelling species. However, the Park's mission is not only to maintain current levels of biodiversity, but also to provide ecologically sustainable use of marine resources. As such, a number of fisheries and recreational fishing are still permitted to operate in certain areas, and exploratory drilling for petroleum commenced in 2003 and further exploration activity is anticipated in the future (5). These activities may threaten the coastal stingaree, and there are currently no conservation measures directly targeting the species.